I sometime wonder what’s really behind my fascination with food. Some psycho-analyzing type would probably diagnose that I’m using food to fill the void in my life, which, I guess, can be partially true, but I think it’s more the things that are associated with food that makes me gravitate toward it. For instance, the conversation I have during a nice dinner get-together with friends and family makes me forget all the negative things in the world. And a glass of wine tastes so much better when shared with the loved ones. As long as I can remember, food have played a vital role in my family, and dinner was the time that we had to talk about our days and learn a thing or two about each other that we didn’t know before. I love dinner with my family.

I crave the company of friends especially when I’m traveling (symptom of home sickness, perhaps?) and I try to meet up with as many friends as I can when I’m traveling to Portland to catch up. During this trip, I was able to reunite with one of the managers that I used to work with for dinner. I always enjoy dining out with him because he is a serious Foodie with plethora of knowledge in food, wine and everything epicurean, and he always know where to dig up the best finds in the Portland’s culinary scene (he’s virtually a walking Zagat guide)! It’s also such a treat when I get to see his lovely wife and oh-so adorable baby girl during our soiree. They are, by far, the cutest parents I know and how appropriate was it that we (his family and two of my food-loving colleagues) decided to meet at a restaurant called Mother’s Bistro!

Items on the menu here are dishes created by mothers around the world, quite a delightful concept for a restaurant. True to the concept, the food offered here includes many of our favorite comfort foods such as pot roast and meat loafs, as well as down-home, hearty desserts. Everything offered here are so warm that you feel like you’ve just received a giant hug from mom!

I’ve been to Mother’s Bistro in the past for breakfast (which was amazing!) but never for dinner so I was really excited to try the ultimate comfort food. I looked through the menu but could not decided between the Mac and Cheese and the Crab Cake, so we decided to order the Mac and Cheese to share among all of us so I can have the taste of both (god bless them) 🙂 I also ordered a Beet Salad to start and I was able to get it half size (pictured on top).

Rib-Eye Steak .. it looked so good that I wished I ordered it myself!

I ordered the $15,000 Dungeness Crab Cakes, served with creole mustard sauce, cole slaw & matchstick potatoes. Very delicious but it was a little on the heavy side. I think I would have liked it more if it was not deep fried.

Mac and Cheese. There’s different one every day and this night’s special was cheese and broccoli. I would love to come back and perhaps try the lobster one day!

Fish of the day … sorry, totally forgot what it was but he was really happy with it!

Chocolate Cake! Look at the size of this thing!

Apple Crisp / Cobbler. This was perhaps the best cobbler I’ve had. The cinnamon-y flavor makes this dessert so comforting and delicious!

This night was a total indulgence overload. Among the five of us (sans the baby, of course), we opened two bottles of wonderful red, ordered a table-full of delicious comfort food, a round of sweet dessert wine for everyone, a luscious  chocolate cake, and a plate of warm apple cobbler. During dinner, chef / owner Lisa Schroeder came by the table to greet us, which added a special touch to this already wonderful dinner with a great company!

Mother’s Bistro
212 SW Stark, Portland, OR 97204
★★★★☆