Recs needed for casual quicky - Roseburg to Portland (OMSI) to Eugene to Florence to Coos Bay on M-W!

[just_M]

Hello all; I could really use your help, please. We are a family of 4 w/teens. We currently live in a lovely, rural, culinary nonentity and are seeking delicious yet casual (jeans) and hopefully ethnic recs for our quicky trip. *Real* Asian, Mexican, Latin American, Jewish or Italian deli, Thai, Indian for the uninitiated and BBQ were all requested. My husband the man w/tests to take would love teppanyaki and I would love to visit China Town and have never been to a real dim sum, but whatever is good we will love. Thankfully our kids are very open.

I have done some searching but I'm out of time and am hoping you can help with recs in the areas we need to be. Monday will be Roseburg for lunch, we are hoping to find the mall for a quick shop or just drop the kids and then off to the veterans hospital for tests. Diner in Roseburg or on the way to Portland? Tuesday is OMSI and weather permitting Zoo lights. Sleep in Eugene then down to Coos Bay then home, whew! This is our first trip out of town for years and a bit spontaneous adding more to the original testing trip. I'm looking forward to it no matter how crazy. Any recs will be greatly appreciated but I'd like to avoid bistros and burgers as thats what we have in town, nothing ethnic. Thanks in advance for any help. I realize this is late but I'll bring my laptop so will be checking in while traveling too. Thanks so much again. M

[duck833]

Portland, best pastrami west of Katz is K & Z Deli in DT portland. Sounds also like Toro Bravo might fit your group, wonderful Tapa's place in Portland.

Eugene is tough. I am dining at Belly across from the 5th Street Market on Tuesday. Great small local place. Not ethnic however. We have some good Thai on Oak Street, between 11th and 13th. If you want wonderful thin crust wood fired pizza then La Perla at 13th & Pearl might work.

[just_M]

Thank you so much, a good pastrami injection is just what I need! It has got to have been ten years or so. The Tapas would also be so wonderful we spent our first year of marriage in Rota, Spain and I don't think the kids have had anything like real tapas, except calamari but thats pretty universal now.

Local food is always good and good thin crust is unheard of here. Thanks again. M

[bbqboy]

novak's in Albany is wonderful.
http://www.novakshungarian.com/

[just_M]

Thanks bbqboy, we've never had Hungarian and this looks fun.

[JillO]

Portland:

Kenny & Zuke's deli (pastrami!)
Apizza Scholls (great pizza, caesar salad)
Pok Pok, Red Onion (Thai)
Ocean City (Chinese, best dim sum in town right now)
Hot Pot City (all you can eat hot pot close to downtown)
Pambiche (Cuban)
Podnah's Pit (Texas style BBQ - great brisket and ribs)
Taste of Jakarta (Indonesian - downtown, hole in the wall, great food)

[just_M]

Thanks JillO, they all sound so good! I'm not sure which to try first but we'll be doing several of these quick trips whenever the VA calls. Ill update everyone later on what we got to this go round. Thanks again M

[Diane Clerihue]

Roseburg is a sleepy little town and not much for great ethnic cuisine but there is a very good sushi restaurant that is a must try if passing through or visiting. Ami Japanese restaurant on Cass street in the downtown section. Just remember the sushi is sushi on steroids - huge rolls and large pieces but very fresh and well priced. The 911 roll is excellent as is the Hamachi Sashimi. Has all the other stuff for the non sushi eaters too and very casual. I am a transplant from Marin County/ S.F. Bay Area and have eaten in some of the best Asian restaurants in the country and probably the world and to find this gem in my new home town is so lovely!

