Violetta

We love burgers in this country. Adore them. they have a prominent place on menus throughout the Portland area, from the pedestrian to the gourmet. It is the quintessential American food.....meat, dairy, lettuce, bread. Portable. Customizable. Delicious!

Saying you don't like hamburgers is like saying you don't like movies, or puppies or sunrises......unfathomable. They come is such a spectrum, from the mass marketed mealy but satisfying in a pinch burger chains to insanely wallet busting epicurean fantasies. So, with burgers in our hearts, we trekked to Violetta, one of the newer Portland burger spots.

The concept is pretty straightforward and similar to places like Burgerville and Five Guys, order at the counter off the big board and take a number to your table. The difference is supposed to be in the quality of the food..........and that was frankly hit and miss. The burgers are locally raised as are all the toppings and even the bun is baked here. Of course, that doesn't come cheaply. Even without table service, you can still rack up $25 for 2 burgers, an order of fries, and a couple of beverages (even of the non-adult variety). With price comes expectation. When I plop down $7-$8 for the same at Burgerville or $12 at Five guys for the same basic fare, I expect Violetta to be 2-3x as good.........but they are alas not. The burgers, though well cooked with intriguing toppings like sun dried tomatoes, extended little more than salt to the palate. Texturally it was satisfying, but someone in the back was far too free with the shaker. The sweet potato fires however, were worth every penny. Crunchy, sweet, and salty at once paired beautifully with their house made aoili. Truly decadent and all that I hoped they could be and more.

So, overall, I would take a pass on Violetta. For the same dollars, you can do much better heading down to five guys or hitting up a local happy hour and throwing a few beers on the tab to boot. But..........if you happen to be nearby seeing a movie and fries are your thing, don't hesitate, you won't regret it!

Otherwise, still nursing a cold/sore throat/generally mucky muck that won't go and won't settle in and run its course either. Its a bad houseguest all together. A true bummer when you deal in voice for a living.

My super smart wifey figured out some kind of tax thingy (something to do with points on our former abode) that will net us 800 bones in amended tax return........or more accurately help us take back some of what we paid. Yeah for unexpected money!

Tomorrow is my 1/4 turn at the new gig. Weird. Has it really been that long (or only that long). One day at a time.

Speaking of which, time to let the cold pills do their work. Sleepy time starts now.