Fall-ing in love all over again

Fall has arrived in the Pacific Northwest and it is nothing like I have ever experienced. In Florida, fall's arrival means 80s instead of 90s and maybe less rain and humidity. Here it means amazingly sunny days with temperatures in the 60s. The leaves are turning and as we get closer to Halloween I am getting more and more excited. I loved summer, with all of it's festivals and reasons to socialize with your fellow PDX-ers, but fall may be my favorite season yet. It makes you want to be near the ones you love, cozied up on the couch or your favorite local haunt. Scarves, coats, sweaters, and blue jeans are the uniform and those are some of my favorite things.

Home Sweet, Orlando?

We came back to Orlando for a friend's wedding. As I relate our story over and over again to people here I realize 1- how much I love PDX and 2-how many people want to go there. Everyone I talk to either wants to go to PDX or knows someone who has been and has had a wonderful time. It's pretty impressive. A little more than year ago PDX wasn't even on my radar and now it seems to be on everyone's radar. Maybe I am just ahead of the curve???? At any rate, it has been great to come home. I've been able to see some friends, get caught up, see the pup, and spend some time with my family. I realize that I still have a place in my heart for Florida but PDX is my new home and for all those things I love about Florida I could find equally wonderful things in Oregon.

You can always go home again.

In my Hood...

One of the most enduring images of Portland is Mt. Hood rising above it from the east. Much like Mt. Fuji watches over Tokyo, so too does Mt. Hood look over the city of Portland. On clear days the peak of Mt. Hood can be seen from almost any high point in the city. Coming from the flat lands of Florida it was foreign to me that there even mountains here in Oregon, but to have one as large as Mt. Hood was quite a surprise. Mt. Hood is over 11,000 feet tall and is snow-capped year around. It features 12 glaciers and is the fourth tallest mountain in the Cascade range. True, there is 3-7% chance that Mt. Hood will erupt in the next 30 years (did I forget to mention that it is a volcano?) but then the USGS classifies it as only 'potentially active'.

When I drive to work in the mornings it is a comfort to see Mt. Hood peaking out from beyond the city. You know it's going to be a beautiful day. Surrounding Mt. Hood is the Mt. Hood State Park and some amazing landscape. This time we approached Mt. Hood from the east as we came in from a day spent tasting wine and beer in the gorge (more on that later). As we drove down 35 Mt. Hood would peak in and out of view, each time getting closer and more breathtaking. We made the final steep ascent near Timberline Lodge. In the space of a few miles we went from 65 degrees to 45! When we emerged from the car we quickly donned jackets and gloves. The wind chill most certainly dropped the temperature into the 30s. From Timberline Loge we were able to see the whole valley and the Cascades- there is very little more breath-taking than that.

Frozen but invigorated we climbed back into the car and made out way back down to Portland. After a day of chasing Mt. Hood it was great to finally be able to see it up close.

We finished the day with our first visit to Apizza Scholls. They are an amazing pizza place here in Portland. As with many places in PDX they make everything fresh, including the dough, and when they are out, they are out. Notorious for long waits in a 'Pizza Nazi' reputation, I tell you now that it is worth it. We had some fantastic pizza and beer. After a day of exploring the eastern side of Portland, it totally hit the spot.

If it's an Heirloom does that mean it's old?

Living in PDX had given me a new perspective on produce. You've heard me go on and on about all of the neighborhood farmer's markets but the truth is that I've never been more connected to the seasonality of a regions produce as I am here. I make it a point to get out to the farmer's markets every other week or so to see what is fresh and get inspired to create healthy dishes with what is available.

One of my favorite produce items are heirloom tomatoes. They look like something that's come through a nuclear war with odd shapes, strange colors, and a range of sizes. They are beautiful in their variations and I usually end up picking them based on color more than anything else (which I am sure is not the best way). Inevitably I take them home and make bruschetta, tomato salad, and anything else I can toss them into and liven up with their many varied colors.

