my PDX

The issue...

2007-11-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

It is not that I have nothing to write about, or nothing to say. Sometimes I think I have too much...

But I am feeling in great limbo in my life. This weird stasis time where I am not single, but not married. Where my house doesn't feel like home anymore. Where I go to work knowing that I am leaving. Where I am becoming, but still clueless.

Adding to this is a great need God has placed in my heart to write. I haven't felt like this since I was 19, like I am writing pieces in my head all the time. But...

I can't seem to write, I have this great feeling I should, but I don't. Sigh.

So I wrote this.

And I think you should check this out, if you are a writing geek like me. It "cheered" me up.

Perhaps the wedding is driving me crazy...

I am perhaps... cheap

2007-10-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Let face it. I like cheap things. But I don't like cheap looking things. This my friends is a dilemma. Especially in fashion.

There are things that look cheap, not slutty-cheap, but so-poorly-made-that-it-may-disintegrate-any-moment-cheap, and they must be avoided at all cost. It doesn't matter how cute the color, cut, print etc if it makes you look like a fifteen-year old who buys tops because "It was only five dollars!"

This is why i love Forever 21 jewelry. Hear me out here. I have gotten more compliments on earrings that I got from F21 than anywhere else. And I have a lot of jewelry. I get more compliments on them than jewelry I designed!

Check these latest:

They are close approximation of some of the earrings you will find in local PDX boutiques. The difference? About fifteen to twenty dollars in your pocketbook.

I don't always think cheap is the way to go. Trust me, the boots I currently am wearing from Imelda's Shoes werent' cheap and they are worth every penny. But they are also very hard to lose, being knee high black suede boots. Do you know what isn't hard for me to lose? Earrings, necklaces, braclets, but earrings the most. I would say that the average life of a pair of earrings in my care is about one year. Then I will lose only one, and the other one will remain, taunting me. So I must economize on the earrings, because I will always have to buy more.

And yes there is a part of me that loves getting compliments on accessories that were not top dollar. It is not unlike hunting, shopping, and when I get raves about accessories that I tracked down among the tangle of F21's jewelry corners it gives me a sense of a successful hunt. Prize bagged. Cuteness achieved. Savings intact.

I am obsessed with Duck Fat...

2007-10-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

There I said it. And I am not even ashamed.

There seem to be all sorts of people frying things up in duck fat around the Pdx metro area these days, and my taste buds love them all. My arteries are lodging a formal protest, but then they are out-voted.

First on the list are the duck fat french fries at Apotheke. It was here that I first heard of frying things in fat from poor Mr. Duckie., and so had to try it. I mean, potatoes good, sea salt good, duck fat probably good (I mean it is the main ingredient of duck confit). Oh my goodness gracious!!! Creaming and starching and oh so lovely. These french fries are perfection, even if Apotheke sometimes makes you feel like you are eating in the lair of a James Bond Villain, and the music has some annoyingly pretentious tendencies (you know that electronic where they repeat a phrase over and over against a beat. I kid you not last time I was there the phrase was “Do you find me annoying?” Well now that you mention it….) The beer list is good if you are loving the Trappists, but after a beer and fries head out because the rest of the menu is just okay.

I have heard the hype and now I am going to taste the reality. Kenny and Zuke’s opened yesterday with bigger and better things sizzling in the duck fat. This is not your mother’s fried chicken. Rumor says that it is a Daily Special involving chicken fried in duck fat, mashed potatoes and graving for $16.75. Ouch!! But I have to try it once, so off I go to see if it is on today’s menu.

That is if I can resist Happy Hour at Clyde Common. I will have to walk past to get to Kenny and Zuke’s, I am weak and wondering what Sister drink is on the menu this week…

Clyde Common ... common might not be the word...

2007-10-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

I only read Portland Monthly when it is free... but I am sure glad that I picked up the May issue. One the cover was a burger. But that makes it seem too simple. It was beautiful.

I had to wait two months... two long months. My fiancee (then boyfriend) was in Mexico, and the home of this amazingly perfect looking burger was new and trendy, and I wanted to go with him the first time.

