318 SE Grand Ave
Portland, OR 97214
503.235.5123
Erin: Last week was ruff. Between Erik's new job and my new internship we have been quite busy. I also happened to have a run in with the law last week and was ordered to attend a safety belt class with trauma nurses talking tough. They talked tough alright. The class made me cry. And because no one wants to be miserable alone I told Erik all about it over our all time favorite meal of falafel and tabouli. After I described in detail several car crashes and drunk driving accidents Erik politely asked me to stop. If we hadn't been at our favorite restaurant, eating our favorite food I think we would have both cried. Nicholas Restaurant has been our favorite for years. We return despite the inconsistent service and sometimes long waits because the food is just that good. So good it makes sitting through hours of gory car wrecks almost seem O.K. (even when it totally is NOT). If you drive in your car to visit this fine establishment please wear your seat belt!
Erik: Falafel. Straight up falafel. This is how it goes down at Nicholas' restaurant. It's funny because the name on the sign says "Nicholas's," which of course is grammatically incorrect. But no matter. You can just say, "Let's go to that tiny Lebanese place." You can't go wrong with the falafel sandwich, the Lebanese pizza, or the Mezza platter. Also, I made Erin order because I'm uncomfortable with the pronunciation of the word "Mezza," much in the same way that I'm uncomfortable with the pronunciation of the word "Gyro," which is ironic as these are two of my favorite things to eat. The Mezza platter comes with all that's pictured above, as well as a side dish that is chickpeas, spices, and about five pounds of garlic. So good, but you'll have garlic seeping from your pores. In addition, you'll get a steaming piece of pita bread that takes up literally 2/3 of the table. One of the great things about this place is that even when I eat so so much, I always feel healthy and satisfied rather than going into a heart-stopping food coma.
Nicholas' is a little hole in the wall, so be prepared to sit very close to your fellow diners, and if you go on a Friday or Saturday night you'll definitely have to wait. It's worth it though. When you get done eating, and if it's early enough in the day, you can stop by Andy and Bax, a military surplus store on the same block. I love the store; you can buy anything from sky diving goggles to navy pea coats to Mexican wrestling masks.
I was there for the infraction of the law that lead to the safety belt class that made you cry. I was! And i've seen those videos and I could not eat later, so the food must be crazy good.
ReplyDeleteAlso Erik, you would catch the grammatical error in a restaurant name.