But what are heirloom tomatoes? Why do they look like something from another planet? And what's up with other produce that claims to be 'heirloom'. Well CNN's new food blog: Eatocracy had a great entry and I thought it gave a great explanation on what this all means.

Once we get a place with a yard I am going to try my hand at growing heirloom tomatoes and a slew of herbs!

Am I Wine-ing too much?

In case you didn't know Oregon is known for some amazing wine, most notably Pinot Noir. However I am finding that there is much more than pinot noir in them thar' hills and most of it is great! With Dan being in the wine industry (he's a tasting room manager at Wines of Oregon) we certainly get some benefits. We've been able to meet some amazing wine makers and really develop a love and passion for the wine here in Oregon. Don't get my wrong, the pinots are spectacular but there is so much more to love. The wine region closest to PDX is the Willamette Valley. This is THE heart of pinot country. Spectacular pinots come out of this region all the time along with some great whites and blends. Then there is Southern Oregon which is gaining in popularity for it's bold reds and red blends. Of course there is the Walla Walla region up near the Washington border. It's mind-boggling and Dan is much better versed in it all than I.

What I do know is that we have some great wine pretty close. The closest region is Dundee Hills and Newberg. These great little towns have some well known names like Erath and Sokol Blosser and some really small wineries that are gems. We took our latest visitor on a mini-wine tour and tasted some great wines from the Dundee Hills.

We samples some amazing wines and even took a few home. With wine country in my back yard it's no wonder I wine so much.

Summer in the City

It's summer in PDX and I am finding this city to be more alive now than any other season so far. It seems like every weekend brings new festivals, street fairs, events, and reasons to gather friends around some delicious food and libations and laugh until the sun goes down.

We threw our first big dinner party at the house this past weekend. Coffee and spice rubbed bone-in ribeyes, grilled Walla Walla onions and zuchini, roasted brussel sprouts and tomatoes, pasta salad, cheddar cheese, bacon, and chive biscuits... well you get the idea. It was a great evening full of good food and new friends. Beer was the beverage of the night and with such amazing local ales how could we drink anything else? On hand were Full Sail and Deschutes. Toss in a glass of two of wine from Palotai and/or Hillcrest vineyards and it was a lot of fun.

By the way, if you haven't had wine from Palotai or Hillcrest- you gotta put them on your list. They are located in southern Oregon near Roseburg. Palotai makes some amazing, bold red blends- Bull's Blood is by far my favorite. Hillcrest makes some great warm-weather varietals like syrah and zin. They are both small producers so that makes it even sweeter when you get a taste. 

I attended my first movie in the park. It was Pretty in Pink. Basically the city and parks department does these free screenings on Friday night at different parks around the city. You  show up with your blanket and picnic food and watch. The evenings are so gorgeous here that it is a great way to end the week. The next one is Princess Bride. The thought that I would miss that is Inconcievable!

Then there is the Bite of Oregon. Its another great food and wine festival. It features hundreds of local vendors sampling their wares.There were food carts, restaurants, breweries, wineries, and people galore! The event benefits the Special Olympics and seems to bring out the best in people.

We took a break from the Bite and decided to walk the Hawthorne and Morrison bridges. The Hawthorne bridge is 100 years old. The middle section of the bridge raises up, in its entirety, to allow tall ships to pass underneath.  Both bridges are lit at night with an array of colorful lights.

Summer in the city is turning out to be my favorite time of year. Cool mornings, warm days, and temperate evenings make the days feel amazing. Everyone seems so alive and they are all ready to be out among the fresh air and eachother.

Floating away

We attended the 23rd annual Oregon Brewers Festival over the weekend. It is always the last full weekend in July and it was quite an undertaking. The festival was located on the southwest side of the river and featured over 80 different craft brews from around the country. So we a grabbed a mug and some tokens and made our way into the crowds to find some good brew. The first stop was the Buzz Tent. This tent featured beers with higher than normal alcohol content. The beer was good, and cold. We met up with some friends and secured seats facing the river and settled in to drink some beer and people watch. We had beers from Pennsylvania, Alaska, Colorado, and of course, Oregon. Each time we found new flavors and favorites. I personally liked the Alaska Brewing Pale Ale and the Victory Brewing Victory Prima Pilsner. Dan had beers from Ninkasi and....well, we lost count.