Some things, my friends, are worth the wait. The best burger crown has officially passed to this masterful creation. The bun is chewy on the outside, but amazingly soft on the inside. The meat is cooked to perfection, juicy and flavorful. Instead of the pedestrian ketchup, they include a ramekin of house-made tomato jam that is flavorful without being overpowering. Next to that ramekin is another filled with creme freche with a dark red liquid drizzeled into it. It is harissa and when mixed with the creme with a french fry it is heavenly. The creme freche cuts the heat of the harissa so it is smooth but with bite.

I have eaten this burger three times in the last two and half weeks. It is consitently a knockout. So much so that I have only managed to order something else one time (yes we have been to one restaurant four times in 2.5 weeks, we all have addicitions). I had braised pork shoulder with white beans and it was amazing. But the pull of the burger is awful strong.

And the home of this burger worth raving over... Clyde Common. On 10th and Stark across from the living room theater, in the bottom of the Ace Hotel (worthy of its own blog entry).

A couple things to know about CC:

1. It is loud - this has never bothered me but I know there are those who will find it disturbing. It is the price you pay. The space is very clean, with light woods and clear glass and white walls. Therefore there is nothing to absorb the noise.

2. Communal Tables - downstairs there are three bigger tables, and upstairs are cozy tables for two. So the chances are if your party is between two and ten, then it is likely you will be sitting next to strangers. It can be fun, embrace it.

3. Happy Hour - 3-6, 11-close - great $5 menu, including the burger AND discounted drinks. awesome. Check out the "Sister" drinks. Each week appearing on the menu are drinks like "Younger Sister" or "Twin Sister." I am a sucker for fun naming conventions
4. Wine List - anyone whose house pours include an Earl Burle Cote du Rhone is fine by me.

I'm Back

2007-10-11T23:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time my poor neglected blog and for that I am truly sorry. But a lot has been happening lately. I have a new favorite restaurant, a new residence, and oh wait... that's right... I AM GETTING MARRIED!!!

That's right Matt and I are going to tie the knot on January 5th, 2008. Blog, you are about to gain a sibling in the form of a wedding blog. I have also created a new blog myPDXwedding.blogspot.com for official use to talk incessantly about my wedding to all of you.

Okay, guys, here we go cause we got a lot to talk about

Night Light Lounge

2006-11-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Once more we find ourselves post-wine tasting with the epic debate of "now that we have consumed several glasses of wine what establishment shall we inflict ourselves upon"?

First stop 12 X 16, a gallery on Division and 12th, where my friend Simon's aunt was showing her amazing photographs in the Dossier show. It was a small and exclusive exhibition and I fell in love with one of the photographs of a older man in a hot pink suit strolling down the street. The gallery itself was pretty nice as well, it is a smaller space next to a furniture store that creates pieces from vintage pieces. I saw some great mirrors with frames made from tin ceiling tiles. (Yes I will admit a small obsession with interior decorating, there are many forms of art).

Well feeling all cultured, what with the wine and the art, we weren't quite in the mood for the usual bar. We love it, but something new seemed in order. So after much debate we decided to head on over to Clinton Street, and the Night Light Lounge.

This is no dive bar. The Night Light may be smoky, has the requisite pool table, the hard to hear music, and trendy singles milling about. But it has something else...
Pretty great food. The Night Light is committed to fresh and organic ingredients in their food and the menu is diversified. In the appetizer/bar snack lexicon are nachos (with amazing guacamole), thai beef skewers and baguettes with dips. All were eagerly devoured by our table. And while I am on the subject, we had the best table in the house, a U-shaped couch with a wooden block at knee-level. Super comfortable and had a neat cool kids factor.

Back to my love, the food, while waiting for our mostly mythical waitress (only complaint, and not a real strenuous one because the girl was busy) I looked at the rest of the menu and I will definitely be back to try the proscuitto chicken and some of the salads. The beer list gets a nod as well for the inclusion of great and admired (by me) Amnesia Brewery.

