Dave Knows: Portland

Gravy (3957 N Mississippi) is known for its breakfast (and the 30 people out front Saturday and Sunday late mornings waiting to get in), and rightfully so.

But Gravy also has a happy hour . . . and Gravy Fries.

I tried them for my first time last night. As I have long been searching for poutine in Portland (which I’ve found), I thought I’d give them a try to see how they compare.

They hold up quite nicely. The pleasant surprise was the shredded cheddar on top. I understand our New Jersey and New York brethren refer to gravy fries with cheddar as disco fries.

The gravy is rich and plentiful, with mushrooms and bits of unidentifiable vegetables. It was a bit too salty, but perhaps one of my companions got to the bowl first with the salt shaker; I will have to investigate.

You can pick at the crispy fries at the top with your fingers, but I recommend a fork (or maybe even a spoon) for the majority of the fries deep in the bowl. After I’d downed the fries, a bit of gravy remained at the bottom of the bowl. I snagged a few fries from a companion’s plate to soak up the goodness.

Only $3 and with a $1.50 pint of Pabst, damn, an excellent deal on Mississippi!