Urban Farmer - Portland

Urban Farmer is located within the Nines hotel.  It is a steakhouse which brands itself as “Sophisticated Farm to Table Dining in Oregon”.  Sounds good on the surface.  I love a great steak.  I like the farm to table concept.  The only problem here is that their idea of a steakhouse sort of misses the mark in my opinion.

The restaurant has an open floor plan with no ceiling.  It is located in the atrium area of the lobby of the Nines hotel.

Since I had $100 food and beverage credit thanks to my Virtuoso booking, this seemed like an easy choice.

Oysters

The oysters ($15) were fresh, briny and sweet.  Although on the smaller side the oysters were a good way to start any meal.

Farmhouse Vegetable Salad

The Farmhouse Vegetable Salad ($12) is a mélange of local fresh vegetables that are in season.  The salad included greens, carrots, asparagus, rapini and corn among others.  The salad is good in concept, but was drowned in dressing that the vegetables wilted and could not really be tasted.  I thought the farm to table concept was to be able to taste each ingredient and let them shine on their own?  Throw on two monster pieces of cheese toast and this dish goes downhill pretty quickly.

Seared Greens

The Seared Greens ($9) is a rather large bowl of greens with a ton of mustard seeds.  Although tasty, the greens were not seared but rather steamed as there was no char to the vegetables.  A slight char would have brought out the natural sugars and made it a little sweeter.

Twice Baked Fingerling Potato Tart

The Twice Baked Fingerling Potato Tart ($10) is a great dish, especially for cheese lovers.  By twice baking the potatoes, the flavor becomes really concentrated.  With the bacon, cheese, chives and sour cream, this is an upscale “potato skin”.  The “tart shell” tasted like it was made out of nothing but cheese, so this dish is very rich.

Anson Mill Grits

The Anson Mill Grits ($7) was a total disaster.  It was so watery that it had to be sent back.  I thought that by breaking the soft boiled egg that it would tighten up the dish and make it less watery, but sadly this was not the case.

Halibut

The Alaskan Halibut ($36) was seared perfectly to give it a great crunch, but remained tender and delicate on the inside.  The fish was moist, and the portion size was on the larger side.  The broccoli rabbe’s bitterness paired well with the slight sweetness of the halibut.

Painted Hills Porterhouse

The 24 oz. Painted Hills Porterhouse ($55) was not cooked as requested.  Although flavorful, it would have been a lot better if the steak was actually aged.  There was a fair amount of gristle and fat that was inedible.

Here’s the thing about Urban Farmer that doesn’t qualify it as a steakhouse to me.  They have a large selection of steaks from local ranches.  Big plus!  When talking to the server, he mentioned that they butcher their meat in house.  They also age their steaks in house.  The only problem is that unless it specifically states that the steaks are aged, they are not.  This means that out of the 12 different steaks they offer, only 2 are aged.  He tried giving me this line that the reason that they don’t age their steaks is so that the diner can actually taste the flavor of the beef.  Isn’t that what aging is all about?  To concentrate the flavor of the beef?

With the prices that are being charged here, it is a crime that you are not getting an aged steak.  If what the waiter was saying was true, then why do places like Morton’s, Mastro’s, Peter Luger’s or any other top steakhouse age their steaks?

Since breakfast comes with a Virtuoso rate, this was again served at Urban Farmer.

Eggs Benedict

The Eggs Benedict ($13) comes with the most amount of meat I’ve ever seen with the dish.  The dish typically comes with Canadian bacon or a slice of ham, not the generous portion here.  The only drawback to the dish was that the Hollandaise sauce contained so much lemon juice that it detracted from the dish and made it difficult to eat.

Steak & Eggs

The Grilled Flat Iron Steak & Eggs ($17) comes with 2 eggs any style, and a hashed brown patty.  The dish is also served with country gravy which is lacking in flavor.  I am not a big fan of country gravy, so my opinions might be biased.  The dish also comes with toast or muffin, and I was able to snag one of their bacon and cheese biscuits.  The biscuit was really dry and salty, and was rather unpleasant.

My dining experiences at Urban Farmer left something to be desired on both occasions.  Without the Virtuoso benefits, I doubt I would come back.

Little Bird Bistro - Portland

During my recent trip to Portland, I knew of a couple places where I wanted to try, but the first night I did not have anything planned since I didn't know the exact time I would be getting into to town.