But if you come through again, come for the wine. Truly, this area is one of the newest up and coming wine regions on the west coast and makes stellar world class wines. Many wine makers here transplants from Napa and Sonoma County. We are not just known for Pinot Noir as our cooler neighbor to the north the Willamette Valley. We have a more diverse terrain and ability to do more than PInot. You will be hearing more about the area as we are becoming known by some very well respected wine critiques and our little secret is out of the bag. Beautiful area with the Umpqua Rivers. Great food will follow but the fine wine is already here. Have a great trip and be safe. Come back sometime for the slow pace, natural beauty, inexpensive prices and the stellar wines. And some excellent sushi too. Enjoy...
Diane of oregonwinecountrytours.com

[just_M]

Thanks Diane; It looks like we'll be back to VA pretty often so these recs are much appreciated. Who doesn't love sushi and/or a great glass of wine, mm mm good! Happy Holidays. M & family

[oregoncook]

Wow, that must really have been a quick visit! Hope you enjoyed the food parts.

It sounds like you'll return to Roseburg. It is definitely a "sleepy little town" that is rather a culinary wasteland, but I suggest:

Tino's Tacos, a cart/truck by the Shell station at the Garden Valley Blvd. turnoff. Only 3 tables outside, can be chilly in winter, but you could get food to go and eat it in the Canteen in Building 16 at the VA. I think their food is really good.

Los Dos Amigos DOWNTOWN (Mexican),
Bangkok West on Harvard's pretty good Thai.
If you spend some time in the area, Pedotti's in Sutherlin is solid southern Italian/American food,
Umpqua Cafe and Bakery in Umpqua is good (with a terrific bakery) but doesn't fit your ethnic request.

Bagels at Bronx Bagels in Sutherlin really are NY bagels and I feel we're downright lucky!! to have them here.

I like the BBQ ribs at Charlie's; others, eg. bbqboy are not so crazy about them, last I heard and remember (finding them too salty), but it's what we've got. He will feel free to respond otherwise.

I've tried Ami Sushi 3 times, and IMHO, I've really not enjoyed their food. As much as I Iove sushi, I do tend to be picky about where I'll eat it and have to admit my confidence did not soar sufficiently to convince me there. I ate from the menu and found it all sorely lacking. We all have our opinions.

If you find yourself in Eugene again, I'd add to the list:
Beppe & Gianni's Trattoria, Italian, but NOT a deli, pricey, but I found the food really tasty!,
Jung's Mongolian Grill (a "standard" MG, but if you don't have one, it can be a nice alternative),
Papa's Soul Kitchen, BBQ,
and Ta Ra Rin sounds likely to be the Thai on Oak (1200 Oak).

Good Luck!

[just_M]

Thanks for the list Oregoncook, especially the tip on Tino's (good taco trucks are a comforting favorite) and building 16 at the VA. Looks like we'll be spending some time there.

Charlie's could taste like a salt lick and it would still be better then the desperation for ribs meal we had at the Texas Roadhouse. Gag me! The kids were like "you use to feed us this slop?!" and I defensively "I swear (I hope) it use to be better". On the plus side chains have now been banned by the kids themselves where before they had fantasies about Chili's.

[just_M]

A big thank you to all who replied. Sorry it has taken so long to get back; too many holidays and birthdays, I'm finally 40! whoohoo!! No seriously I've been waiting for this since I was 13.

Due to the spontaneous nature (lack of planning) of this trip we only got to try one of the recs, Hot Pot City. Thanks again JillO for the recommendation. We've never been to anything like it and it was delicious. The guy (owner I think) was really great and walked us through the process. Really fun and tasty and a great value. I wish our nasty chinesey place in town would do something like this, even they couldn't mess it up.

Lessons learned:

Get a GPS. I suck at mapquesting and navigating when hungry people are grumbling at me as I'm trying to navigate new terrain and at that point I will feed them whatever is to hand. Unfortunately this leads to more grumbling about the nastiness of the choice even when it is by consensus. Pretty funny though the picture of the four of us sitting on the floor of our hotel room stuffing our faces and critiquing pizza delivery at 11pm. Dorks

Plan. We hadn't traveled for several years and just went too far too fast. While we enjoyed OMSI we were all dead on our feet by the time we got home.

Thanks again everyone. Have a great 2010. M