Burgers--A Search for Salem's Favorites

It's only been minutes since I ate, but putting together this slideshow from past meals has almost resulted in the need to wipe drool off the keyboard. Too graphic? My apologies. But the discovery of a good burger is news worth spreading.

Whether you're a fan of the simple diner style burger or a bistro burger with an eye on every detail (including the bun), I have a hunch you have a go-to burger when that craving strikes. When this blog was in it's infancy, Salem Man wrote a post asking for readers to chime in on what they considered to be the best burger. Salem options have changed since then. That's why I'm asking the question again.

Here's a list of  locations I've put together from "best burger" recommendations I've received in the past year:

Willamette Burger Co.,
Word of Mouth Bistro,
DaVinci's,
La Capitale,
Ringo's Tavern
Josey's Family Restaurant,
Annette's,
Five Guys

What are you looking for in a burger? Does size matter? Do you prefer a grilled patty? Or is it about the additions, options, special sauce or where the beef originated? Oh and does it HAVE to have fries included to make your day?

March--What's Happening in Salem?

Special Events:

• La Margarita: Tequila Tasting, Wednesday March 28, 6:30 p.m., 3/4 oz. samples of 9 different 100% blue agave tequilas with sangrita snacks, $25
• Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival  March 30 - April 30, 2012,  Purchase your pass by March 20th for a 50% discount. Call 1-800-711-2006
• Lifesource will be having 4 Saturday tastings this month 

Food/Drink:

• Family visiting? Check out "best places to eat" for ideas on where to take them or "movie times" to see the latest releases
• Brunch? Eola Hills Winery, Ragin River Steak House and Orchard Heights Winery are good choices.
• Salem has 4 wine bars with regularly scheduled tastings/events: Santiam Wine Co., Grand Vines & Papa di vinos, Westside Wine Store, plus Wandering Aengus cider tasting house and Willamette Valley Cheese tasting room
• Salem Public Market is open EVERY Saturday, 8:30 am - 2pm
• Ready for something different? Check out "Dinner at the Rafns'". Cooking classes soon!
• Willamette Queen Sternwheeler has a regular schedule and special events
• Cooking classes:  Lullu's tutto cucina, La Margarita, Kelly's Home Center, Happy Curry Foods, Carl's Cuisine-503 363-1612
• And of course check out Travel Salem and our many mid-valley wineries to explore

Entertainment/Nightlife:

• Take a walk--check out the walking tours on this local blog.
• Looking for live music? Check out Gilgamesh, Roxxy NW, Christo's Lounge, Boon's Treasury, IKE Box, Governor's Cup, Half Penny, Fireside Lounge @Oregon Garden Resort
• There's always something going on at Clockworks Cafe &  Brown's Towne Lounge
• In the mood for some improv? Capitol City Theater
• Click on the following links for each theatre's calendar: The Elsinore,  Historic Grand Theatre's, Pentacle Theatre
• Salem has two independent movie theaters: Northern Lights Theater Pub, Salem Cinema
• A list of Salem's numerous, must see art galleries.
• Want to know where to find Salem's parks, children's museum, pools or other places of interest? Click here to see the city's map.
• If it's a bike route map you need, click here.

E-San Thai Cuisine

I've been wanting to try E-San Thai on south Commercial for awhile now. I remember going to an E-San Thai in downtown Portland years ago. I thought it was good, but that was before I really knew what I liked in a good Thai dish, so I was excited to try it again.

After a long Monday at work, I decided that I would stop for dinner instead of heading home and cooking (good idea, right??) so I headed in by myself and was promptly seated at a table by the window. The server/hostess was very friendly and brought me out a glass of water almost as soon as I sat down. I suppose it helped that I was the only one in the restaurant other than a young boy and a toddler who appeared to be her children. They ran around a bit, but otherwise didn't bother me. This is clearly a family run operation, but by the time I was finishing my dinner and other dinner guests were arriving the extra family had cleared out and everything was pretty professional.

E-San Thai Cuisine went in at the old Bigfoot Bar location just north of Fred Meyer. Oddly enough they still have the giant, oversized log furniture in the lounge/bar side of the restaurant. If someone didn't know the history of the place it would be quite a mystery as to why the bar was decorated in such a fashion! The dining room side is pleasantly decorated with black furnishings, red and gold accents and candles on the tables.

I perused the menu, but I was mainly trying to see if they had Pad Kee Mao, which is my current dish of choice. I asked the server about the Pad Kee Mao, (also called Drunken Noodles sometimes) and she said it was the best noodle dish they had. I ordered some Fresh Garden Rolls ($3.75) to start, which are rice paper stuffed with noodles, lettuce, herbs, and tofu and then dipped in peanut sauce. And then of course I had to try the Pad Kee Mao with chicken ($10.95).

