No, the east side does not have fine dining. Not yet. There is no slick décor Zydeco and no 5 Fusion top-grade sushi. But that doesn’t mean the east side is a diners’ wasteland. Hardly.
Baldy’s offers scrumptious barbecue, The Phoenix is a bustling steakhouse, and the popular Jackson’s Corner plans to open its second location near St Charles Medical Center—and, in the process, pioneering a space on the east side for local eats, clever salads and the chattering Patagonia crowd.
Certainly, we are not declaring a food revolution on the east side, which is still dominated by burritos, burgers, cheap Chinese and pizza—foods more pleasing to college students than refined foodie palates—but we are pointing out that a first generation of solid restaurants is taking root and perhaps setting the stage for a second generation growth of more sophisticated restaurants past Third Avenue.
In the past year, Worthy Brewery (which opened last February) certainly has been the most important addition to the east side. At its best, the beer at Worthy has been in the lead pack in town (see Micro Review, pg. 28). But the food? Right out of the gate, it has consistently been, well, worthy—arguably the best brewery food in town.
On a recent lunch trip, our Warm Beet Salad ($11 large, $6 small) was massive—and we split it three ways. It was served in a large bowl brimming with fresh mixed greens and lightly sautéed, chopped organic kale. On top were medallions of golden beets, creamy chevre and crunchy pistachios. With a hop citrus vinaigrette drizzled on top, this bowl was dripping with health and vitality. It was perfect. And though we were sipping fizzy water rather than fizzy beer in the middle of a busy work day, we are confident the light and fruit-forward Worthy Farm Out Saison would have been a welcome partner to the veggie salad, as the menu suggests.
And, because we are greedy little piglets, we ordered TWO of Worthy’s pizzas, which came out of the wood-fired stone oven in lickity-split fashion. The first, the salty and sweet Prosciutto Fig ($14) was as decadent as it sounds. Organic arugula, extra virgin olive oil, shaved romano and a rich balsamic reduction rounded out this gloriously gourmet pie. The Shroom ($13), our second pizza, looked like a Hood River forest floor in late summer—that is to say the pizza’s base was smothered with delicate wild mushrooms. A touch of roasted garlic provided a sharp, but not aggressive, kick and the mozzarella held down the show. Both crusts were thin (but not overly so) and crunchy, compliments of the insanely hot, old-world hearth from which they were pulled. (For a $2 up-charge, Worthy offers gluten-free pizzas.)
In search of another new eastside restaurant, we headed out for another recent lunch to Rose’s Cocina, in the space where El Burrito had been (335 NE Dekalb). Rose’s hosted its grand opening on the first Saturday of January.
Turns out, though, Rose’s is actually the same Mexican restaurant as before, but has been turned over to the previous owners’ daughter and her business partner. As such, we aren’t sure whether to count Rose’s as a new east side restaurant, or simply a continuation of a locally and family-run restaurant—an important trend in its own right.
Either way, Rose’s is a notable east side eatery, a standout against the landscape of chain stores like Taco Bell and Baja Fresh, and a convenient, friendly and laidback spot for lunch—all with surprisingly panoramic views encompassing a looming Pilot Butte to the east, and the jagged teeth of the Cascades to the west.
The ambiance and friendliness are lovely. The new owner was warm, and our busboy was adorably nervous. Chips were the usual Mexican restaurant fare, but graciously plentiful; a party of three didn’t finish the basket. The chicken faijta burrito ($12.95)—chicken with green and red peppers in a flour tortilla, plus sides of black beans and Spanish rice—was, in a word, fine. Al pastor tacos ($4.25 each) were plenty meaty, and the pork was tender and juicy, not rubbery or full of gristle. They were served simply, side-by-side, and with a generous amount of cilantro and chopped onions on top while a half of a lime stood guard on the edge of the plate; authentic and above average.
No, the east side does not have fine dining. Not yet. But what it does have is popular west side restaurants adding east side stores, locally-owned coffeeshops opening and, in more general terms, a confident trend toward quality, independently-owned restaurants.
This article appears in Jan 23-29, 2014.
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You seriously dont consider Kayos Dinnerhouse fine dining?
Well…Kayos Dinnerhouse does technically sit to the West of 3rd St. 🙂 I don’t think it helps that it’s flanked by an all-asphalt (no landscaping) drive-up style parking lot and an Econo Lodge. That says nothing of the quality of the food, but I’d wager it has a little to do with the lack of consideration as “fine dining.” Atmosphere and ambiance go a long way.
Taylor’s was awesome and cheap, but still didn’t make it in that same general area. The Hideaway is just a few blocks away, but being tucked back a bit in the trees off 3rd street helps a lot with making it feel less like a laundromat.
The east side is also home to the original Pilot Butte, and while not necessarily gourmet, it’s good enough to have spawn a west side location (which, in my humble opinion, offers a more relaxed and enjoyable meal experience).
I also am happy to have a Baldy’s on this side, and the Phoenix passes muster as a decent place for a meal and a drink, but Worthy is the absolute best thing to happen to east side food since I’ve been in the area.
I’ve dined (and imbibed) at Worthy on several occasions now, and I can tell you it’s been superb every time. I can’t say the same thing for any other brewpub in town, save 10 Barrel.
I have to say…I know a lot of folks go on and on about Worthy…but I’ve been twice and was disappointed both times. I wouldn’t say their food is terrible or anything, but it and the beer are just…okay. The Reuben was nice, but nothing to write home about. My biggest complaint is that everything is so dang expensive!
Me and my wife: one taster tray, one coke, a burger and the aforementioned Reuben…$42! Kinda pricey. I’ll just keep driving to the Westside, thanks (I live on the Eastside). A friend went with his family (wife + two kids), got a burger and a beer, they all had cokes, one kid had chicken wings and the other and his wife each had a pizza…$92. Ridiculous!
Sorry, most of my friends feel the same way…UN should be in front of Worthy’s name.
you have to be joking about baldy’s being “scrumptious” BBQ. you must have never had real BBQ. Seriously sick of mediocre restaurants opening a second eastside restaurant – wish some new, real restaurants would come in and give them some competition.
Why did you leave out Longboard Louie’s again?
You’re info on Rose’s Cocina is not quite right. When Rose’s was El Burrito, it was sold to owners who were not successful. It was then sold to the daughter (and partner) of the *original* owner. So the new Rose’s is similar to the *original* El Burrito but definitely not the same as El Burrito as run by the most recent owner. That’s a little complicated but for the new owners it is an important distinction.