Housing Boom

When I first moved here there wasn't a lot of building going on in Portland. Lately, things have changed. Construction is on the rise and every time I turn around it seems like another empty lot is getting built up. Even locations that had abandon buildings are quickly getting rehabilitated. Like the old Der Wienerschnitzel building that was painted black and had flames on the side of it is now a new housing unit. I never knew what that place was suppose to be, but it had character.

One of the more interesting things about all this housing is that there isn't a lot of parking being included. Looks like parking in this town is going to get harder. Perhaps more people will start using car sharing services.

Along with more housing there are more business opening up all over town. Main streets like SE Division that didn't always have a lot of store fronts are getting more shops and restaurants weekly. I'm happy to report that these new shops aren't chains. As Portland grows it's still supporting more mom and pop shops - at least in the South East.

The Pearl is growing as well with high-end brands (Jonathan Adler and Jack Spade) opening stores. That also seems to be right for the Pearl. Especially, since when I first moved here everyone compared the Pearl to SoHo in New York. I see the resemblance, but it's not quite the same.

It's been interesting to see these changes happening and watching a town grow. Inevitably there will be growing pains. I'm curious to see what they might be. What do you think we can expect from all these changes?

Got Goat?

As a long-time city dweller there hasn't been a lot of need for a lawn mower in my life. That's because there aren't a lot of lawns in a city. Of course there are lawns in a park, but the city takes care of that. Still, if you find yourself with an insanely overgrown lawn forget the lawn mower - go goat. 

Yep, apparently you can rent goats in Portland to take care of an entire field. The goats graze the land and slowly - over a couple of weeks - the overgrown field becomes manageable. Let me be clear this isn't out in the cuts, it's just blocks from downtown.  It seems odd to me to rent a goat, but goats have been grazing fields for years. Maybe the goats are the bomb. I'm just glad I don't have an overgrown lawn or really much of a lawn at all. 

CSA Box: Day 2

Yesterday was day 2 of my self-imposed CSA Challenge and I managed to make some progress. I did a little research and found a few recipes that would help polish off a few of the items. That made me elated and cooking something new is always interesting. It's the same kind of feeling I get when I'm lost. Finding my way out is the best part and when it comes to new recipes I particularly get excited at the thought that I might end up with something new to put into rotation.

Napa Cabbage Salad

First up was that napa cabbage. That thing is big. Seriously it's bigger than my head. I found a recipe for Napa Cabbage Salad at Food & Wine that would take care of the entire cabbage. Seemed easy enough. Only problem was I didn't have all the ingredients, so I got how do we say "a little creative." It called for Rice Wine Vinegar, which I didn't have. A little Internet research later and it turns out Red Wine Vinegar works in a pinch. Not bad, but I do think the Rice Wine Vinegar would have made it a bit lighter. It also called for slivered almonds. Another item I didn't have, but I did have radishes from the CSA box. I cut those bad boys into slivers and got a salad with crunch, but not so crunchy it might break my teeth. Bonus! I was a bit surprised by the amount of bugs in the cabbage and cleaning it was a bit more work than I expected. Overall salad tasty and fairly quick to make. Is it a keeper? Maybe in a pinch.

The salad made a dent in the scallions and radishes and completely polished off the Napa Cabbage. 

Next Up: Dinner

Fava Beans: Bigger Than Expected

Dinner rolls around and after salad for lunch I needed something a bit meatier. Next ingredient to conquer: Fava Beans. I've seen fava beans at markets before, but never really knew what they were. They look a bit like green beans on steroids. 


At first I had thought about making a hummus-like dip from the beans - seemed logical, but boring. Again, Food & Wine came to the rescue with a recipe for Mike Lata's Fava Bean Pasta e Fagioli. Since I've never made anything with fava beans and really had no idea how they taste I totally followed the recipe, which meant getting a few ingredients: 2 slices of bacon, an onion, and a sprig of rosemary. Not so bad. The bacon did wonders for the taste of the broth - making it a bit more meat-y than bacon-y. Plus when you're eating the soup getting a bit of bacon in the bite is kind of like the lovely surprise you get when you get a tiny shaped marshmallow in a bowl of Lucky Charms - Pure Joy!