Night Light is a great addition to Clinton (though I guess the neighborhood is less than thrilled by the late night crowd so keep it down outside and don't cause trouble for our good friends) so stop by and try the amazing food and I hear their signature mixed cocktails are pretty good too. Will we become regulars? Probably not. Will we be back some Friday? Yes. Probably for Manic Mondays (all beer is poured into 20oz Imperial Pints, sweet!) as well.

Thursday ( Now with More Art, Less Pretention)

2006-10-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

So I saw the devil... and he rode a unicycle. Which was both unexpected and strangely fitting.

But, now that I think about it he might have been one of the high-spirited members of Clown House, a crew that lives and performs right on Alberta, every last Thursday. This particular week the event in the center ring was audience performance a la unicycle jousting. A challenging member of the audience mounts a double high bike and squares off against the devil(aka man in full body paint and a speedo, brrr thats gotta be cold) and his unicycle. It is good fun and like much of the Alberta once-a-month mayhem, absolutely free. Though, as their site says they welcome donations. Can't wait to see what they pull out next month, it looks like past highlights have been mud wrestling, and flaming cannons.

So this is Last Thursday on Alberta, the less pretentious , more insane version of the Pearl's restrained and high class First Thursday. And it is the better for it, if I may say. Across from the amazing showmen (and women) at ClownHouse were a trio of firedancers trying out new props and material on the passing crowd. The flaming sword was nice, but then who doesn't like a flaming sword?

Then there are the multitude of people who for one night a month make the sidewalk their gallery. From fences and rigged-up stalls they sell their art, painting and collages and anything you can imagine. Each booth different, some amazing, some just bizzare. There are galleries open later than normal also, but the art on the sidewalk was enough for me (also per usual we were a little late getting there and the galleries were closing).

The energy really make Last Thursday something not to be missed. The event goes long into the night in the bars along the street and you never know what you will find. There was a group all in black with glowing sticks fastened to their clothes so that in the dark they became like mobile radioactive stick figures. There was the gentleman who works everyday in Oregon City at the employment office, but once a month makes and sells fantastic gumbo along the street to the passerby. There were people who had sent a dance floor complete with pulsing lights in an unused field.

So if you have a yen for something that you don't see everyday, then stroll along Alberta the last Thursday of each month. Trust me you'll have something share with the co-workers come Friday morning.

Libation Leary (I was drinking what!)

2006-10-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

There is no justice anymore. Chipotle, one of my favorite non-fast-food fast-food restaurants (restaurants are in fact fast-food but masquerade as cuisine) is owned by McDonalds, ruining it for me in some sort of subtle way. And just today I find out that Blue Moon is created by … Coors.

I knew when my friend Simon taunted me with his knowledge of who is behind this craft beer that I occasionally enjoy, that it would be bad. Blue Moon has a nice citrus note and is mostly what I turn to on weeknights after one or two stronger beers. It is refreshing and no very high in alcohol and … well it reminded me of my college student days before I knew what good beer was. Well, apparently there was good reason for that, being it was manufactured by the same company as those ultra cheap kegs that graced many a house party attended by yours truly.

Now, I don’t like to think I am a snob. I can toss back gas station coffee, Starbucks, and craft-roasted coffee, because let’s face it; caffeine is beautiful in many forms. Some tastier than others but all okay in my eyes. I do not know if I am so egalitarian toward my beer. It remains to be seen.

But, really? Coors? Really?