After getting to the hotel and being extremely exhausted after having taken a day trip to explore the Hood Mountain area, I just wanted something close.  Taking a quick look on Yelp! and Trip Advisor showed that Little Bird Bistro got fantastic reviews on each.  Not expecting for good French food in Portland, we decided to give it a try.  It was an easy walk from the hotel.

The first thing I noticed upon entering the restaurant was that the table were extremely close together.  The restaurant was full, which was a good sign, and hopefully meant good food as well.

In looking at the menu, the first thing that struck me was that this was a French restaurant in disguise.  Instead of doing classic French food, there was a little twist on each dish, something that I hoped would turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Field Greens Salad

The Field Greens, Banyuls Vinaigrette and Le Chevrot salad was composed of different types of greens, but was overly dressed and super sour.  There wasn't enough oil to balance out the acidity of the vinegar.

Mushroom Bisque

The Mushroom Bisque was silky smooth and rich.  It has an earthy taste because of the mushrooms, but the mouth feel of a lot of cream.  A pretty nice way to start the meal.

French Onion Gratin

The Gratin of French Onion, Gruyere, Breadcrumbs and Sherried Chicken Sausage is a take on the classic French Onion Soup, expect that there is no soup.  In a way, it is a concentrated version of the dish, but by reducing or eliminating the stock, the dish was rather salty.  Instead of having a nice hearty piece of bread to counteract the saltiness of the dish, the meager amount breadcrumbs was not able to accomplish this.  The chicken sausage just seemed out of place in this dish.

Bone Marrow

The Roasted Bone Marrow came with calamari, and instead of toast came with a squid ink tortilla like bread.  The bone marrow was rich and luscious, but did not work well with the calamari or the squid ink bread.

Macaroni Gratin

The Macaroni Gratin is their version on Mac and Cheese.  Although loaded with cheese and a slightly crunchy topping it was good, but was not outstanding.

Steak Frites

The Hanger Steak Frites, Chermoula, Watercress and Harissa Creme Fraiche is another take on the classic Steak Frites.  The dish has a Tunisian twist with the chermoula and harissa.  The steak was cooked well and tender, but was lacking some salt.  Rather than tasting like Harissa the sauce had a Southwestern feel too it.  It did have a nice little spicy kick to it though.

Cassoulet

The Cassoulet was the most classic presentation, but again had a little twist to the dish as it contains pork belly.  This hearty peasant dish, fills you up and makes you warm inside.  This is a solid dish, and worth ordering again in the future.

I think Little Bird Bistro would be better served sticking to the classic recipes of each dish, but based on the crowds waiting to get in, my opinion is in the definite minority.

Points Hound

Points Hound is a hotel booking site that gives you extra miles or points with the program of your choice.

Current partners are United, American Airlines, Delta, US Airways Virgin America, Hawaiian Airlines, Etihad Guest, Baltic Miles, AeroMexico, and Best Buy.

Their prices are normally the same as the hotels own website, but you do get the extra perk of bonus miles with each booking.  The more nights or stays you book, the more miles you will get as you move up in tiers.

What is especially great about Points Hound is that they have something called "Doubled Up" in which you not only get the extra miles, but your booking through Points Hound will also count towards elite night stay credits.

The number of properties participating in the Double Up program is limited right now, but I see more and more properties added every day.

I have booked several reservations using the Double Up option and the rates are exactly the same as what is listed on the hotels website.  My stay credits usually post within two days.  The miles earned through each booking can take up to six weeks to post.

Points Hound also has a referral program, in which you will earn an extra 250 miles to the program of your choice by using a referral link.

Below is my referral link.  Please note that I will earn an extra 250 miles for each person that uses my link for their first booking.  Please feel free to leave your referral link in the comment section so that everybody can take advantage of this offer.

https://www.pointshound.com/tyclpf

Pine State Biscuits

Sign

Pine State Biscuits has been getting a lot of attention lately, being featured on Diners, Drive-In and Dives, as well as Unique Eats.

Typically, when restaurants get featured on TV shows, the restaurant becomes super crowded and the food goes downhill, usually rather quickly.

Menu

Pine State Biscuits sits somewhere between a fast food restaurant and sit down restaurant.  There is very limited seating, which is first come first serve.  After waiting in a usually long line, you order at the counter, and wade through the herds of people looking for an empty seat.

The Reggie

The "Reggie" ($7) is deep fried chicken breast, bacon and cheese biscuit sandwich with gravy.  The chicken breast has a great crunch, but remains moist inside.  The bacon adds some smoke and saltiness, but the cheese sort of gets lost.  The gravy is full of black pepper, and adds a bit of spice to the dish.  The biscuits are flaky and hold up well as a flavor delivery vehicle.