Soup's On!

As for the fava beans, it took me a bit to get the hang of removing the beans from the pods but after a couple pounds of pods I got it all worked out. Once they were blanched - shelling the beans were a bit of a slippery affair and if I was being graded on presentation - I might not get an 'A.' The soup turned out delicious and it will definitely be a "keeper" that I plan to revisit often.

The soup took care of all the beans, some gnarly carrots, and a bit of mint. I'm glad it used some of the mint, but I have big plans for the rest of it. Stay tuned....

I'm still wrestling with the Kohlrabi. Seriously, what is that thing and what's the best way to use it? If you have any ideas for it, please help a sister out!

A Slice of Americana

Dragon Boat

One of the things I like about Portland is its small town feel. The people are friendly and since so many spots in neighborhoods are essentially mom and pop shops it's easy to get to know the people in your 'hood. During the summer there are inevitably more events that are reminiscent of a town where you know your neighbors and people (tattoo'd, pierced, and dyed hair) will do their best to look out for each other. Think: Block parties and lemonade stands. Portland is also a creative town. 


When you combine those two elements you get things like a Milk Carton Race. Yes, you read that correctly. People use milk cartons to create a boat that they then paddle across the casting pond at a local park. I'm not making this up. It was an annual event for almost 30 years. I even met a few folks who remember going to it as kids. It stopped because the pond was drained. The pond has been refilled and the event is occurring once again.

There's something kind of magical about it. Families and friends working together to create boats made out of any type of milk carton that can actually float. People surround the pond to cheer on the racers and cool down with some free ice cream or root beer floats (it is a dairy event, after all). 

This isn't quite made out of milk cartons,
 but it definitely portrays the spirit of the event

It's a bit of a modern day Rockwell painting - only the people are likely wearing Revos instead of saddle shoes and people are checking their cell phones in lieu of reading the Saturday Post. Oh, and I'm betting Rockwell never saw boats like these. Given all that it's the same sentiment. Quirky, but similar.

Street Art

When I first visited Portland a few years ago it seemed like a great place for hippies. Between the colorful houses, the artistic sculptures all over town, and the vegan spots it could be their mecca. Of course, walking through neighborhoods I could usually count on hearing a Grateful Dead song coming from the speakers inside a house. Yep, it has a peaceful vibe and thankfully not a lot of patchouli wafting through the air. More than that, though, Portland is an artistic spot.

That's why it's not surprising to walk through a neighborhood and see a bit of a block party happening. Picture it: Intersection closed off, lemonade stand on a corner, kids riding bikes, Grateful Dead singing Sugar Magnolia on a nearby stereo, and oh yeah people literally painting the street.

Drive down certain neighborhoods in Portland and you'll notice a gigantic mural or painting in the middle of the street. Some say the idea behind it is to have people drive slower down the street (FYI - people have no problem obeying the speed limit in Portland). I tend to think it's because people in Portland like making their art. Here street art is a family affair. Adults and kids alike getting together on a  warm afternoon to paint the street. Not exactly the way people in New York might spend their Sunday afternoon, but this is part of Portland's charm.

Now that's a brisket

When I first moved to Portland I shuddered at the thought of having to locate a place where I could actually buy a six- to eight-pound brisket. No matter who I asked the answer was always the same one word: Gartner's. Then people sometimes added, "It's out by the airport."

"What is a Gartner's?" I wondered.

I wasn't sure what to make of a butcher out by the airport. In other towns, meat spots near the airport aren't usually home to "choice" meat products. Though many things are not as one might expect in Portland and I needed a brisket. I called and was able to order a brisket, no problem. Smallest brisket was about five pounds. Gartner's: not messing around.

