Frank's Noodle House in Portland, OR

On a recent trip to Portland (paid by a client), I stumbled across Frank's Noodle House.  I was intrigued by handmade noodles, and decided to give it a try.  Frank's Noodle House is located on 822 NE Broadway Street, Portland, OR 97232.

My meal started off with a bold hot and sour soup.  This soup isn't for wimps.  It is perfect for those who aren't afraid of a little kick. 

I wound up ordering several dishes - handmade noodles with Shrimp and Squid.  Each dish was only $7.95.  The spicy sauce was reminiscent of dishes my mother made, and the texture of the handmade noodles was fantastic.  The noodles were not perfectly uniform in size, and the texture had structure and bite.  It was the same texture of dumplings that my mother made. 

Speaking of which, I couldn't pass up the handmade dumplings!  These were oh so good and hit my comfort food needs right on the spot. 

There's a beautiful shrimp, lightly coated in a spicy envelope of goodness. 

Nibbles and Bites at Higgins in Portland, OR

During my trip to Portland, Higgins was a name that come up, again and again.  So I ventured downtown for a bite.  The cocktail menu was quite classy, and definitely to date worthy standards. I started off with a cocktail.  This one was the Pink Lady cocktail, colored with grenadine.   Duck ravioli with an amazingly delicious pesto.  These ravioli had great unami flavor.  This smoked salmon, pickled peppers, and goat cheese was absolutely delicious.  The flavors of crunchy crackers, salty smoked salmon, and tart pickled tomatoes and vegetables were a light and interesting snack.  This cocktail is the Blood and Sand.  Much tastier than it sounds!