PDX trip

Burgerville has a reputation as a progressive restaurant. And, on environmental matters, it is well deserved, food is served in biodegradable packaging and what cannot be composted is recyclable. As far as vegetarian food goes, the Anasazi spicy black bean burger sounds like a winner, but I was extremely disappointed, the flavor comes, seemingly exclusively, from the chipotle mayonnaise spread generously on the bun. I'm not normally one to get squeamish in regard to mayonnaise, but the quantity involved here is overpowering, and quite simply, overkill.
For Sara's part, she ordered a turkey burger with no mayo and a side salad. The meal was relatively-point friendly, 9. But the side salad was underwhelming, consisting of iceberg lettuce and cheese. Once upon a time that flew for a salad, but by no means did it live up to the money paid for it. And the turkey burger with no mayo? Again, generously applied, mayo was conspicously present. The whole wheat bun was largely dissapointing as well. If there is a whole wheat bun that looks more like plain white bread, we assure you, we have not seen it. Overall, bland and not worth the 9 weight watchers points.
And regardless of your eating needs, you are advised to give wide birth to their smoothies, a regular sized Triple Berry Blast has just under half a day's worth of calories and more than a day's worth of fat.
Once upon a time I bought into Burgerville's lore. Sara has always been rather underwhelmed. After our experience this time, Burgerville has been scratched from the Reluctant Foodies' list of enjoyed restaurants. If you find yourself near the Convention Center in Portland, may we recommend instead Red Robin? Less than a block away, better choices all around, and just as affordable (possibly even moreso) considering the free refills on drinks and their specialty, their fries. Their signature spice blend is also a healthy way to add more flavor to their already flavorful food. And don't be afraid to ask them to hold the whatever, Red Robin is more than happy to accomodate. In fact, if you go to their website, you can build your own burger, adding or removing wht you like or don't like, and can calculate the nutritional values just based on what you plan to eat. Unlike Burgerville, Red Robin has no problem leaving off the mayo.
And as the RF's 2010 Portland trip took an eatery out of our "rotation" so too did it give one back. The Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Portland's Yamhill district has several excellent options for the dieter watching calories and fat. And what the Rock Bottom lacks in diversity for vegetarians, they make up for with a flourish with the deliciosity of the meals. Sara started with a cup of the Brewery's chili for 4 points, I however, have little recollection of this chili as the pesky thing was not on our table for long, Sara has a soft spot for chili, and decreed that the Rock Bottom's was worth its rather economic point price. Up next was the Asain Ahi Tuna Salad; spinach, baby corn, bean sprouts, zucchini strips, tomato slices, edamame (soy beans), crunchy noodles, Green Sesame seeds, and ample portion of seared Ahi Tuna, all in a Ginger-Citrus Dressing. It was remarkable both in a sense of taste and in the sense that it was the fullest Sara has ever been from a salad. And all this for a point value that borders on the ridiculous, 5. My food was a bit unorthodox, as I ordered my food off of the appetizer menu, a spicy cheese dip, with spinach and tomato, on flat bread. Unorthodox, sure, but let there be no doubts as to its flavor, it was delicious. A common problem with eating off the appetizer menu is portion size, but the portion size at the Rock Bottom nears perfection. Service is wonderful and the prices are very reasonable, in relation to comparable restaurants.
Since it was only 11:30 in the morning, the elder of the two RF's, Sara, refrained from trying one of the Brewery's ales - giving her something ese to look forward to on our next trip to Portland. Not that another trip for the Rock Bottom's food wouldn't be enough to look forward to!

- JDT