To be perfectly honest, some of the restaurant and cafe's I drag my husband along to are mostly planned out. Looking at location on google, the menu online and even reviews to decide if the adventure will be worthwhile before I even start my adventure. This, in part has encouraged me to write this series. To create a place where readers can know what a place is like before visit. To have someone else check out the place before. There are lots of reasons why someone might want to know what to expect before. For some it's as simple as knowing the vibe or atmosphere to wear the best clothes for "aesthetic". For some it might be social anxiety or limitations. Whatever the reason, there are many valid points to know what to expect before entering somewhere.
Onion Bagels
Now, there are those out there who will tell you "some of my greatest adventures where unplanned!" And I get that! I also have experienced fun memories and wild stories from circumstances that didn't allow for planning, or where plans went sideways. I have also experienced not so great outcomes when plans have gone awry. Fortunately for myself, this restaurant was neither an exciting adventure nor a disastrous misfortune.
During our weekly outing, on our way to go watch the new Dr. Strange, we stumbled upon Kenny and Zuke's Delicatessen. It's not that this is a super secret location or a brand new location, it just was one that I had not added to my personal list of food to try. We went at approximately 11:00 am on a Saturday. With my new perspective of trying to view areas from all levels, the first aspect I noticed was just that; levels.
According to their website; Kenny and Zuke's is a Jewish Delicatessen with choices ranging from various bagels, sandwiches, and other various treats. Located just a block from Powell's, this shop has an ADA automatic door that places customer's right in front of the counter to order. At the counter there is a glass case showing various sweets. Behind the counter shelves of freshly made bagels, next to those, several servings of salami hanging from the wall. Around the corner is where everything else is made. A grill with two or three working fills the restaurant with various smells of perfect sandwiches. After ordering there are truly three options.
Option two: go back outside, to re-enter the dining area from the emergency access. With those two steps, the only way to enter the dining area is to exit the front door and go down the sidewalk to re-enter the restaurant from the exit door.
Option three: take your order to go.
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| Bagel with Lox |
We ordered two simple bagels for breakfast. For Roy, a bagel with cream cheese, for myself, a bagel with lox cream cheese. Overall, they were good, but if I'm being completely
honest, not worth it. We waited longer to order, and receive our food then it took for us to eat the bagels. Also, my bagel was rather difficult to bite into. Roy's however was soft and easy to bite, but I had to battle mine to eat.
The location is a great spot, right near Burnside, with big windows to people watch. The menu is simple and friendly to most diets (everything is on bread however). The dining area is spacious and provides lots of space for distancing and navigating. Lastly, it is a great breakfast/brunch place for those looking for time to kill while downtown Portland.
Kenny and Zuke's at a Glance:
- Simple, easy to chose from menu
- Medium volume
- A shop made for talking
- Difficult accessibility
- Some difficult areas to navigate to get to the seating area
- Time
- Not a place for a quick trip
- Price: Two bagels, plus tip for $14.00