Got Game? Seriously.

Finally, the day to pick up the brisket arrives and I head to the airport. In the car, I consider making a few chickens, instead. Maybe lamb might be nice. Alternate menus drift in and out of my thoughts. Until I arrive at Gartner's. It's out there, alright. Not much by it. It's a rather non-descript red building - something that looks like it might have been built in any time period. There are a few signs that catch my eye. Initially, I think it's the old time style of writing, but on closer inspection it's what's on the sign that has got me simultaneously intrigued and scared. Wild Game Processing. Interesting. That's not something you'd find in New York - then again, not a lot of wild game hunting in the city.

Now, I can't wait to get inside. It's like a typical butcher shop only much, much bigger. People behind the counter are running around in white butcher coats. They've got the pick a number system, and there's a pretty gigantic walk-in freezer where I'm guessing they're doing a ton of well, butchering. Cases are filled with meats of all kinds and some prepared options, as well. Then there is the vast supply of meat sticks - pepperoni, chorizo - you name it, they've go it.

Mmmmmm...Brisket!

When my number was called my order was ready - encased in a plastic shrinkwrap, wrapped in Gartner's butcher paper. As long as I was there it seemed wrong not to leave without some sliced turkey breast and meat sticks. A sampling will do nicely.

Feeling elated that I have indeed secured a brisket and got a few extras I make my way home. I can't wait to see it up close. I get my pot ready and unwrap the meat. It's just gorgeous. Looking at it I know it's pretty hard not to make it into something delicious. Once it's in the pot, doused in all the other ingredients that's going to make this brisket taste like something out of my childhood, I set the timer and crack open the sliced turkey breast. How on earth do they make it so moist. I tear off a small piece for a taste - it's not wet, it just melts in my mouth. Scrumptious!

After hours of cooking, the brisket comes out perfect and when I serve it the next day (brisket is always better the next day) it's the hit of the night. The moral of the story, you don't need to go to New York to  taste the brisket Grandma use to make, you just need a solid recipe and meat from Gartner's.

Soup-Off: Oh Yeah, It's On!

Living in Portland there's one thing that becomes evidently clear: Food is no joke. In fact, it's tied to the culture. Not to say that there are foodies running around all over town - though there are quite a few. In this particular instance I'm not referring to restaurants, I'm talking about a bit of a tradition that has been created with a few friends. I think the idea first reared its delicious little head at an Orphan Christmas Dinner (another tasty event), but I can't be certain. All I know is that one cold January night about ten of us found our way with a crock-pot of home-made soup in hand to our friend's house.

The Challenge: Who can make the best soup?

Potato Leek Soup with a little something extra

Oh yeah, it was on. People brought some amazing soups and had some great stories to tell about their creations. One person brought the soup that he always made to impress a girl on a first date...and it had worked. Another person didn't have a fabulous story, but had an interesting method. He used whatever he found in the pantry. Three years later, this is still his practice and there is always a surprising element whether it be texture, flavor, or random ingredient. Of course, there is bound to be some lively debate about what constitutes soup. Is a stew considered a soup? How about chili? Then there's plenty of googl-ing to determine the Internet's stance of the subject. I'm not entirely sure of the ruling, but chili is pretty much out.

I had yet to win a soup-off. I hadn't even made a soup that placed in the top three. Now, soup is not my specialty, but I like a challenge. This year I was bold. I ventured to make a version of potato leek soup. The previous year there were two potato leek soups in the competition and they didn't even place. So who was I to be so daring? Sometimes you gotta go with what you know.

Over the past year, I have been perfecting my version by adding elements other than potato and leek for more depth of flavor and varying the heat and time at which I cooked the soup. I had to bring it. What was the result? The best compliment ever, people could taste "layers of flavor." Yeah, that's right - a saying I like hearing on Top Chef. Although, I didn't win the Soup-Off outright (which is actually kind of good since it was decided that this year's winner had to create an official Soup-Off trophy), I did actually place and came in second. And too that I say a hearty "Woo-Hoo!"


