When we Sway I go weak

On a warming Saturday when there was still ample evidence on the streets that Portland had been engaged in a snow battle, I was crazy to get out of the house. I ended up on SE Morrison St., where the much-babbled-about Bunk Sandwiches was closed for the holidays and their next door neighbor, Sway Bar was sign-blaringly open for lunch.

The inside was all shiny and new - and only a few weeks old. When I walked in, I was the only patron. The waitress sat up at the bar, chatting with another employee - the chef, maybe? I felt like I was interrupting a conversation in someone's living room, but the waitress made me feel at ease with her big, toothy smile.

From a menu that included pizzas, sandwiches and chili and chowder, I ordered the turkey and swiss sandwich, toasted. It was great - with roasted red pepper spread on it that was just tangy enough to make it interesting. The pickle on the side was dusted with fresh dill, which gave it a slight edge. The sandwich was served with blue tortilla chips.

My feeling on tortilla chips of any color: they are not a side dish. They are a dipping chip and should only be served with something to immerse them in. Otherwise, they are too.... corny and dry, I guess I would say. So I asked the waitress for some pico de gallo, which she brought me pronto and did not charge me for it. (Nice!) It was exquisitely fresh, and as I am addicted to salt, I added a healthy dose to it, which juiced the tomatoes for all they were worth and gave me some substantial dipping material for those chips.

The waitress was very friendly - and we made small talk for a little while. She told me how they had just opened and that the snow had really made it a tough couple of weeks - understandable.

What I haven't told you, though, is that when I walked in, the big screen tv was on and showing some survivor man show on Discovery. This is all nice and good and not sports, which is always delightful. However. When I'm about to take a big bite of my sandwich, pretty much the last thing I want to hear is "And that, my friends, is a big pile of bear poop."

Sway Bar is open until 2 am, so it would be a good place to hit up after a show. I am intrigued by the potato sliders that they have on their menu - small potatoes topped with cheese and such. I would be willing to try those out. And I just might.