Bread and Ink Cafe

Portland $$ **
My friend and I were not very pleased with this place. We were on Hawthorne and wanted to try something new instead of going to our usual, Pho Van. We've always walked by Bread and Ink, so we decided to try it. Right away, we got the feeling that it was not going to be our type of place. As soon as we walked in, we were seated by some person in grungy black clothes and tattoos. Now, I'm not judging her style (I have nothing against black clothes, trust me), but when I want a cozy dinner, this is not the person I want to have serve me. Plus, our menus were paper. That they reuse for each customer.

Okay, now the more important part: the food. The food was also unimpressive. My friend had an oily burger; I had a beef brisket sandwich. Both were mediocre, and they had gotten my order wrong: I wanted fries but they gave me a salad. So they brought my fries eventually.
Service was alright, atmosphere was alright. In conclusion, I probably won't come back here. Bread and Ink is not awful, but it's definitely not worth it for me. I hear their breakfasts are pretty good, but I doubt I'll come back when there are so many other breakfast places I love.

Bread and Ink Cafe (Hawthorne)
3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97214
Sun-Thu 8am-9pm
Fri-Sat 9am-10pm

Veritable Quandary

Portland $$$ *****This is my new favorite place for lunch. Just as its website states, Veritable Quandary is a "dining oasis in the heart of the city." My friend and I came here for lunch on a rainy day. We were seated in the middle section of the restaurant, which looks a lot like a greenhouse, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the greenery outside. The rain droplets sliding down the window panes and the thick white clouds encompassing the entire sky only added to the magical experience.
About two other tables were occupied the entire time we were there. I ordered the VQ Burger, which had white cheddar and aioli and came with wonderful peppered fries. My friend and I shared a tiramisu and hot chocolate for dessert. The food was delicious, the portions were huge (both of us brought home half our lunch), the atmosphere was relaxed and secluded despite its proximity to the busy streets of downtown, and the service was excellent.
My friend and I are definitely adding Veritable Quandary to our list of places at which we are going to become regulars.

Veritable Quandary (downtown)
1220 SW 1st Ave
Portland, OR 97204
Mon 12am-2:30am, 11:30am-2:30am
Tue-Wed,Sat 11:30am-2:30am
Thu-Fri 9:30am-2:30am
Sun 11:30am-12am
~$18 for burger, fries, tiramisu, hot chocolate

Kua'Aina

Honolulu $$ ****

I go to Buca di Beppo for dinner, but when I'm at Ward during lunchtime I always head over to Kua'Aina. They have delicious burgers and some of the best fries I've ever had. Some people don't like their fries, but I happen to like thin, peppered french fries. You order at the counter and wait to pick it up. It's always busy because it's located in the center of the Ward shopping area.

Kua'Aina (Ward)
1116 Auahi St Honolulu, HI 96814
Mon-Sat 10:30am-9pm Sun 10:30am-8pm