On yet another bizarrely beautiful Portland day, the BNJ Creative crew nipped out to Kenny & Zuke’s for a nosh ‘n’ natter.
So serious. So hungry.
Patrick: Reuben Dog with Pastrami, Kraut + Swiss
Patrick: A picture is worth a thousand words…
That's all he wrote...hot dawg!
Rating: 5 toothpicks
RD and Dave: Pastrami on Rye
Never better: K&Z's pastrami wins every time with RD
RD: Kenny & Zuke’s pastrami has inspired me to make my own pastrami. Every time I have a pastrami on rye at K & Z’s, I’m more certain that I’ll never be able to find a better pastrami retail.
Only in my own lab might I be able to create something worthy of comparison. Simple. Delectable. Incomparable. Pastrami on Rye.
Rating: 5+ toothpicks
Dave: The pastrami is the best I have had. Very tender with generous thick slices that make you hold it in your mouth just a bit longer to savor the flavor.
The Russian dressing is a great complement to the pastrami but I could have used just a bit more on the sandwich. It was a hit-or-miss situation in getting some dressing with the pastrami.
The rye bread was a bit overpowering and too thick for my liking. (Carmen had similar bread issues—Ed.) The bread’s main job is to be the vehicle for the main ingredient to reach its destination—and, on occasion, complement the main attraction with just a hint of supportive flavor.
Fortunately the flavor of the pastrami carried the entire sandwich.
Rating: 3.75 toothpicks
Carmen: Tuna Salad Half-Sandwich + Green Salad + Pinot Gris
What's not to like? Well...
Carmen: Maybe not fair, since I’m not a pastrami or hot dog fan—and honestly have a hard time finding anything on the K & Z menu that I really want to eat (except French fries, which seemed too naughty)…but ANYWAY…
I had the lunch special with half tuna sandwich and green salad. Ended up taking off the dry rye bread and eating just the tuna salad part. It was fine, but nothing special.
The Pinot Gris was lovely. And the company was incomparable.
Rating: 2.5 toothpicks
Dan: Meatloaf Sandwich + Side of Slaw + Victory Pilsner
Dan: Unlike last week, we can all agree that the food was delicious! Bread was fresh, meatloaf was as well.
Not too many tricks here, just meaty, rye-y goodness. If I had to complain I would say that the rye-y overpowered the meat-y. Slaw was crisp with just enough bite, almost as much as the Victory pilsner.
Rating: 4.5 toothpicks
Stephen: Sabrett Hot Dog (Plain) + Fries + Dead Guy Ale
Stephen: Also pretty dope. (See last week’s review—Ed.)
Rating: 4 toothpicks
Noël: Nova Lox Bagel + Cheerwine Soda
Noël: I haven’t had the luxury of so much good-quality smoked salmon in for-evrah. Only the slices of lemon I asked for could make it any better.
The various garnishes made for a pretty plate, but the pickled onion, I skipped—I would’ve been tossing back Altoids for hours.
Curious about the Cheerwine, I asked our server for his rec. “It’s like a cherry Dr. Pepper, really good,” he said. And so it was.
"Cherry Dr. Pepper" suits me fine...and check out that yummy logo
Rating: 5 toothpicks
Colin: Turkey Half-Sandwich + Cup of Hungarian Mushroom Soup + Mirror Pond IPA
Colin: My last-minute addition of the IPA to the lunch combo was a masterstroke: the Mirror Pond complemented the dry turkey and rustic bread perfectly.
The mushroom soup was hearty but not too rich; fresh mushrooms, maybe a little too much rosemary(?) for my taste, but overall a solid soup.
The portion size was a little smaller than I had expected (especially after seeing Patrick’s monster Kraut Dog) but it was just enough to satisfy.
Rating: 3 toothpicks (but your mileage may vary depending on how you pair the dry old sandwich with your beer.)
Carmen, RD and Noël: Copywriters-in-arms
Must one have the Rye bread with the meatball sandwich? Because, although I would undoubtably order the meatball sandwich, I would most likely order whole wheat or sourdough bread. Were those options for your sandwich? And do they serve beer on tap?
Why no post on the 20th? Was the office closed in anticipation of the Rapture?
Hello Lucky, glad you were looking forward to FCF; unfortunately the Creative Dept had some Creative superheroics to tend to all day and hardly stopped for a bite.
Afraid FCF is also on hiatus for Memorial Day weekend…but we’ll be back with a good appetite in June. Thx for popping by!
You guys should’ve been with me this morning in Girona Spain at the Xocolateria Antiga. Their hot chocolate is out of this world. Thick as pudding and sweet as nectar. It was about 80 f. today too. Time for bed now though, it’s late and that sugar high has long worn off. I’ll be back in Portland later this summer and try out some of your picks.
Lucky, your screen name fits! You’re making our mouths water. Since it’s in the 50s and rainy in Portland here today, hot chocolate sounds pretty fab. But by the time you’re back in PDX, we’ll be ready for some cool, yummy gelato. Thanks for following our Food Cart Friday exploits…and happy travels!
You guys are awesome! Glad you like us (BTW, it’s Thyme in the soup).
Hi Lucky, thanks for getting in touch. Sorry it took so long to reply; had to do the research! Although alternative bread choices are not listed on the menu, I was informed that if rye isn’t your thing, they have a white bread substitute. Thanks again for checking in during your travels.
You’re welcome, Ken! Our agency is located mere blocks from K&Z’s so you’ll be seeing us again.