New Year, New Me

The turn of the year is always an opportunity to look back at the past 365 days and make decisions about how to spend the next 365. The previous 365 days held a world of adventure that I couldn't have imagined and didn't adequately express here. I've done a lot since Jan 4, 2010- quit my job, packed up the Mini, crossed the country, and landed in Portland. I've spent nearly a year here learning all about my new home and the people here. We've been blessed to meet a lot of great people. I landed a new job, Dan's been industriously building his network of wine connections, and we have enjoyed our new epicurean journey.

As we wound down 2010 Dan and I went to Oba! for New Year's Eve dinner with some friends. New Year's Eve was my second visit to Oba and my first in their main dining room.

Previous visits had been for Happy Hour- which is excellent. I'm not a huge martini drinker but their menu of inventive and innovative drinks peaked my curiosity. On the first occasion I had a mojito and my on my most recent visit I had the habanero-infused absolut. Oba creates their own vodka flavors by infusing them with various peppers, herbs and fruit. The habanero-infused absolut might sound like it would burn but in reality it is really tasty. The heat is balanced by a mango puree and house-made sour mix. My boyfriend had the burning orange: serrano chili, citrus, and Mandarin Absolut. It was also very tasty. Happy Hour features a list of tasty tapas that are easily shared with friends.

For New Year's we started by enjoying our favorite cocktails and then moved into the dining room. The place was busy, but the dining room didn't feel that way. Even our table in the middle of the room and near a server's station felt cozy. For a busy night things seemed to moving smoothly. Our server was fantastic. She was happy to explain everything and answer any questions we had about the menu. Oba's corkage fee is reasonable ($15) so we brought our own wine, but their wine list is full of excellent wines from all over the world. They were offering a prix fixe menu for New Year's so my boyfriend ordered that. We also split a bowl of the lobster bisque. It was delicious in all the creamy, decadent ways that lobster bisque should be. I had the Bife a Micalense- Portuguese-style kobe beef topped with carmelized bananas and served with onions, peppers, veggies, and fingerling potatoes. I know, steak and bananas? But it was really good. And the deliciousness continued from there.

Overall Oba! is a great place. The Happy Hour make an easy choice for a quick stop. The dining room is cozy and makes you want to linger in the dark places with the ones you love.

I look forward to many more excellent meals in this new city. Dan and I are setting ourselves up for some adventures by taking on hiking, bike riding, and so much more. Here's to another 365 days of exploration, adventure, and fun!