Two Looks at Township & Range: 'Simple' v. 'Pedestrian'

Photo of Township & Range courtesy Avila/EPDX

The five-month-old Ladd's Addition neighborhood spot Township & Range has already received a handful of mixed reviews, and this week brings two more to add to the collection. First up: Portland Monthly's take, which applauds the space's "summer simplicity" and calls T&R "tailor-made" for the warmer months. Most of the review's focus is dedicated to the breezy ambience, but offerings are described as "home-style, wallet-friendly food" that arrives in "big-boy portions" (among the dishes sampled: butter-glazed steelhead, beer-braised pork shank). Highest praise is reserved for the "essential" desserts, like the much-discussed "Brookie," a brownie/cookie combination that arrives "in one happy bowl." Ultimately: "This is neighborhood dining done right: laid-back, affordable, and satisfying." [PoMo]

WWeek stringer Michael C. Zusman, however, is less kind, acknowledging the parameters that define a "neighborhood restaurant" but calling the spot a "pedestrian addition" to Ladd's. Again, "alluring" desserts get the highest praise, but Zusman laments: "If only the rest of the menu matched the sweets." Hush puppies arrived "rock-hard, dense, and nearly flavorless"; the same phrase is used to describe a brisket that was otherwise "fall-apart tender" but slicked with grease. The aforementioned steelhead entree was deemed "better, but still not beyond pedestrian."

Zusman ends his take on an ominous note: "On last check-in, a couple weeks ago, T&R was nearly deserted during the Thursday night dinner service, its prospective customers having ventured down a different spoke." [WW]
· All Previous Weeks in Review [Eater PDX]