Clyde Common - Euro-style Hipster Eatery with a Rotating Menu / Summer Eatcation Part 1

Clyde Common
http://www.clydecommon.com/
1014 SW Stark St
Portland, OR 97205-2610

Summer Eatcation Part 1 (of 7)

THE STORY
Portland was the first stop on summer vacation with my wife Cara. We stayed at the unique Ace Hotel. Connected to the hotel, as well as sharing a food and liquor license, are both Stumptown Coffee Roasters (wear your ear plugs, its LOUD and prepare to wait in a line) and the Clyde Common restaurant. When the hotel front desk informed us that our room was not ready, we decided to get something to eat. The hotel concierge suggested Clyde, but to check the menu first as it changes daily. When I noticed the "Clyde Common Burger; with white cheddar and a fried egg," listed first, my mind was made up! Opening in 2007, Clyde Common is made up to be a European style tavern but features an impressive list of micro-brewed beers, American whiskeys, European bitters and interesting list of wine selections.

THE BURGER
After selecting a tasty micro-brew, the first step in any meal consumed in Portland, I asked for the burger, cooked medium rare with a side of fries. Cara, knowing we would be eating burgers at a break-neck pace on the trip, opted instead for the grilled shrimp sandwich, served with spicy aioli, avocado, piccalilly, iceberg lettuce along with a nice red wine. She loved it.

The burger was dripping an egg yolk / grease happiness. After a few bites, I removed some of the over powering pickled onions and the overtly large array of lettuce. We can not have these things in the way of the real flavor. The bun was good but over toasted and too large, while the egg was just a little too under-done. Eggs need to have a warm runny yolk and a solid albumen to work just right on a burger. The burger comes accompanied by house made tomato jam, full-seed mustard and an unmixed mayo and tomato sauce. The mustard was worth the trip alone and it's great flavor earned it a second swipe on the sandwich. Thankfully for the overall creation, the perfectly cooked patty was jammed with flavor and won Clyde some taste points.


7 out of 10 ounces
-Rev