LAUGHING PLANET

Date of last visit:  beginning late 2009 / multiple times since
Address: multiple locations in Portland, go to link for details
our local restaurant is at 4405 SW Vermont St., Portland, OR 97219
Phone: 503-244-4254
Hours: check link for details
Link: Laughing Plantet

General Impressions of the place: Healthy Food, lots of veggies and beans -- the place is spacious, and comfortable, with wooden tables and booths; plastic dinosaurs on the tables; decor somewhere between cartoons and left-ish politics (statue of Mao on the wall, food named after revolutionary heroes, etc.) -- no table service, order at the counter then they bring you your food, bus your own table after eating.

What we ordered: While lots of things look good on their menu we are really stuck on the Spanky Bowl, a real comfort food dish, with mashed potatoes, fresh local sweet corn and fresh steamed broccoli all mixed together with Tillamock cheese.   We have also had the CUBAN BOWL, which features brown rice, black beans and sweet potatoes with pico de gallo (you name the spiciness). And the Berry Berry Smoothie is a nice way to get your daily fruit intake.  
* Another Visit:  Update: We went again and today we got 1) a Southwest Green Chili Burrito and 2) a Grilled Veggie Burrito.  They really were both very similar in taste with the emphasis on nicely done black beans with pico de gallo in both.  We also got two more, different smoothies (a Jungle Juice and a Banana Colada)  and they proved to be delicious, each better than the last.
Things we liked:  Like that they have take out!  Like the look of their bakery but haven't tried it yet.
Things we disliked:  Wish they served breakfast
Number in our party: 2
Total Bill:  two Spanky Bowls $12.50
Recommended? Yes --indeed we don't seem to be able to get enough of this place -- if you are craving a tasty plate of veggies and grains this place certainly fits the bill.
With a Five Star Scale - and Five being perfect - we rate this place?  3+