Portofinos (Long Live the Saucemaster)

2006-10-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

So we finally broke down last night and did it. We visited Portofinos post owner switch. We had been fearful of returning even though it has been one of the favorites and also the location of one of Matt and my early dates, because last time we had been in the owner had reported to us that he was selling the business and to a corporation. Which needless to say filled us with complete horror. This was our place! A quirky little restaurant filled equally with Italian decor as art from the owner home, Easter Island. A tiny restaurant with only ten tables and Pink Martini playing. The thought that it would become corporate and impersonal was horrifying. We actually came back to dinner the next night trying to get enough Portofinos to last us, in case the worst occurred and we hated the change.
But I am happy to report that there is no need to fear, Portofinos has not been sold to a faceless corporation. That deal fell through and now Portofinos is the process of been sold to none other than the head chef! Huzzah! This man is the creator of the most amazing and wonderful sauces known to man. I would drown happily in the sambuca sauce, I would lick the marsala from plate (even strangers)... Trust me, there is no unhappiness that is not curable by sampling these sauces.
Also I will praise the service. There were mishaps, we were forgotten for a space, each server thinking the other had us; my friend received the incorrect dish; but in spite of these things the servers and buser were amazingly friendly and helpful, even sliding a free tiramisu in front of my friend (because she had to wait for her dish) even after being assured that we understood it was an unintentional mistake and didn't blame our server.
The special (which I partook of) was an amazing filet minion cooked to perfection, and covered in vodka cream sauce with a delicate vegetable lasanga on the side. Oh soo good. The Chicken Marsala is possibly the best in the city, and the appetizer of mushrooms in a delicate, yet rich cream sauce.
That is possibly the only issue with Portofinos. Everything is creamy and rich from the beginning to the end with their top notch tiramisu. So if you are in the mood for a lite bite head down the way to Springwater Grill and partake of their bar menu. But if you want food that romances you, then Portofinos is without compare.

Clarklewis – (or East Waterfront, More Than Burned-Out Warehouses!)

2006-10-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

I know that I should have written this sooner. It has been over a week since the night Matt and I wandered down to clarklewis and had an indulgent dinner. But I guess it is also a testament to the experience that it remains vivid in the memory so long.

The atmosphere is everything that you could want. Well, I can’t really say that cause I don’t know what you want, but it is pretty damn good. The space is industrial (think cement) but this is softened and made dreamlike with flickering candlelight and a wooden bar. And also the outdoor is brought inside with giant glass garage doors, bottom a window to the capricious northwest weather, and a testament to what this warm and modern space used to be. This particular night, the last of a late summer, the doors were rolled up and warm breezes toyed with the candles, making the space one of flickering shadows and liquid, yellow light pouring over individual tables. (I know overdramatic writer is me, but again testament to my newfound love of this place).

Now to the part that seals the deal, anyone can have a great space, and really the food (getting there in a sec) was superb, but many a talented chef’s restaurant has failed… No our server, Austin, won a lot of points for the venerable clarklewis. There was a water carafe on our table, I’m not sure that we ever got to pick it up. Silently as he passed on other errands he would fill wine glasses and water glasses, not disturbing our conversation. But oh when the time to order things occurred he was not afraid to suggest, to offer polite alternatives when he thought we wouldn’t be pleased with a selection. This service was rare and precious indeed.

Food amazing. Really, I don’t know what else to say. This was speechless food, the kind that you stare at your dining partner in wonder and say, “Ohhhh.” Long and drawn out and truly the only syllable in the English language that does the combination of tastes and textures any justice at all. Highlights: halibut in chanterelle sauce, summer squash tagliatelle, arugala salad with proscuitto wrapped figs. There were more, but the names were sadly lost to the power of the flavors. I strongly recommend that you orders the Chef’s Menu. For one price the chef will choose 3 to 4 course for you, and they will make sure that you and your date get something different each course, the better for stealing bites, or as Matt and I do, trading plates completely several times each course.

So clarklewis had earned the best meal of my life through a combination of food, atmosphere and service, and I have eaten some great meals. I cannot say enough about it, but you are probably tired of reading. So go forth and eat:

1001 SE Water Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97214
503.235.2294
www.ripepdx.com/clarklewis.html

The Goal (or as you will soon see the complete lack of anything that looks remotely like one)

2006-09-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

I would like to say that I got this blog with a higher purpose in mind. That I wanted to effect social change or inform on weighty matters that deserve wide attention. But it really is just so I can write about my favorite things; namely shops, restaurants, beer, wine, bars (I guess that was implied by the beer and wine, right?) and books. Above and beyond all books.