Right now I'm listening to a Portland podcast and trying to find out more about the city full of good eats! My friend Julie posted on my blog asking me about restaurants in Portland and thus, here I post! I have acquired quite the list of good eats - from the microwaved Bosnian cuisine at a food cart that happened to appear in Bon Appetit (that never happens in the real world), to the food network featured donut shop whose location closed the day after we visited (camera crews were present assessing the to-be-incured damage).
So alas I arrive at a review of Bunk Bar, better known according to their website as the bar form of Bunk Sandwiches (http://www.bunksandwiches.com/). It's like a sandwich club, except it takes its sandwiches seriously. I never realized that Portland takes its meats seriously. I was surprised by the lack of vegetarian dishes on the menu, but alas the meats in town are sensational. All taste really fresh and home-cured; however, that could be pure bologna on my part. Food and Wine magazine raves that they "reinvented" the tuna melt and features their oxtail-confit and meatball sub sandwiches. And, after watching the diners, drive-ins, and dive's food network episode on the place, I realize that yes, it's true (my bologna) - they do cure their own pork belly. And it looks really good.
When I dined there recently everyone ingested the cuban sandwich except for me. I should have just taken the hint. I got a roast beef sandwich with real horseradish on it, which I love! The bread on the sandwich was really good ciabatta and my sandwich came with a smattering of chips alongside. The cuban sandwich, which features their pork, was astoundingly good and filled with wonderful peppers tasting of rich olive oil. If I had to return I would definitely hunt down a cuban sandwich, which I normally dislike due to the swiss cheese.
The locale was very cool and calming, although the music was a bit odd. The lights were dim and the main lighting was just provided by candlelight. The interior is a warehouse type of interior and there are pinball machines in the corner. The way you order is by approaching an etched out corner in the wall and placing your order there. You get a number and then they bring the food to you. The prices are at about 8 dollars a pop (pretty standard actually for portland, a few cheaper for food carts, a few more for full service of the places we went to).
I think all of the food I ate in Portland was stellar. I couldn't put it down it was so good. But I think due to the walkability of the city I didn't gain a point. My wallet lost weight and I gained enjoyment.