As we sat looking at the river and feeling quite nice we shared a few laughs with some friends and welcomed sunset.

Sunday morning I woke up much earlier than I would have like for a Sunday morning but it was because there were good things ahead. Sunday was my first experience floating down the Clackamas river. So my friends and I packed up inflatable boats, life vest, sunscreen, and food and headed for McIver park.We inflated our boats and launched in to the river. The water was COLD. The Clackamas is fed by run-off from Mt. Hood and it's glaciers. I encountered my first set of rapids and survived more less successfully. Just a note: even little rapids look big when in a small inflatable boat with no steering mechanism or paddle. After a few bumps from the rocks it was peaceful floating from then on. Several of us strung our boats together and meandered our way down the river. It was an amazing way to see some beautiful landscape. The water was chilly but sun was out in full force and this native Floridian was loading up on sunscreen. We meandered our way down the river and about 5 hours later landed at the Carver boat ramp. Exhausted from dodging rocks, the sun, and lazing around on the river it was a quite ride home. Luckily our fearless leader, Melinda, had thought ahead and had marinated a stack of short ribs. Couple that with some watercress salad, corn, and rice and we settled in for an excellent feast. Another member of the crew, Karen, made homemade whoopie pies- a great way to end an amazing weekend! You should have been there.

Justified

I think I may have mentioned the PSU Farmer's market more than enough times in this blog, but it appears my affection is justified. PSU was just voted as one of the 10 farmer's markets in the U.S. for travelers.

Check it out America's Best Farmers' Markets for Travelers

Enjoy the Sun

The weather has been SPECTACULAR. We flirted with 100 for a few days but thankfully we seem to have returned to normal, here meaning 70-80 during the day and mid-50s at night. Dan and I inflated the air mattress and camped out in the living room over the weekend to take full advantage of the beautiful evenings.


Dan took Saturday day off and we were out and about. Hard to believe he's lived here all this time and never been to the PSU Farmers Market with me. But Saturday was his first time. As per usual  it was a pretty amazing place. We bought elk and black pepper sausage and beef and thyme sausage. Dan is trying them out as possible options for wine pairings. After the Farmers Market we hit up some of Portland's food cards on SW 9th and Alder. I had a gyro from a greek cart and Dan had a monster burrito from a Mexican one. We were both shocked how big the burrito was- it was huge.

Bellies full and curiosity satisfied we decided to take advantage and enjoy the sun and clear skies and head up to Pittock Mansion. It is this amazing old mansion on the top of one of the tallest hills in Portland. On a clear day, like the one we were enjoying, you can see both Mt. Hood in Oregon and Mt. Adams in Washington. It was pretty amazing. We dropped down on to the trails behind Pittock mansion and lost ourselves for a while among all the trees.

After hiking our way back up, not for the faint of heart by the way, we headed for the most sacred of places, the mall! Just kidding. We did hit up a few stores and decided to see a movie to cool off from our day in the sun.

We decided to celebrate the day with a truly classic fine dining experience at Morton's steakhouse. True, Morton's is a chain but the steaks were exceptional and we happily toasted our fantastic day with a bottle of 2007 J.  Scott Cabernet Savignon from the Rouge Valley.

Sunday brought another day of sun in the fun. After a few lazy hours  I went to the gym and then headed for a picnic in Laurelhurst park with some  friends. As I sat there drinking my beer, eating my pasta salad, and soaking up the sun I was immensely thankful for the wonder that is PDX. All of the amazing things that I have been able to do and see and taste and I know that it's only going to get better from here.

