OK, so clearly I have not been on the top of my game in the month of May. I vow to be a better blogger in June.

So, everyone's talking about El Rayo, it's the thing to do. Otis and I went there for lunch with friends the weekend it opened, but I wasn't very hungry so I only ate a wee bit, and drank a michelada (which I was very happy about), so I really don't want to do a full post until I go back and have a burrito. So there. In general, thus far, I concur with Brad.

I do want to report, however, on the phenomenal meal we had at Caiola's on Saturday night. It's really always a pleasure to go there-- Lisa (the co-owner who runs the front of the house) is incredibly welcoming, and the staff lovely. When we arrived for our reservation outside on the patio I realized that my special issues (aka extreme coldness) would prevent me from having a pleasant meal there after the sun went down, so we moved inside and sat at the bar. The bartender, Randy, did a great job serving us while balancing the ten trillion other things he apparently had to do, and all the while keeping up a conversation with some other customers about his new dog (a subject that is always interesting to me as well).

And our food was, as usual, just really really delicious. It's never overly fancy or precious, just perfectly flavored and balanced and slightly rustic-feeling. The portions are always generous as well (an issue that is always a concern for Otis wherever we go).

We started with a terrine of olive tapenade with goat cheese, capers, caperberries, and orange, which was so good I think we devoured it in about two seconds flat.

Otis enjoyed a whole black sea bass with chorizo and clams, including a very cool looking razor clam. It came with fiddleheads and some haricots vert.

I had one of the menu staples (on a menu where many dishes change daily)-- a hangar steak with red wine reduction. It was served with a tasty little mashed potato cake, some grated carrot, and broccolini. Per usual, the steak was exactly medium rare and tender, and the the red wine reduction complemented its rich meatiness perfectly.

Caiola's has been open for four years now, and although it never seems to get the press that many other restaurants in Portland get, I continue to believe that it is one of the best restaurants in our city, especially when you consider the friendly atmosphere and great service.