Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Divine State Biscuits

Here is the Abbe and Jebby post you've all been waiting for, PINE STATE BISCUITS FTW!!!!! ENJOY!

Jebby’s Meal: The Reggie

The Reggie – it’s a silly name for a serious sandwich. Who is Reggie, the man behind the biscuit? Whoever Reggie is, or was, he had good taste in food. Can you put every single one of my favorite things in a sandwich without the world imploding? Yes, you can. The Reggie proves it. What does my favorite breakfast sandwich (yes I said it) have between its buttery biscuit halves? I’m glad you asked. I made you a bullet list because each item is so special.
·        Fried chicken
·        Bacon
·        Cheese
·        Gravy
It makes you want to bury your face in it and never leave, doesn’t it? As far as I am concerned, this sandwich is beyond reproach. The biscuit on its own is dense and buttery with a tender, flaky crumb. I could eat this biscuit every day for the rest of my life and not get tired of it. But when you add moist chicken encased in a thick, crunchy, perfectly seasoned batter with countless nooks and crannies to hold the creamy, peppery gravy in place and top that shit off with toothsome thick cut bacon and tangy cheddar? Let me tell you folks, you are in for the mouthgasm of your lives. I would worship this sandwich and make sacrifices to it. I would smear mud on my body and dance around a fire chanting its name. I would go on a crusade in its honor.
And just in case there wasn’t enough cholesterol in that orgy of deliciousness, you can add a soft-yolked fried egg to this bitch for a dollar more.
Bam, Reggie’d.
Jebby out.

Abbe's Meal: TheMcIsley

Ain’t nothin’ finer than a lil’ bit o’ chicken fried. Stick it between a fresh and flaky biscuit, add on top of that any number of worthy garnishes, and you’ve got something close to the proverbial “mind blow” that us foodies search for day in and day out. Well fellow foodies, I’ve found somewhere you can get your next high; Pine State Biscuits.
I knew I wanted to try this sandwich before entering Pine State. This little number consisted of fried chicken breast atop said biscuit with pickles, stone ground mustard, and honey. Can I get a hell yeah?
While Jebby went for a more topping heavy approach, I wanted to see just what the minds behind the Pine had up their sleeve, including the various ways they apply the common condiment. The first bite was like an introduction; a stranger setting foot in a foreign country and carefully making the acquaintance of its inhabitants. The second bite was like being hit in the face with a unicorn. The supple and juicy center of the chicken breast was perfectly incased in a crispy and delectable shell of batter that had been scalded by a talented hand. The stone ground mustard added a sharp note to the bite, while the vinegary pickle added tang, and in the midst of it all was a healthy helping of luscious honey taking just enough edge from the bitter flavors and enhancing them with a wave of sweetness. Then there was the biscuit surrounding this entire concoction; oh the biscuit. The texture and aroma was that only of a fresh from the oven confection with a light crunch on its outermost parts and then devilishly soft and flaky at its innermost. With a buttery and sweet flavor all its own, this pastry literally melted in my mouth while it tangoed with the chicken.
Hands down this sandwich is genius. Throw any and all doubts to the curb before you enter this restaurant, because even your highest expectations will be exceeded.

Our overall review

We could find only one major downside to Pine State Biscuits, so let’s get it out of the way early. This place is TINY. If you like to stretch out and put your feet up on the seats, forget about it. I’m going to crush your dreams of laying spread-eagle across an entire table while you eat your biscuit concoction into the dust. You will be lucky to find a chair, but you might be better off eating your meal in the car so the entirety of Portland doesn’t see your O face. One other potential downside (if you’re lame) is that everything on the menu is made of biscuits. If you don’t like biscuits, you should walk, not run away from this place. Actually, you should probably just walk off the planet, because life isn’t worth living without a healthy love of biscuits. The word’s in the name – if you don’t want a biscuit, don’t go here.
The décor in Pine State is… piney. There’s a big old blackboard at the front of the restaurant announcing the delicious biscuity fare, and a counter where you order your food. There is a table, or maybe two, and a small counter at the back. That’s about it. The atmosphere is sparse, but the flavors are big.
And really, with flavors so epic, we didn’t mind cramming ourselves into the tiny counter seats to wolf down our food. It’ hard not to, everything we ordered was top quality. You can tell the folks at Pine State put love and care into their food. From the compostable “corn cups” to the flavorful sweet tea, every part of the meal felt like someone who knew what they were doing really gave a crap about what was being sent out. It’s a good feeling.
The portions at Pine State are ample, and the prices are tiny. Abbe and I got so hungry while writing this review that we started to leave to go there, only to find out that this leavened heaven is only open until 2 on weekdays, though the Alberta location does have late night hours on weekends. In all seriousness, do yourselves a favor and eat here.  We do not give our seal of approval lightly, but Pine State Biscuits is all the big down-home comforting deliciousness you could ever ask for in the smallest possible package.

Pine State's amazing menu can be viewed here!

2 comments: