Saturday Afternoon in Portland

Spend an afternoon in Portland sometime.  Meander around one of those unique districts that Portland has to offer with quaint cafes and even quainter shops.  It puts the pizzaz back into your thinking and gets the creative juices flowing.

This Saturday I was in the Pearl, but there are other districts in the city which give off their own unique vibe as well.  The original purpose for the trip was to check out an urban garden shop for some new garden design ideas.  But as soon as I parked the car I couldn't resist the lure of the street.


The Pearl District is made up of old warehouses converted into new swanky condos, and busy hip shops with an amazing diversity of people, and things to do and see. I wondered into the cool Pro Guitar Shop (a brave new world in that place for sure) - the largest guitar shop in the Portland Metro area with an amazing wall display of any guitar you'd ever want to see or play.   Then there was the French Cut Hair Salon - effortlessly seductive and charming!  I couldn't resist popping in for a peek at their very chic salon and they were graciously welcoming - like meeting an old friend.

Made another stop at the Tea Zone and Camilla Lounge - tea, coffee, jazz, blues, cocktails, food - who would think about putting all those things together and yet it worked so well.  Then on down the street you'll find the exquisite French Quarter Linens - luxurious, stylish, sophisticated, elegant and expensive, but worth a look for some fresh ideas.

Now there's no shortage of incredible places to eat in Portland.  In fact it's pretty overwhelming unless you have something specific in mind before you make the trip.  It was Lebanese food that was on my mind and I was determined to get it.  And there's no better place in town then Nicholas Lebanese Restaurant on Grand Avenue just across the river.

Outside it looks a little like a bit of a hole in the wall, but inside awaits the most delicious middle eastern food you'll likely get in Oregon.  They are open all day and serve a variety of meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes, in fact, the menu is daunting. So watch out - your eyes can be bigger than you stomach in this place.  To get you started you'll be served a mouth watering giant, fluffy, steaming pita along with a herb olive oil dip.  The main courses are huge, in fact they could easily serve two.  Nicholas's is a bustling energetic place with a touch of middle eastern ambience.  Great eats too!

As I said in the beginning - spend an afternoon in Portland sometime - it stimulates the mind and soul.

Life is good - bye for now.  Evelyn

REMEMBER:  Buy Local When You Can!

September - Favorite Things

Here it is the end of September and time for some favorites of the month.   Included are links, when available, for additional information about the items. I hope you find some things in the list that you too enjoyed in September.  Let me know what you think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Bon Appetite Magazine ~

Years and years and years ago this magazine first inspired me to appreciate really good food.  Always interesting with imaginative recipes, now the September issue has announced that Luce Italian Restaurant in Portland (pronounced LOO-chay), is one of the 10 Best New Restaurants in the country for their brilliant Italian cooking. Congrats to Luce and Portland.

Pink Martini’s A Retrospective is the first compilation album by the American group, released in 2011 the album contains twenty-one tracks from six studio albums. What can I say, I love Pink Martini and their funky international style. They are just another example of Portland's really cool, but ever so slightly off-beat vibe.

Albacore Tuna Roast– grilled on a bed of Rosemary branches. The fleet is in, buy albacore tuna fresh from the Oregon Coast now.  It's the best September has to offer.  

Dahlias - Real dazzlers in September!

Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Goat Feta Cheese Salad - Some kind of wonderful!

Left Coast Cellars 2006 Heritage Pinot Noir. An exceptional wine fermented by native yeast in French oak and aged for 34 months, this wine has every component to age for a future generation. Elegant and structured; decant to serve now or age upwards of 15 years.
(only 30 cases remain).  My favorite for very special occasions and the very best company (dear old friends and family).

~ Portland Race for the Cure ~ 

The Race which took place September 16th raises significant funds and awareness for the breast cancer movement. It was a time to celebrate survivors and their families while working toward the promise of ending breast cancer forever.

~ Finding Portland ~  

You really should take a look at this time lapse video which is beautifully composed. It captures  the City of Roses in a most creative style.   If you like Portland, you’ll love this video - created by Uncage the Soul Productions.

Pumpkin Vase - Flowers, shrubs, and fruits can be arranged in a hollowed out pumpkin vase.  Perfect for October or November (you can use other members of the squash family also, depending on space and color scheme).  This and other stylish centerpiece ideas (and great pumpkin recipes) come from Holiday Pumpkins by Georgeanne Brennan, Jennifer Barry Design.



Here we come October !  Evelyn

Remember:  Buy local when you can!

McMinnville and More

The planning commission got it right in historic McMinnville with the development and renewal of the downtown district which over the years has been transformed into a vibrant business area for merchants, artists, and visitors.  It's always worth the drive up Highway 99 to visit  their charming historic downtown and have breakfast at the Crescent Cafe. 

Although the Crescent is one of those unique eateries where you march to the tune of their drum it's worth every bit. First of all they only serve breakfast, they are only open from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, (but luckily every day to the week),  the menu is somewhat limited, they will not split a check, and they will not except American Express.  And you have somewhat of a wait for your breakfast to be served after you’ve ordered it, but that’s because everything is made from scratch (as I said it's worth every bit).  Aside from the good food, there’s just something about the place that makes you want to come back for more.

To start with there is the host, a particularly fastidious gentleman, who manages to keep all the patrons served in an orderly manner and gets you started off in the right direction with the menu and the specials of the day.  The place is small, but charming, very well maintained with lots of wood, pleasing light fixtures and beautiful fresh cut flowers.  Breakfast is always worth the wait, but the outstanding (and I mean outstanding) feature is the bread which is made every morning in their kitchen.  Although you do have a long wait for your meal, you are allowed to linger long with no pressure to leave before you are ready.  And beware the place is usually packed.

Of course the Crescent is right smack in downtown McMinnville (probably my favorite small town in the Willamette Valley).  Known to be in the heart of the wine country, the downtown is overwhelming endowed with wine bars and really fine restaurants, plus the Mcmenamin’s Oregon Hotel (half a block from the Crescent). 

Needless to tell you, last Saturday I got one of those uncontrollable urges to visit the Crescent (with my gardening mate) and after having gorged ourselves on breakfast, had a delightful walk around downtown, peeking in all the shop windows and doors.  It’s a pretty friendly place where you stop and talk about dogs or hair styles or the weather with shop keepers and other McMinnvillites.  

Going on down Highway 99, the countryside is quite literally covered with small wineries and tasting rooms where you can just stop in, enjoy the scenery, taste a little wine, and have a nice chat with the staff .  I can tell you Oregon is not Sonoma – our wineries are pretty casual and comfortable for the most part.

One such winery south of Mac (that's what people call McMinnville) on Highway 99, named Left Coast Cellars, is particularly special, not just for the wines they produce (which are pretty special), but for the incredible park like setting they have created on the property. It’s a large acreage and they have tastefully landscaped the area (which includes a small lake) that runs beside the drive up to the winery and tasting room.  Stunning in the spring, lovely in the summer, and then in fall all you notice are the immaculately manicured vineyards with opulent bunches of black pinot noir grapes promising another fine year of great wine. 

 

The winery is worth the visit just for the drive up to the tasting room. And an inviting tasting room it is, well appointed in a sort of shabby chic motif.   Not only can you sample their very good wines, but they have a small café serving small plates such as figs and gorgonzola, dolmades (stuff grape leaves), caprice salad, or maybe some of Carolyn’s special carrot cake.  During the summer they offer live music on the patio on Saturday afternoons or you can take a walk on the well maintained hiking paths around the property.

All and all it’s a great place to be – somewhere on highway 99 between McMinnville and Corvallis!

Life is good! Bye for now.  Evelyn

REMEMBER:  BUY LOCAL WHEN YOU CAN!

Dance with the Green Fairy

Always looking for a great place to meet and eat in Salem, some friends and I stopped at La Capitale, a casual French bistro downtown. Aside from their fine food and drink,  La Capitale focuses on supporting local businesses ranging from craft beers, boutique wineries, and fresh local produce. 

The place has a good vib, very urban, but casual and unassuming.  A comfortable place to converse over a simple meal or cocktail.  

The wait-staff is friendly and very accommodating serving delicious French/American faire.    

They offer killer pomme frites, and one of the better things going for them is the bar and bartender Rob, who takes his profession seriously and is tops in preparing hand-crafted, innovative cocktails

Speaking of cocktails, La Capitale is one of the few places in town or within a 60 mile radius of town there you can actually “dance with the Green Fairy”.

No no - I'm not crazy, I'm referring to absinthe that notorious distilled herbal spirit made from wormwood, anise and other herbs. Its flavor is similar to licorice.  It is bottled at a high proof, and is intended to be tempered with iced water and taken as a cool, refreshing aperitif. 

The charm and mystic of the drink is in the ritual which is fairly simple. 
 

Absinthe Original  explains it this way, 

 "A perforated absinthe spoon is set upon the rim of a glass (sometimes very elaborately so) and on the spoon is placed a cube of sugar. Ice-cold water is ever so slowly dripped from a glass carafe designed specifically for that purpose, onto the cube. The sugar dissolves and you continue pouring until the ratio of absinthe to water is about two to five parts, depending upon your taste and fortitude. The emerald green absinthe releases a floral bouquet and clouds into a pale opalescent green or yellow right before your eyes, filling you with a sense of creation and mystery. Give the mix a spin with the spoon and drink like you dripped - slowly."   Properly made a glass of this mixture will be around the same strength as a glass of wine.

Now for the history lesson.  Absinthe has an alluring, notorious past whose popularity soared from 1880 on. In the cafes of Paris it became the drink of artists and writers commonly starting off the day with a glass and ending with l'heure verte (the late-afternoon "green hour"). It was exported to New Orleans and reached the same acclaim in the United States.

But, here comes the bad part (or the worst part), in 1905, Jean Lanfray, a Swiss farmer, who was very intoxicated, murdered his wife and family. He supposedly only had two glasses of absinthe and his trial became known as the "Absinthe Murder". Absinthe was designated as the offending culprit and became known as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug. In 1912, the Department of Agriculture banned absinthe in America, and finally France followed in 1915.  It has since been redeemed and is considered no more dangerous than any other spirits.  Legalized in Europe in the 1990, the US finally reprieved the Green Fairy in 2007.  After 95 years of prohibition the dance resumes.

 

Needless to say we had a most convivial time sipping our absinthe and enjoying pomme frites and goat cheese.  Yummy.

Life is truly good - bye for now!  Evelyn

Corvallis

I was thrilled the other day when I got an email from an old friend hoping to meet for lunch before she left town on vacation.  This meant, aside from seeing a long lost friend, a trip into Corvallis. 

Corvallis isn’t the easiest place to get to -  it’s right in the middle of the WV but nowhere near anywhere else.  Located from one to two hours from Portland, the Oregon Coast or Eugene, it is literally surrounded by farmland or forest on all sides.  So aside from it’s natural resources you might wonder what is so special about this town located in the middle of nowhere.  Well apparently a lot of people in the U.S. think the place is pretty special having been on the list of the10 best places to live for one reason or another by Money magazine, Country Home magazine, and Farmers Insurance to name a few.  These rankings confirm that Corvallis is one of the best, safest and most environmentally responsible cities in the U.S.

That being said, I met my friend for lunch at Big River Restaurant downtown on the riverfront.  A somewhat popular place with a delightful outdoor seating area (a must have during these summer days), a friendly wait staff, and great bread, although a bit pricey.  

Regardless we had a great lunch, got caught up with our lives, and enjoyed basking outside in the sunshine.  

Besides Big River, Corvallis really does have plenty of good places to eat, from pub grub to fine dinning.  Out the front door of the Rig River is the riverfront walk.  Take a stroll along the riverfront walk and then up and around to 2^nd Street and you'll find restaurants, bistros, pubs, and wine bars as well as quaint shops to browse.

After lunch I did take a stroll down the riverfront (official name – Riverfront Commemorative Park).  It was beautifully landscaped with both paved and grassy areas, views of the Willamette River, and a lots of places to seat and rest.  One of the most popular features is the decorative water fountain where the public is welcome to enjoy the water jets (mostly children although an adult might sneak in a toe occasionally). It's hard to beat the delightful sight and sound of water and laughing children on a sunny day.

I don’t want to forget to tell you about the vibrant farmers market which takes place on the riverfront every Saturday, 9 AM to 1 PM, April 14-Nov. 17, and Wednesday, 9 AM to 1 PM, April 18-Nov. 21.  The market features locally grown produce, home-made preserves and honey, baked goods, fresh-cut flowers, and home-town meat and poultry.  You will also be able to enjoy local performers and street musician performing weekly. 

In another corner of the city is the home of Oregon State University, number one public research university in the state and home to the OSU Beavers (go Beavs!).  The influence the university has on the community contributes to a mix of urban flair and small-town charm and provides a place for intellectual curiosity to thrive.

I haven’t yet begun to tell you about the wineries or the craft breweries thriving in this area (and there are many) or the charming Hansen Country Inn  located within the town, but out in the country.  But for now if your coming to Corvallis, here are some interesting things to do and places to go during you visit.  It’s always wise to call ahead if you wish to visit a winery or tasting room.

Happy traveling - bye for now.  E

Oregon State University, Oregon’s largest public research university and  home of the OSU Beavers NCAA Division I, Pac-12 Sports Conference.  As an aside OSU campus also has one of the most incredible collection of mature rhodendrum plants which is spectacular in the spring.

4 Spirits Distillery is a new craft distillery located in historic Adair Village, Oregon, and just 7 miles north of Corvallis on Highway 99W.  They specialize in superior hand crafted spirits, bottled with a unique Oregon flair.  Tasting room open.

Avery Park Rose Garden displays 1200 bushes, with 250 varieties represented. June is the most dramatic month, but most varieties bloom from May through October. Avery Park and the rose garden are open during daylight hours, and admission is free.

Belle Vallee Cellars, Tasting Room and Bistro located in downtown Corvallis right on the Riverfront Park.  They specialize in Pinot Noir, but also make a Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Gris and a really special 100% Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Port.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market locally grown produce, home-made preserves and honey, baked goods, fresh-cut flowers, and home-town meat and poultry.  Local performers and street musicians entertain weekly.

Covered bridges   There are three historic covered bridges in the Corvallis/Benton County area, in addition to 50 scattered throughout Oregon. Oregon has the largest collection of covered bridges in the West and one of the largest in the nation.

Nuthatch Cellars is a small Artisan winery specializing in Oregon and Washington red wine varietals.  Call for tasting room hours.

Tyee Wine Cellars specializing in Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer. Located on the Buchanan Family Century Farm.