Maybe I was just hungry, but I'm pretty sure the Rolls dipped in peanut sauce were fit for the gods! It was actually the peanut sauce at E-San that made these rolls so amazing, I believe. Anyway, they were very tasty, so I ended up eating them all myself and not leaving much room for my main dish. My entree came out just as I was finishing my rolls, but I wasn't so full that I didn't have room for a few bites! Okay, maybe quite a few. I had asked for a medium spice and it was quite spicy. Drunken Noodles are supposed to be spicy apparently, and these definitely lived up to that reputation. Fortunately, I like a little spice in my life! If you are at all sensitive to spicy things, you might want to go with mild at E-San.

I do believe that the Pad Kee Mao at E-San Thai was the best I've had in Salem, and believe me, lately I've been trying them out religiously all over town. The wide noodles were nice and thick, the vegetables were flavorful, and the sauce was spicy and delicious. I really liked this dish and will definitely be back to try it again.

http://www.e-santhai.com/

Location:
3330 Commercial St SE

Hours:
M-Th: 11am-9pm
Fri: 11am-10pm
Sat-Sun: 4-10 (dinner only)
No longer delivering

Easter Restaurant Scene

Gamberetti's- will feature a brunch on Easter Sunday April 8th at their new location 12- 4pm and dinner 4-9p check the web site for the updated menu !

The La Margarita Co.- (545 Ferry St. SE) special for Easter weekend will be Tacos Santa Marea: 3 crisp tacos filled with mesquite grilled ling cod and topped with a creamy green salsa, Mexican-style cream and cheese. However,La Margarita Co. will be closed Easter Sunday, April 8. Check out our weekly specials at lamargaritasalem.com.

Flight Deck- is going to be open from 8am to 3pm on Easter Sunday April 8, 2012 (our normal hours are 8am to 9pm). The only thing we will be serving is a Brunch Buffet the entire time we are open. Breakfast & Lunch Buffet Items include: Omelets to order, Carved roasted Ham & Turkey, Assorted Pastries & Desserts, Assorted Salads, Includes Coffee, Tea or Orange Juice--$16.95 per person, Kids 11 and under $5 per person. Make your reservations today! Call 503-581-5721

Venti's- Is open regular hours today.

Orupa- Is open regular hours today. 503-588-3639

Creekside Golf Club -Yes we have our Easter Day Brunch 23.95 for adults $8.95 for children 5-12. Also we have our Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch $24.95 adults $8.95 5-12, For Reservations please call 503-363-4653

Adam's Ribs Smokehouse- is smoking up Holiday Whole Hams for Easter. Pre-Order before Wednesday, April 20 Pick-up Smoked Ham by Saturday April 7. Cost is $8.00 a lb. 503-362-2194

Willamette Queen- will be having an Easter Sunday Brunch Cruise from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. We will be offering an extensive breakfast
menu as well as lunch salads and meats. If you have any dietary needs, please let us know, we are always happy to accommodate. Price includes buffet, two hour cruise
non-alcoholic beverages and gratuity; Adults are $55.00, children 2 to12 are $28.00, and 3 and younger are free. We will have live entertainment for the whole
family to enjoy. Reservations should be made early as there is limited seating. ( We have removed several tables to make it more "roomy" between tables.)

from 3:30 TO 5:00 THAT SAME DAY: we are doing a Mother's Day Excursion with all donations going to the ELIMINATE program. This is a Kiwanis International event
where Kiwanis supplies the funds to UNICEF to inoculate mothers in third world countries who currently do not get the Tetanus vaccine. Over 100,000 mothers and
their babies who die every year from a lack of tetanus shots. Help us, help mothers around the world. (503) 371-1103

Grand Vines - Come by on Saturday and let us help you pick that special bottle of wine for you Easter brunch. Open noon to 8pm on Saturdays. Closed on Sundays.

Cascade Baking Co.- Cascade Baking Company is providing five different Easter Breads available Easter week beginning the 18th of April. Our breads include Byznatine, Rosemary Panmarino, Easter bread, and Apricot Delight as well as our Hot Cross Buns. Orders for Good Friday and Saturday should be made for guaranteed selection.
The last of our hot cross buns will be available through Saturday. These rolls are enriched and are delicious and sweet.
Byzantine Easter bread is a traditional Easter bread made with exotic spices Mahlepi, Black Caraway and Mastic, and enriched with milk, eggs, butter, and olive oil.. A wonderfully fragrant bread, round and topped with sesame seeds.
Rosemary Panmarino is an enriched bread made with eggs, milk, and olive oil. Apricots and rosemary are added to produce an incredible tasting aromatic bread, perfect for any Easter meal.
Our Easter Bread is a spiced and enriched bread made with eggs, buttermilk, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and packed with currants and raisins. Children love this bread. This bread is made into a braid.
We will also make Apricot Delight, Cascade’s favorite holiday pastry. An in-house made danish pastry layered with cream cheese, apricot pieces and apricot preserves. This pastry is so popular that one must preorder to guarantee a pastry. Cascade Baking Company is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. , Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Telephone number is 503 589 0491