Gorge Yourself

The last day with Mom in town was by far one of the most breathtaking days yet. We woke up early and headed for Multnomah Falls. If you haven't heard of it, it is the U.S.'s second tallest year-round waterfall at 600'+ high. It is about an hour outside of PDX. So we hopped in the car and made our way out there. Even the hazy clouds couldn't put a damper on our spirits or the scenery. Driving alongside the Columbia river was like taking a trip into Wonderland. It was beautiful. Amazing views and landscapes everywhere really gave us a feel for what makes the Pacific Northwest unlike any other place.

We arrived at Multnomah and promptly decided that we would walk the 1.2 miles to the top. Afterall, the kindly volunteer at the help desk (who was about 70)  said it was a 'moderate' walk and that we could probably do it fairly quickly and then continue on for the remainder of the 2.5 mile trail and wrap it all up in about 2 hours. So we thought we would start small and do the 1.2 mile hike. Moderate, it seems, has a different meaning at Multnomah Falls. It is 1.2 miles up some steep inclines with little rest. It was literally 1.1 miles straight up. Our only saving grace was the promise of beautiful scenery and a small downhill section that would provide some sweet relief.

Should you ever decide to visit Multnomah falls and hike the trail a few words of advice: bring water and a snack, 1.2 miles might not sound like a long distance but don't let it fool you; stop and enjoy the scenery-there are some amazing views as you make your way up the trail; enjoy the top of the mountain- there are a few non-paved, although well-traveled paths that take you just a few feet off course but that are totally worth it; go to the overlook-it is spectacular!

After conquering the mountain we headed off to the town of Hood River in search of some grape-y refreshment. First stop was Phelps Creek tasting room. The tasting room is situated next to the country club and offers and absolutely breathtaking view of Mt. Hood from the golf course. They have some great wine and we even got a quick tour of the winery. What I like about wine country is that you start at one place and stumble upon places that you never knew existed. One of those was Mt. Hood Winery. They had some spectacular Syrah and Tempranillo. The whole place makes you want to sit a while on their patio and stare off into the distance at Mt. Hood. We couldn't have asked for a more spectacular day. The last stop on our mini-wine tour was Cathedral Ridge. Surprisingly they had a Zinfandel. Zin is not a typical Oregon varietal so it's always fun to taste it when a place has it available. Cathedral Ridge has some amazing Zin.

Exercised and slightly buzzed from our wine we headed back into PDX for dinner. What better place to wrap up a visit to PDX than to go to one of PDX's hottest new places: Le Pigeon? It was a dining adventure. The place doesn't have more than 40 seats and without a reservation you have to sit at the bar- but that's ok. There is a three man team of chefs who preform what looks like the most wonderful dance as they move about the small open-air kitchen with nearly wordless communication. One is prepping salads while the others get the maincourses going. And just when you think you can spot your dish hitting the grill they turn it into something totally different. We had the Foie Gras Bacon as a starter and it was to die for! Sinfully smooth foie gras with the cooked with bacon fat, piled on toast and served with a wonderfully citrus-y salad is a great way to end a day and to start a meal. The entrees were as follows: Salmon served with mushrooms and veggies, a huge, bone-in pork chop served with chilies and pan seared green beans, and finally beef cheek bourguignon. This was foodie heaven. Everything was perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth delicious, and just what we needed after our day of hiking and wining. The piece de resistance were the luscious desserts. Mom had a creme brulee with an espresso side car, I had a chocolate cherry galouti with vanilla icecream, and Dan had bacon cornbread with maple-bacon icecream- Y U M!

And now it's back to the real world. I dropped Mom off at the airport. The warm days of summer are rolling in and it's time to experience all the summer fun in PDX

Let Freedom Ring

So we had our first official visitor over the 4th of July holiday weekend- my Mom! She couldn't have caught us at a better time. The weather has been AMAZING!