The Reggie Deluxe

The "Reggie Deluxe" ($8) is a deep fried chicken breast, bacon, cheese and fried egg biscuit sandwich with gravy.  The egg was overcooked, so instead of the sauce being another sauce, it was disappointingly just a firm egg yolk.

Shrimp & Grits

The Shrimp and Grits ($7) looks great on a plate, but just doesn't work for some reason.  The shrimp is overcooked and somewhat dry, while the grits simply had no flavor.  Some salt would have worked wonders on the dish.

Chicken Pot Pie

The Chicken Pot Pie ($7) was another dish that just does not seem to work.  The top crust is just too much bread for the amount of filling of the pot pie.  The pie filling is super rich, they must add a ton of cream and butter.  Unfortunately, frozen vegetables are used instead of fresh.

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

The Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes ($6) are a real winner.  Three large pancakes filled with fresh blueberries along with real maple syrup and butter complete the dish.  The pancakes are both fluffy and have some substance at the same time.  The blueberries add an acidic punch, while the cornmeal adds some unexpected and surprising crunch.

It seems like sticking with the biscuit sandwiches at Pine State Biscuits are the way to go.  Straying away from the basics may lead to some disappoint, but at this price point its definitely worth it to explore the menu a little, or preferably a lot.

the Nines - Portland

the Nines is part of The Luxury Collection of hotels in the Starwood portfolio.  Located in the Meier & Frank Building in the Pioneer Square area of Portland makes the Nines centrally located close to many restaurants and shops.  The MAX light rail station is located across the street, so it is very easy to get to via public transportation.

Upon entering the hotel, there are bellman and front desk staff however you will be directed to the 8^th floor to check-in.

8th Floor Hallway

After exiting the elevator on the 8^th floor, you will be greeted by a stream of flowing purple curtains.  The front desk is located behind the bank of elevators.  The rest of the hotel is decorated in Tiffany blue.

The front desk agent was courteous and professional, but not on the friendly side.  He acknowledged my SPG Gold status, and presented me an envelope upon check-in.  I had booked the room through a Virtuoso agent, and the letter outlined all of the Virtuoso benefits, which was not explained by the agent.  Perhaps he did not know too much about the benefits other than asking me if I would like the 4 PM check-out.

I inquired about a possible upgrade to the Club Level as the SPG site and app showed many rooms available, but the front desk agent told me that I hadn’t booked that room and that the upgrade would cost $50.  He was strictly by the book; perhaps he was a new employee or on some sort of disciplinary punishment for being too generous about upgrades;o)

14th Floor Hallway

Room 1450

Upon entering the King Deluxe room, there is a small foyer with a spacious closet and wet bar.

Wet Bar

To the right is a very spacious bathroom with ample counter space.  It is neatly decorated with marble tile.  There is only a single sink which is on the smaller side.  Oddly there is only one bathrobe in the room.  There is a shower/tub combo.  Water temperature is excellent, but water pressure could be improved.  Given that the Nines is a LEED certified hotel, shampoo, conditioner and shower gel comes in a pump dispenser rather than individual bottles.  The Bee Kind brand is high quality, as it is made by Gilchrist & Soames from London.

Bathroom

Shower/Tub Combo

Shampoo, Conditioner, Shower Gel

The desk is on the smaller side, but there is sufficient space to get work done.  

TV

Desk

The King bed is super comfortable with quality linens.  The pillows are so soft that it feels like you are resting your head on clouds.  There is a small nightstand on each side of the bed with an outlet, which is greatly appreciated.

Bed

Bed

I was given a room overlooking the outside of the hotel.  There are pillars in front of the window, so getting a good view is like playing a game of hide and seek.

View from Room

About 30 minutes after check-in, a fruit plate and bottle of water was delivered to the room.  Since I did not ask for the amenity upon check-in, I suppose this was more of a Virtuoso benefit.

Virtuoso Letter

Fruit Plate

Water

Several minutes later, the front desk agent called to ensure that everything in the room was okay.  A very small gesture, but one that makes guests feel like the hotel is doing everything to enjoy their stay.

the Nines does pay homage to Meier & Frank history, which is proudly displayed throughout the hotel.

Front Desk Area

Hallway

Courtyard

Courtyard

View of Urban Farmer Restaurant

I would definitely stay here again when in Portland.

