The Wheezer Society

Spare Rib?

Son-in-law David and daughter Renee are having their 8th Annual Rib Cook Off in a couple of weeks. Hmmmm.... ribs.

Know Your Meat

This great photo of a meat packing plant reminds me of my time in the meat business back in the mid 70's. A few years back, I found a this “Meat Identification Kit” at The Swapo.  I think I paid $10 for the entire box.. The first few cards tell the story - these are standard retail cuts of meat and the flash cards help employees, students and everyday folk like you and me identify those mysterious cuts of meat. Enjoy! Meat Gallery (Be sure to click on any card to enlarge)

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Returning

Bob Farrell opened his first Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour on NE 15th & Broadway near the Lloyd Center in Portland. Forty-six years later, he's looking to do it again. KPTV has reported that "... the restaurant's founder said he doesn’t have a solid timeline for the new Portland location, other than opening as soon as possible..."

Hey, maybe he can use the same location as the new Yaw's. Oh, yeah, they closed down.

Doug's Farm

Doug Byers is having a farm sale. Seriously. Next Monday, he's taking in taking in his herd of hen's for execution. You can place your order for one of these fresh, free-range hen's at Doug's website Doug's Farm dot com.
You can also read all about his nurturing system for raising his hen's like they are family. Naturally.

Coco's Famous Hamburgers

This is one of the first table tents proclaiming "This is a Non-Smoking section" that I did (in the ever useful R.Crumb style) for Far West Services (aka Coco's Famous Hamburgers). They used these throughout their Portland operations, which in 1978 was quite extensive. Not only were their the Coco's Restaurants at Sylvan, NE Halsey, Tigard, Beaverton and two locations in Salem, but they had the dinner houses Reuben's, Baxter's Corner, The Plankhouse and Sweet Tibbie Dunbar's. Now the entire City of Portland is almost a "non-smoking section".

RIP The Pagoda - Portland, Oregon

After being around for almost 70 years, The Pagoda Restaurant in Portland's Hollywood District has closed it's doors. Soon, if all goes according to plan, it will be the location of a new Key Bank. Chinese food in Portland will never be the same.

click here for larger version
The Pagoda has been a gathering place for countless families over the years. Our family used to meet up there, my wife's family did the same. My step-sister's mother worked at the Pagoda for 20 years as a waitress and a family friend worked there for several years as well. Gosh, how many pennies had we all thrown into the fountain in the entrance? I vividly remember the "This Is A Union House" sign hanging in the Dining Room - it was one of the last "unionized" restaurants around Portland. Yes, the Hollywood District is looking much different than it did just 20 or 30 years ago. The only distinguishable landmark still standing is the Hollywood Theatre, but who knows for how long?

The last time our family gathered at The Pagoda was this past October, with a dinner in honor of our Mother who had just passed away. Glad she wasn't around to see the place being shut down. This one is "To Go".

There are a few postings on local newspaper websites/blogs if you want to read more. Link 1. Link 2. Link 3.

Know Your Meat

Several years ago, while Neil Sterett and I were scouring Swapo for good deals, I found a boxed set cards labeled "Meat Identification Kit". Having worked in an old fashioned over-the-counter butcher shop in the mid-70's (Denver Avenue Meat Market) and always looking for a great visual, I snagged them straight away. Do you know your meat? (click on image to view gallery)

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Thanksgiving Stats - Turkey Day By The Numbers

Gobble, Gobble. How much food will we scarf tomorrow? Too much? Take a look at these numbers:
256 million: the approximate number of turkeys raised in the United States in 2005
649 million: the amount, in pounds, of cranberries produced in the U.S. in 2005
1.6 billion: the total weight, in pounds, of sweet potatoes grown in the United States in 2004
998 million: the total weight, in pounds, of pumpkins produced in 2004
Source: Fact Monster and U.S. Census Bureau

Yaw's Top Notch, Mark Lindsay and Music

Phil Stanford reports: The reopening of the one-time P-town landmark Yaw's Drive-In is scheduled for next Monday evening (August 27th). … That the new place at 42nd and Sandy won’t exactly be a drive-in but a “celebrity-themed restaurant and bar” called Mark Lindsay’s Rock & Roll Cafe – featuring, much of the original, heralded Yaw’s Top Notch menu, with “gold records on the walls and a live radio station (K-Hits 106.7 FM) in the window.” … So rest assured that when you and your friends step through the door, you’ll be transported back to those golden-oldie days when Yaw’s was a must-stop for cruising teenagers and part-owner Mark Lindsay was, in case the memory isn’t everything it used to be, lead singer for Paul Revere & the Raiders. … Ah, those were the days.