Word of Mouth- will be open regular hours on Sunday 8am-2pm. Our regular menu can be found at wordofsalem.com


Silver Grille- Easter Sunday - we will be open regular business hours and be serving our usual, terrific, locally grown and raised fare. 206 East Main Street, Silverton, OR


Ram Brewery- We're featuring our Easter buffet with an array of family favorites on Sunday, April 8th. Enjoy our buffet featuring carved meats, seafood, chicken selections, savory breakfast selections, made-to-order omelets, pasta, fresh salad and fruits, delectable desserts and chocolate eggs!Seating will begin at 10am and end at 2:30pm. Adults for $20.99. Seniors (55+) for $18.99, Kids 6-12 for $10.99 and free for Kids 5 and under. Call 503.363.1904 for reservations. The Ram is located at 515 12th Street in Salem.


Eola Hills Winery- Easter Brunch on 04/8/12 with extended hours, 9:00am-3pm: Reservations are neccessary! See details and reserve online, for questions email us, or call 800-291-6730 (503-623-2405).Discover for yourself why our Sunday Brunch, like our award winning wine, has been widely acclaimed as the "Best in the Northwest"!


Bentley's Grill- Easter Sunday Brunch April 8, 2012, Easter Brunch will be served from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM Adults $26.95 Seniors $22.95 Kids (10 years and under) $11.95


Orchard Heights Winery- Voted Best Brunch in the Mid-Valley two years in arow!! Our Easter, Mother's Day & Father's Day Brunch is a terrific way to spend the holiday. With made to order pasta and omelet bar, home-made waffles, and lots, lots more. Only $16.95 adults, $8.45 children ages 4 to 10.
3 and under free. First seating at 9am and last seating at 1pm. Reservations required! We are filling up fast so call early!!, Phone: 503-391-7308 x 5201.


Straight from New York Pizza- Open 11-7 and until 9 PM for delivery


Sushi Kyo- Open regular hours

Before heading out to eat on Easter, be sure to give your destination restaurant a call.  Many businesses will not be open, so the owners and employees can spend the day with their families.

Chinn's Restaurant

One of my friends is on a Chinese food kick right now and has been haunting the Golden Crown downtown, so I suggested we should check out some of the other Chinese restaurants in town. We settled on Chinn's out in south Salem.

Chinn's has been around for a long time, apparently, and I've heard people rave about it being the best in town, so I was interested to see what was so great about it. Now, I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food, but mostly because I don't love the fried, Americanized combo plates so popular in most restaurants around here. I realize that this issue has been discussed on here before and my purpose is not to rehash that all over again. I'd like to review Chinn's for exactly what it is: a Chinese restaurant in Salem, Oregon that also has a bar/lottery lounge.

Chinn's is in a rather old strip mall on south Commercial. The day we went the neon on the neon lights didn't seem to be working. The building could use some care and cleanup, so it looks a little sketchy when you first arrive. Inside the lobby, we waited to be seated and were promptly seated in a very clean, well-kept dining room. It's definitely not brand new, but it was actually quite relaxing, quiet, and clean.

We ordered from the lunch menu, which had the typical combo plates, but also had some simple lunch options that came with soup and fried or regular rice. My friend ordered a traditional combo plate with sweet and sour chicken, pork chow mein, and a rather impressive egg roll! I ordered Chicken Chow Yuk (I asked for it spicy) with fried rice. For an extra dollar ($6.25) you could add another item so I decided to add bbq pork to my plate. Both of our meals also came with soup.

I thought the prices here were extremely reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food. Our meals came out quickly, the service was good, and the food was very flavorful. The vegetables in my meal were fresh with just the right amount of crispiness. The bbq pork wasn't too tough to chew, as I've had in some restaurants. All in all it's pretty normal American Chinese fare, but done quite well.

I would definitely return to Chinn's if I was in the mood for some good ol' American Chinese food.

Chinn's Restaurant
http://chinnsrestaurant.com/index.html
503-378-1997

Hours:

Mon-Thur: 11am - 10pm
Fri: 11am - 11pm
Sat: 12pm - 11pm
Sun: 12pm - 10pm

Lunch every day: 11am - 3pm