And the winner is...

It's not just a soup it's an entire campaign

But now the question is who came in 1st? Well, in Portland there's no short of creativity and the soup with the biggest display did end up winning. Situated behind the crock pot was a collage complete with lights and even music. It was quite a show and if that's not enough, there were envelopes placed next to the crock pot. My curiosity got the best of me and it wasn't just a thank you note. Nope, it also had a $1 in it like one of those mailers that includes a nickel in hopes that you will sponsor a child... somewhere. Not to worry, this group isn't swayed by the blatant attempt to buy votes. The winner brought his favorite soup - a mexican soup that even had avocados. It was oddly similar to a soup from a local Mexican place and it had nailed that Mexican American flavor with aplomb.

So with all that creativity it only makes sense that the winner should be the one to make the trophy that will be passed on annually. I'm just hoping it's something people will want to show in their homes with pride. Since as happy as I am with second, I wouldn't be upset to come in first.

A Delicious Month of Dining Deals

I'm just going to admit it: I love good food and new dining experiences. I'd call myself a foodie if I didn't have so many food allergies. To be a real foodie you need to try everything and I just can't. Well, I can but it wouldn't work out so well for me.

That's why I was so excited to hear about Portland's June Dining Month. It's an entire month of great dining for $25. That's right three courses for twenty-five dollar, no holler. How bad can that be? Not even a little bit. In fact, it was quite tasty. There were so many fabulous restaurants on the list like Accanto (the cafe side of one of the best restaurants in town, Genoa), RingSide Steakhouse (a classic), Davis Street Tavern (interesting food with local ingredients), and Nostrana (the  Dining Month menu changed daily - now that's impressive).

New York has something similar called Restaurant Week, which FYI is starting July 11th. Dinner costs $35 and lunch a random $24.07. Now don't get me wrong that's a great deal, too. My friends and I would always get excited for Restaurant Week and would start planning on what places we would check out when the list of participating restaurants were announced. Yeah, there are some good eats in New York. This is not news. We would make our reservations, dress up a bit, and let the dining begin. The only trouble with Restaurant Week in New York is I think maybe only once or possibly twice we actually ate something off the Restaurant Week menu. The food choices were just never as interesting as the rest of the menu. Thus our great deal, wasn't such a great deal after all. Though, we never left disappointed Restaurant Week menu or not.

This is the real difference between New York's Restaurant Week and Portland's June Dining Month: the choices. Every place we went had ample choices and often included items I would have ordered anyway (dining month or not). In some cases you could choose off the entire menu.

Yummy Gravlax

This was the case with a new place we discovered, Otto. The restaurant opened about two months ago in the space previously occupied by Fin, and Sel Gris before that. Occupying that spot the food better be good. I won't leave you hanging, it was pretty delicious with complex flavors in every bite. I even had a fruit dessert (and I am not one for fruit or anything healthy in my dessert) that was both refreshing and satisfyingly sweet. The part of the meal I liked the best was the gravlax appetizer. The plate was filled with a menage of elegant vegetables, pickled beets among them, and some gravlax perched nicely on top of a buckwheat bilini. Gravlax is the one of the few things I can't find done well here. I've been tempted to order some from the east coast to get my fix. Of course, it only dawned on me to take a picture of it when there wasn't much left, but here you have it. Just look at that gorgeous color.

The best thing about this find is that Otto has a happy hour even on the weekends. That delicious gravlax will not be out of reach long. Thank you Portland Dining Month, please come again..... soon!

Oh, Portlandia!

So maybe you've seen the new show from IFC about Portland or maybe you haven't. The show is definitely amusing and does a great job at focusing on some of the things that make Portland, well, Portland. Too bad that it takes some of the stunts that were initially funny way too far making it almost ludicrous. Maybe that's the point, I don't really know. I'm not a comedy critic.