She arrived Thursday night and we spent the night catching up and eating some dinner. Friday we toured the big towns of Beaverton and Hillsboro and then made our way out to Forest Grove for one of the quintessential Oregon experiences: dinner at a winery. This one was at Apolloni Winery. They make great wine. They paired each course with one of their stellar wines- first course caprese salad served in parmesan cups with their Pinot Grigio.  Second an amazingly fresh salad with gnocchi paired with their Chardonnay. Third course was Italian sausage with their Sangeovese. The final course was a series of mini desserts served with their Vigonere. (apologies for the spelling mistakes). This was mom's first experience at a winery and we were so lucky to have a wonderfully cool night .

Our next stop was the PSU Farmer's Market downtown on Saturday morning. The fresh produce was so alluring that we just had to buy some to make for dinner. We couldn't get over the beautiful berries, giant tomatoes, and incredible greens. We bought heirloom tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, pork steaks, bacon ends, a present for my sister, beautiful flowers, and an excellent cup of coffee. We even snacked on a few cookies from 2 Tarts Bakery. 

After the farmers market we headed to one of PDX's most famous markets: The Saturday Market. It's more arts and crafts fair than market but it is spellbinding all the same. So many interesting and talented artists. Mom got 2 skirts that wrap around and are super cute. We bought a Portland t-shirt for Jacob and another for Bailey. We even got to see the long line of people snaked around Voodoo Doughnut.

From the Saturday Market we stopped at Elephants Deli for some lunch and forged ahead to Washington Park. Since it was such an exceptionally beautiful day we climbed our way up to the Rose Garden. The roses were in full bloom and the entire place smelled so sweet.

After all of that running around we came home to put our food in the fridge and take a nap.

This morning we got up and went to St. Michael the Archangel's Catholic church on SW Mill St. It was a cute little church in an older brick building. From there we headed out to brunch. PDX-er's love their brunch so it was a bit of a challenge to find a place that didn't have a line out the door because we were too hungry to wait. But we stopped at Wild Abandon on Belmont. Stomachs full we headed back to Hillsboro because I forgot we had to pay rent. But first we stopped at Pioneer Square downtown.

So far we have covered a lot of ground. We are going to grill some hamburgers and see some fireworks tonight. Tomorrow- the Gorge!

So many choices

There are so many amazing choices for dining in PDX  that it can be overwhelming at times. Especially when you have a guest in town- how do you decide? I certainly haven't been here long enough to have established some 'go to' places and I'm anxious to try so many others. So what to do? Well there are a couple of options. Portland Monthly has become a great guide on where to go, what to do, and what to eat in this new city of mine. Another great resource has been SignatureDining.com. This start up site features critically acclaimed restaurants that focus on local food. Of course, Open Table is an amazing resource as well.

What I want is one big map with all of the great places pinpointed so that I could just look at it and decide. All the info in one place. Is that too much to ask? I need an easy button.

Fresh

One of the things that I love most about PDX is the amazing assortment of fresh, seasonal produce and meat. I have never lived in a city so aware of what is coming from the farms and when is the best time to eat it. Coming from Florida we had 2 seasons- sunny and rainy. I try to get out to the different farmers markets around town to see what is fresh this week. I love to come home with a bag full of stuff and figure out what to make for dinner. One day it was bacon ends, lamb shanks, and swiss chard. Another it was kale, radishes, asparagus, and Walla Walla onions.

The latest edition was organic arugula, red onions, smoked coho salmon, chives from my over grown plant, and goat's cheese. I had bought a take n' bake pizza from the grocery store and so decided to toss my ingredients on to that. The result was a delicious pizza with fresh ingredients that was ready in less time than it would have taken me to order and wait for a sub-par delivery pizza.

In a city that seems to be obsessed with good pizza I am proud to say that I think mine was pretty darn good. We enjoyed it with a glass (or two) of Moldavian red wine and a good movie. It was a nice way to chill out on a weeknight and enjoy eachother's company.

Man, that's Bunk!

So today I made it to a PDX institution: Bunk Sandwiches.