Hyatt Regency Long Beach

The Hyatt Regency Long Beach is located adjacent to the Long Beach Convention Center, and I would classify it for as a business/conventioneer hotel.

As you enter the hotel, the lobby opens up into a large airy space.  The lobby is rather large, with a bar, and coffee/pastry shop.

The front desk is straight ahead, and is a long desk rather than kiosks which are prevalent in many hotels now.

Check-in was quick and proficient.  Hyatt Diamond amenities were clearly explained.  The Regency Club closes somewhat early at 9:00 PM.  Since I arrived after the Regency Club had closed, I inquired about getting a couple of bottles of water, and was told to just have the bottles in the room and those would be taken off the bill.  Surely enough, no extra charge for the in-room bottles of water did not show up.  Big points!

I was given a room on the Regency Club floor.  The Regency Club has a large glass window and door, and appeared fairly spacious when walking by.

Key Holder

Upon entering the room, there is an interesting sculpture to hold your keys.  There is an acrylic hand coming out of the wall.  Creepy or cool, you decide?

Bathroom

The bathroom is to the right.  There is a large sink with ample counter space.  The bathroom is somewhat cramped.  There is a shower/tub combo.  The tub is actually very wide compared to most hotels.  Water temperature was excellent however water pressure was sort of low.

There is a small dividing wall between the bathroom and the rest of the room.

The room isn’t huge, but doesn’t feel cramped either.

Desk

There is a small desk that is somewhat small.  Although functional, if you needed a lot of desk space this would be a challenge.  There are many outlets which are easily accessible and appreciated.

There is a small sitting area.

Bed

The bed is comfortable, and plenty pillows are provided.

Outlets on Nightstand

The night stand has two great features.  The first is that outlets are right next to the bed, which many hotels do not have.  Second, there is a motion sensor night light at the bottom of the dresser which is an ingenious idea.  Although most people could navigate their own house in the dark, in a hotel room that poses a bigger challenge.

The Regency Club has two computers for use.  The club isn’t all that big but there is ample seating, with views of the bay.

There are no hot options for breakfast, with the exception of instant oatmeal.  This is a try continental breakfast, which includes fruit, cereal, bread, bagels, muffins, hard boiled eggs and smoked salmon.  The club attendant is very friendly and helpful, making conversation with every guest and clearing dishes quickly.

Overall, this was a very good stay and would consider this property again if in the area.

Hyatt Regency Orange County

The Hyatt Regency Orange County is situated close to Disneyland, and offers shuttle service to and from Disneyland for a nominal fee.  Fortunately, it is away from the Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue intersection so foot traffic is not too bad.

Upon entering the hotel, the registration desk is to the left.  Check-in was quick and efficient.  My Hyatt Diamond Status was recognized, and all amenities of the hotel and Diamond amenities were clearly explained.

I was upgraded to an Executive Suite, which is not surprising from what I have heard since over one-third of the rooms are suites.

Bathroom

Shower/Tub Combo

Upon entering the room, the bathroom is located to the right.  There is ample counter space with a shower/tub combination.  The tub is actually on the larger side.  Water pressure and temperature were excellent.

Conference/Dining Table

The room is very open and spacious as there is a large dining/conference table with seating for six.

Wet Bar

There is a small wet bar area with coffee maker and refrigerator.

Desk

The desk is on the smaller side, but with the large dining/conference table that could easily add more work space, it is not a big deal.

Living Room

There is a large seating area with a sectional sofa with a large screen TV.

The TV cabinet acts as a room divider between the bed and the rest of the room.

Bed

The bed is on the softer side, and could use replacing in the near future.  The “bedroom” also has its own flat screen TV.

The room has two thermostats, one for the bedroom and living room area, the other for the dining room/conference table area.

The hotel does not have a Regency Club, so breakfast for Diamond members is in the restaurant.  The menu is on the smaller side, but the buffet does have a wide variety of selections including an omelet station.

Hot options included scrambled eggs, bacon, chicken sausage, pork sausage, potatoes, Monte Cristo sandwiches, waffles, whole grain pancakes and oatmeal.  Other selections include fruit, yogurt, muffins, bread, bagels and cereal.

I stayed in the off season so the hotel was not that crowded, but I can imagine it being a little rowdy once summer rolls around with lots of kids.  There is a small arcade to entertain the little ones as well.  I did not have time to check out the pool or gym.

The stay was very pleasant, and I would definitely stay here again if I needed to be in the area.