Restaurant: Kenton Station Location: 8303 N Denver Ave Portland, Or 97217 Date: August 15th, 2011 Ordered: Paul Jr. (Burger) Cost: $7.75

The Paul Jr., a 1/3 pound version of the Paul Bunyon burger, which is billed as their signature burger, contained beef, ham, egg, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ranch dressing. Served with potato chips, I'm sorry to say that the Kenton Station signature was not that impressive. I don't know if it lacked flavor, or just was too mushy in texture, but I was unimpressed.

Still, as far as places go, you can do a lot worse than Kenton Station. It's located in hr beautiful "old town" part of the Kenton Neighborhood. The service was pretty decent, the music wasn't too loud, and it was a nice place to hang out like a grown-up.

Would I go back to Kenton Station? Probably, but mainly just when I'm looking for someplace local that's an alternative to my usual spots.

Restaurant: Girasole Pizza CompanyLocation: 8438 N Lombard, Portland, OR 97203Date: March 6th, 2010Ordered: Potato FusionCost: $7 I was dismayed at the end of last year to find that the Ladybug Cafe in downtown St. Johns had unexpectedly closed. However, in its place, Girasole has opened its doors. This "morning" (and I occasionally use that term loosely), I had breakfast there. While the early menu is small, I found on it the "Potato Fusion", which I ordered with cheddar cheese, red bell peppers, basil, and sausage mixed in. It's essentially all these items mixed together, and the result was delicious.The atmosphere of the place is nice, though the seating is not at all to my liking. I've always preferred a booth or a seat against a wall; I've never been comfortable sitting at a table in the middle of a restaurant and that's what 75% of the seating in this place was. Also, the food took a long time considering that there weren't that many people there; it makes me worry about what it would be like on a busy day.Don't get the wrong impression, though. Girasole is a fine addition to St. Johns. The food was delicious and quite reasonably priced. I'm glad it's here, and I'm looking forward to going back!

Restaurant: Taqueria PortlandLocation: 7007 N Fessenden St, Portland, OR 97203Date: March 5th, 2010Ordered: Taco SaladCost: $6.99The first thing I thought when I entered Taqueria Portland is that it is, by far, much nicer looking on the inside than on the outside. The second thing I thought is that the people inside are incredibly warm and friendly. The menu is simple and, occasionally, quaint in its accidental misspellings. I, of course, ordered my usual: a taco salad.When it arrived, I was surprised. The beef inside was juicy and tender, and the shell was delicious and just perfectly fried. I devoured it pretty quickly, despite the reasonably substantial amount of food that was before me. It was pretty darn decent, at a pretty darn decent price. The atmosphere inside was pleasant and intimate; there were probably only 6 to 8 booths or tables, all in the open area at the front of the restaurant. The only drawback was the two televisions loudly broadcasting whatever was on the local Spanish channel. That was certainly a detractor, but just about the only one.In all, Taqueria Portland is a little gem that's got delicious food at a modest price, and is well worth visiting.Also, of note: they have real Coke there. It's delicious.

Restaurant: Tsunami ThaiLocation: 2731 N Killingsworth St, Date: October 28th, 2010Ordered: Pad ThaiCost: $9.00Right next door to Mio Sushi is Tsunami Thai. I went there on a whim with some friends and, despite wanting Pad See Ew (which is one of my new favorites), I ordered my yardstick Pad Thai. Perhaps it was due to the restaurant being less-than-busy, but my food arrived quickly. It was warm and oh-so-good smelling. I tasted it; the sauce was sweet (versus spicy), the noodles were perfect, and the accompanying vegetables were fresh. I know it sounds like I love Pad Thai every time I have it, but really, it just keeps getting better. So what's my opinion on Tsunami Thai? I would definitely go back again. I'll just have to add it to the list of excellent Thai food in North Portland.

Restaurant: New Old Lompoc - 5th QuadrantLocation: 3901 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227Date: October 3rd, 2010Ordered: BLTCost: $7.50Located in North Portland (aka "the Fifth Quadrant"), the New Old Lompoc is, interestingly, about as far as you can get from St. Johns and still be in NoPo. I was there for an early lunch at about 10:45 AM, which meant that I stood outside for 15 minutes until they opened at 11. At least they put that on the website so I could look up why the door was locked.I sat with a large group of people and, shockingly, decided to order a BLT from our friendly server. Despite the group size, the food arrived with surprising celerity. It might have had something to do with us being the first customers of the day.The BLT was really good, though it had too much "T" for my taste*. Easily remedied, I pulled off a layer of tomato and started to devour the sandwich. Not only was the bacon succulent, juicy, and perfectly cooked, there was a delicious sauce - not quite mayo - that really rounded out the flavor. I ended up eating the sandwich with such speed that I was disappointed when it was gone. So how do I feel about the New Old Lompoc (5th Quadrant)? I enjoyed it. The food was delicious and the service was friendly. Will I go back? Most likely. Of note, however: I'm pretty sure the 23rd Ave location is closer to where I live.*For the record, I really don't like tomatoes, and will only eat them because they're good for me. Given this, I won't eat double-stacked tomatoes. A single layer only, please.

Restaurant: Mio SushiLocation: 2735 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217Date: September 24th, 2010Ordered: Combination Rolls, Tamago, Philadelphia Rolls, and a couple other rolls. Cost: $36.65There aren't that many places in North Portland to get sushi, so Mio Sushi is a pleasant surprise inasmuch as it keeps the bar nice and high. Fresh-made sushi awaits those who order there, and it's delicious. The restaurant is small but not cramped, it's clean, and well-kept. On being seated, we were handed a menu and proceeded to order almost everything that sounded good.In the end, we ended up with food for four. It was all delicious, but the danger in ordering sushi is everything is bite-sized and there's no real concept of how much food you're getting when you order four or five items. The only problem I have is with the menu. It's not intuitive when it comes to order and getting an idea of what the food is going to be; a few brief words, if you get even that, doesn't really cover it. Furthermore, there's the menu with the food and there's the menu where you mark down what you want to order; the two don't line up at all. It's frustrating. Does the menu really prevent me from enjoying Mio Sushi? Of course not. The food is great, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is pleasant without being stuffy. So what's the verdict on Mio Sushi? Definitely worth checking out, and a great restaurant to have in North Portland.

Restaurant: Nicola's PizzaLocation: 4826 N Lombard St, Portland, ORDate: August 13th, 2009Ordered: Nicola's Sausage and PeppersCost: $11.99Looking at it from the outside, Nicola's seems like a somewhat run-down establishment, unimpressive in every possible capacity. Yet, inexplicably, the first time I saw it I thought, "I want to find out what's in there." I wasn't sure what to expect; I figured some bar & grill-type pizza joint or some such. Was I in for a surprise!Walking into Nicola's is like opening to the door to a beat-up car and a well-kept, fine leather interior with all the latest comforts inside. There's a definite Italian theme (or perhaps just a theme that says "Italy") and it's a clean, pleasant, family dining establishment that actually has some class. The menu is mostly pastas and pizza - kind of like the Olive Garden, but smaller, quieter, and with fewer birthdays. I ended up ordering "Nicola's Sausage and Peppers", which was essentially spaghetti but with large chunks of italian sausage and peppers mixed in. And it was good. VERY good. So that's all I have to report on Nicola's: it's a surprise, and a very good one at that. You can bet I'll be adding it to my "list of local restaurants to revisit"!