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My options were starvation or whatever was inside the 7-11. This sub consisted of dry white bread, processed turkey slices, mayonnaise and cheese. Other than my hunger the only thing that kept me eating this thing was the real cheddar cheese. The rest was pretty bad.

Tiny’s Café is a warm, friendly, funky spot where you could lose hours of your day just soaking up the welcoming environment, and hey, the food’s good too! This breakfast sandwich was made from grilled panini with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and ham. The orange juice, organic and my wife says the coffee was great.

Rivers Restaurant is just outside downtown Portland on the banks of the Willamette River. They say they’re casual elegant, but they lean on the elegant side with a modern stylish decor. I tried the seafood risotto complete with mussels, prawns and cod in a bed of saffron risotto. The meal was very good, but after picking out the good stuff there was a lot of risotto left behind.

Denny’s, an old faithful for reliable eats while on a road trip. As soon as I walked into this one I saw a poster for the taco salad and decided to let fate run its course (and who says point-of-sale advertising doesn’t work). Per Denny’s standard, this plate of food was huge, but to my pleasant surprise there was actually a salad involved. Lots of crisp lettuce with the right balance of warm beans and seasoned ground beef resting on a bed of taco chips. Not bad.

This is a photo of four hard shelled chicken tacos…really, I’m not kidding. This Subway-like Mexican spot was where we decided to have a quick lunch. All was looking as expected until we said yes to the guacamole, then plop! After that came the request for lettuce, which we replied, “sure”, then a huge handful of lettuce landed on our plate and voila – our tacos. We were full of laughs carrying this meal to our seats as we had no idea how to eat it. Needless to say it was messy with guacamole overkill.

After an evening snowshoe excursion (with headlights and all) my wife and I stopped into the ski lodge for some eats. Inspired by the Torino Olympic Games that just begun and knowing our city is going to host the next ones in 2010, how could we not get the Twenty Ten Olympic Platter? This piece of pub grub was loaded with chicken wings, spring rolls, perogies, dry ribs, nachos, spinach and artichoke dip. Definitely way too much food for two, so if you try it be sure to have a group of 4-6 people. As for the cost: $20.10 of course!

After working out at the aquatic facility next door my wife and I rewarded ourselves with a meal at the Big River Brew Pub. I selected the New York Pepper Steak smothered in a smoky barbecue peppercorn sauce accompanied with delicious garlic mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. This tasty meal was washed down with a smooth, rich, almost Guinness-like beer brewed on site. Great atmosphere, decent service, very good food & drink, and totally guilt free when you exercise first.

Designed to service the local beer league, this arena pub overlooks two hockey rinks and serves up decent fare when compared to other sports bars. Today I opted for the Signature Burger with fries. Definitely a pub favourite, a 1/4" thick beef patty, three strips of bacon, sautéed mushrooms and melted cheddar balanced with sliced onions, fresh tomato and crispy lettuce served on a toasted bun. The fries are also a treat. Overall the service is friendly and after a game the beer tastes soooo good.

Steve Nash, the NBA’s ‘05 Most Valuable Player, looking for a bite from this slice of Boston Pizza purchased inside General Motors Place, Vancouver, BC. I’m sure Steve would agree -- over priced stadium fare and better tasting if your team is winning and you’re washing it down with a cold beer.

After being in the United States for about a week I needed a break from super-sized portions of everything so I opted for the spinach salad. I should have known it would be swimming in oil. Although disappointed with my meal, I think a hungry family would enjoy this restaurant.