This places has been reported on by  Guy Fieri, from Food Network, Bon Appetite, Food & Wine, you get the picture. So I was super excited when my co-workers suggested we take advantage of the sunshine and head over to pick up some lunch.

I had the roast beef sandwich. It was juicy roast beef served on a poppy-seed bun with caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, and horseradish. It was wrapped in foil and tossed in a bag with some house made potato chips. My co-workers go the chicken salad sandwich with bacon and avocado and the pork belly cuban. The pork belly cuban is what I will get on my next visit.

Like all other great spots in PDX, this place as small and seating was first come, first served. They did have a few tables outside and a couple of characters inside, but it is what I have come to love and expect out of the best of PDX's eateries.

Street Cart Tour

If you didn't know, PDX is becoming renowned for it's street cart culture. In the past year alone I have seen more articles about street carts in PDX than almost any other food scene here. So I am compelled to start a mission: trying out street cart fare at least once a month. I know, there are a lot of carts and only trying one a month would result in a long term commitment to finding the best of the best, but hey, I plan on being here for a while.

My first PDX food cart experience was at the Grilled Cheese Grill. We went here after a morning of zip lining and it was DELICIOUS! I had the Jalapeno Popper- roasted jalapenos, colby cheese, and cream cheese. I 86'd the tortilla chips in favor of avocado and it was the right decision. Some in our group got the Cheesus. It is a burger sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Yes, a heart attack on a plate! But with some cold beer, it was soooooo good.

This afternoon I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and headed out to a Bento food cart. It was off of SE Milwauke and it was pretty delicious. I had the lemongrass pork with yakisoba noodles and vegetables. At the delivery window they have an assortment of sauces of which I feel the peanut sauce was the best.

So I am setting out on a mission to get better acquainted with the food carts of PDX. I've got a couple of resources to point me in the right direction but if you have a fave food cart, let me know.

Gourmet Mag- PDX Street Carts

Bon Appetit- PDX Street Carts

Portland Monthly- Street Carts


UPDATE: Portland was just voted #1 by Budget Travel for the world's best street food because of their food carts! Gotta start going!Worlds Best Street Food

First foot forward

Hello friends,

As some of you may know Dan and I recently relocated to Portland (herein referred to as PDX because that is what Portland-ers call their city) from Orlando, FL. It's true, we couldn't have gotten further away from our home unless we'd moved to Alaska, which certainly was not an option.

So we've been living together in PDX since I arrived in March. One of the reasons we choose PDX was because of the amazing food and wine scene here. Dan got a job in the wine industry as a tasting room manager for Wines of Oregon and I'm doing advertising for Fred Meyer and Kroger. And when we aren't working we are living and dining in PDX. So if you'd like to sit a while and hear our tale we'd be happy to share some of our favorite things about our new city and all of those things that make it so great.

Let's start with our favorite happy hour spot: Uptown Billards on NW 23rd and Burnside. Now I know what you are thinking, this is a city filled with hot happy hour spots. Hell, there is even a happy hour guidebook that gives you the skinny on all the good places to go. But Uptown has found a special place in our hearts, and not just because Dan is pining for his pool table. The happy hour food here is AMAZING! They do a 5 course tasting menu for happy hour. It's $15 for the tasting menu or $25 for the tasting menu + wine pairings (we haven't turned down the wine yet). Our most recent trip was for their Lovin' Latin America menu. All of the food was inspired by Latin American cuisine.

First course: crab cake wrapped in avocado topped with micro-greens

Second course: grilled scallop on a bed of veggies and quinoa with cilantro and chili sauces

Third course: shrimp on polenta with ancho chili sauce (my new comfort food)

Fourth course: hanger steak with mango salsa

Fifth course: house made mango ice cream with house made peanut fudge and mango bits

All of these paired with excellent Latin American wines and for just $25. It's a sin really.

But then we haven't found a place yet that wasn't wonderfully delicious. So stay tuned for more entries on our new lives in PDX.