It was like some psychedelic horoscope with Jupiter aligning with Mars when my long time friend, adventure buddy, and former college dorm-mate, Astin the Alaskan Sassin, announced she was leaving Anchorage for Portland around the same time I was leaving LA for Portland. After all, we
did win the roommate game back at
school and we
did bike 100 miles from Portland to Astoria upon graduation (completing our PAC), and we
did swim in the freezing cold Columbia River among other adventures. The latest adventure being an encounter at Laughing Planet Cafe with live Alaskan Sassin breast feeding (!) and meeting Astin's new baby girl, Teslyn.
The Laughing Planet, a
Quarry Girl Approved establishment, is a quick service, über green restaurant that serves nutritious, sustainable no pinkies-in-the-air fare.
We started off with a round of fresh brewed
ice teas ($1.75) to go with our Stegosaurus dinosaur friend. Every table at Laughing Planet gets a dino.
Next, we each got one of the soups du jour. Astin's pick of the
spinach and lentil soup with a side of foccacia was fresh, filling and flavorful.
This summer,
gazpacho has been all the rage, and I haven't had a chance to make it myself so I had to order Laughing Planet's version, which ultimately proved to be taste more like semi whirled salsa more than anything else.
The
Che Guevara ($4.95) burrito, with brown rice, black beans, plantains, sweet potatoes, pico de gallo, and spicy barbecue sauce seemed like a total carb bomb, but it actually proved to give be a delicious savory sweet energy booster, getting me through the rest of the afternoon without feeling lethargic. Even better with banana sauce (see below).
The
Amazin' Grace ($5.50) quesadilla with tillamook jack cheese, local sweet corn, mild green chilies, cilantro pesto, and pico de gallo proved to be the all around favorite.
And a new favorite find:
Banana Sauce! Where have you been all my life? I loved the spicy sweet hot sauce imported from the Philippines that tastes nothing like actual bananas (thank.god).
Laughing Planet Cafe
4110 SE Woodstock
Portland, OR 97255
503.788.2921
It was like some psychedelic horoscope with Jupiter aligning with Mars when my long time friend, adventure buddy, and former college dorm-mate, Astin the Alaskan Sassin, announced she was leaving Anchorage for Portland around the same time I was leaving LA for Portland. After all, we
did win the roommate game back at
school and we
did bike 100 miles from Portland to Astoria upon graduation (completing our PAC), and we
did swim in the freezing cold Columbia River among other adventures. The latest adventure being an encounter at Laughing Planet Cafe with live Alaskan Sassin breast feeding (!) and meeting Astin's new baby girl, Teslyn.
The Laughing Planet, a
Quarry Girl Approved establishment, is a quick service, über green restaurant that serves nutritious, sustainable no pinkies-in-the-air fare.
We started off with a round of fresh brewed
ice teas ($1.75) to go with our Stegosaurus dinosaur friend. Every table at Laughing Planet gets a dino.
Next, we each got one of the soups du jour. Astin's pick of the
spinach and lentil soup with a side of foccacia was fresh, filling and flavorful.
This summer,
gazpacho has been all the rage, and I haven't had a chance to make it myself so I had to order Laughing Planet's version, which ultimately proved to be taste more like semi whirled salsa more than anything else.
The
Che Guevara ($4.95) burrito, with brown rice, black beans, plantains, sweet potatoes, pico de gallo, and spicy barbecue sauce seemed like a total carb bomb, but it actually proved to give be a delicious savory sweet energy booster, getting me through the rest of the afternoon without feeling lethargic. Even better with banana sauce (see below).
The
Amazin' Grace ($5.50) quesadilla with tillamook jack cheese, local sweet corn, mild green chilies, cilantro pesto, and pico de gallo proved to be the all around favorite.
And a new favorite find:
Banana Sauce! Where have you been all my life? I loved the spicy sweet hot sauce imported from the Philippines that tastes nothing like actual bananas (thank.god).
Laughing Planet Cafe
4110 SE Woodstock
Portland, OR 97255
503.788.2921
12 comments:
"green cafes" are all the rage...your description of the gazpacho had me giggling Anna...and I def need to try that (non) banana sauce!
A great cafe! I wish we had such places here...
Cheers,
Rosa
Peter - :) Hehe thanks, and yeah, I am looking for a Philipino store around town that sells Banana sauce!
Rosa - But you can make all that suff :P
Very cool. Now I'm starving and it's not even lunch time down here.
Aaah! Finally a banana you like, TALF! Good to hear! I still think you need to try refrigerating your naners -- makes all the difference in the world! :)
mmm wonder if you can drizzle that banana sauce on ice cream.. like a banana split?!. ps. love the cross section photos of the burrito and quesadilla
This is my kind of food joint! There are a couple of places like this where I live, you can find all the veggie hipsters hanging around! Iced tea is my all time fave drink, then comes lemonade. I've seen the banana sauce at mom & pop markets that cater to the latino crowd! Haven't tasted it though.
SouthBayGuy - Working does that to people...
TALF - yes, I found my secret, at last!
Stuffycheaks - Hmm that would be interesting, because it's kind of like BBQ sauce. Maybe on bacon ice cream or something crazy like that.
Helen - all hail ice tea! I forget how much I like it, and yes, I love these kinda joints... and veggie hipsters!
Ah! Banana Sauce is my favorite! I discovered it in Portland as well, on the tables of Pambiche. I foolishly searched online for it first, to find importers selling it for up to $12 a bottle! Then visited my local Asian market in Melrose Hill and it's 87 cents! I've since even seen it at Vons (not sure about supermarkets in Portland though). I bought a case and wrapped them in festive cellophane for holiday gifts 2 yrs ago! The best! http://www.thechocolateofmeats.com/2008/07/jufran-forever.html
And if you don't have any luck, I can spot you 87 cents a send a bottle! ;)
Chocomeat - WHOA! I am so stealing your xmas idea! Hah, that is amazing (and wtf, $12 a bottle like it's a fine wine :P or something?). I'll have to scour some of the Asian markets here for some... if not, when I come back to LA for visits and collection of banana sauce.
good read, post more!
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