Screen Door - Portland, OR

Onward to Portland - for a day to beer taste with my sister's boyfriend and fellow beer lover, Jimmy. We hopped on a flight (hardly 40 min in the air) and took the public transit. Portland's transit is fantastic - for $5 you can take the MAX (light rail) and buses all day.  

First stop was Base Camp - which had an excellent tasting room. Creative descriptions of their beers, everything labeled well, and food truck service if you got the dreaded drunchies. The appearance and presentation was nice, but the beer is what we were there for. AND.. we weren't disappointed at all. A good balance between experimental and traditional, the brews were delicious. My favorite by far was their special release R.C.T.I.D - an oak barrel aged chocolate milk stout. I'm not usually a fan of boozy beer, but this one was an exception. We met a fellow enthusiast and brewer from Australia that lives in Newfoundland (which I pronounced in American English New-Found-Land and was quickly corrected). Her name was Nardia. Nadia was 5 breweries in, which I found quite impressive. She is embarking on opening her own brewery in Newfoundland called Pig and Pepper Brewery. After a good chat, we we also hit up the Commons brewery, but weren't extremely impressed.. With two breweries, we merely scratched the surface of the beer scene in PDX.

There was a second reason we were in PDX and that was to eat. My coworker and friend, Javier, told me about Screen Door. He told me it's one of his absolute favorites in Portland - known for their brunch and Southern cooking. So we headed that way (Jimmy, myself, and our new acquaintance) by bus and by foot. Screen Door is hidden away in the Eastside of Portland. We made it there shortly after they started dinner service. We were greeted by a smile and seated right away. They have a savvy, well heated outdoor seating on a patio with wooden tables. I thought it was quite suitable for the whole theme and feel of the restaurant. As though you are eating on grandma's back porch..

We took a look at the brief menu, and sadly wanted to try everything. Everything on the menu sounded excellent. But I stuck to my gut, and instinctively it said to get the classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken with an extra side of Mac 'n Cheese. Jimmy did the same and Nardia got a Screen Door Sampler (Fried Livers, Grits, and Cornbread). As for the prices, $$ on yelp - approx $15-25 per plate.. however, you get enough for two whole meals. We started off with a plate of Fried Okra served with a side of creamy, but tangy remoulade sauce. Then... out came the chicken (and the lovely fixings, mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens, and mac).

The fried chicken may have very well been the best I've ever had. Layers of flavor -  well seasoned with a dashing but tasteful amount of pepper, fried to a perfect crisp, and it came a-plenty. Sides were equally delicious. Though, because of the sheer amount of food (I only ate one of the pieces of chicken. Yes there's one below the one you see in the picture) I barely touched the macaroni. I also tried a couple of the chicken livers, which were served with a sweet chili type sauce. Just as the menu promised, everything we ate was top notch and you are served a generous portion. You could taste the love put into this food. I just can't wait to try the brunch..