Here's what I do know from the two episodes that I have seen:

- Yes, there does seem to be birds on everything. It's kind of crazy. At first, I thought it was cool and kind of hip and wondered when a designer like Kate Spade might pick up the idea and add it to stationery. I don't think she's going to be picking it up anytime soon as the bird motif might soon jump the shark. That said, birds are definitely Portland.

- Chicken from the farm. In the first show the hippie commune was a bit ridiculous. What was entirely missed was how truly amazing the food is here in Portland and part of what makes it great are all the local ingredients. The waitress having the patience to explain the chicken's pedigree is not far off. Though no one would bring you a dossier about a chicken, but they would be able to speak to the freshness of the local ingredients used.

- Let's not forget the bikes. Portland is a huge biking town. I, myself, am still trying to learn how to ride a bike. Perhaps when it gets a little warmer I'll practice more and finally get the hang of it. Bikers are everywhere. Sometimes they do drive a bit recklessly where they shouldn't. That said, there are tons of bike-dedicated roads and in those areas drivers and bikers seem to co-exist pretty well. Oh and if you're trying to ride a bike between a dumpster and a wall you probably have bigger challenges to overcome. I'm just sayin'.

- The chatty bookstore owners. Despite the behemoth bookstore and annexes that are Powell's - a truly fabulous bookstore (Think: The Strand, but with coffee, newer books, a lot bigger, and tons of recommendations.) - there are lots of off beat bookstores dedicated to a particular theme: Mysteries, for example. The point here is not the unique bookstores. The point is the chatty folks who work at the bookstore. First of all, they typically aren't that obnoxious. Generally, people who work at stores are pretty friendly and seem genuinely interested in talking with you while ringing up your items or helping you locate something. Last night, I went to the supermarket and they noticed they had a coupon for something I bought and they swiped it anyway, saving me a $1. I know it sounds silly and a little old lady coupon clipping, but it was actually nice. It's small town in the way that a neighborhood in New York feels small town.

I do genuinely look forward to seeing more episodes of Portlandia. It's true Portland is a unique town and they are pointing out some entertaining things about the city. My favorite part about the show is the video below created to promote it. Here's one of my favorite lines in the song: "Where people in their 20s come to retire."

Give a listen and let me know what line speaks to you.

You Don't Have to be in 8th Grade to be in a Spelling Bee

There aren't many places like New York where you can just step outside your building door and find a hundred things to do at a moment's notice. Portland is no exception. It's one of those places, like many others across the United States, where there just isn't a ton to do after the sun goes down. Instead, in Portland restaurants close between 9pm and 10pm and there aren't a lot of cultural events that run late into the night. This was a bit of culture shock for me. Then I realized that people get off work at 5 and it's not uncommon to be in for the evening at around 10pm. Yes, it's not the same as people getting off work at 7pm and starting to think about dinner at 9pm. Here people make their own fun and I experienced one of those evenings recently.

We had a Spelling Bee at a local bar. We got the back room, gathered a group of friends, and had a Spelling Bee master who had a list of approved 8th grade Spelling Bee words. Oh, and he threw in a few racy words just for fun. The crowd was a fun group and many folks signed up to participate in the Spelling Bee. One person even came wearing a "Mispelling" sash. Classic. The Spelling Bee began simply enough with each contestant spelling a word. We had three rounds of spelling to decide the finalists for the next round. I'm happy to say I made it through that round without a misspelled word. The next round, the words got a bit harder and I was quickly taken out on "cumulative." Apparently, it's not spelled with two m's.

As the night went on, the contestants were narrowed down to just three and I might add that they were all women. In this group, men were not destined to be Spelling Bee champs and that's ok. Once we got narrowed down to the last three contestants the words did get harder and then the rules changed. See, people in Portland like to mix it up. In this final round a word would be selected and it was up to the crowd to choose who should spell it. Things got interesting and we were all impressed with how well the contestants could spell. In the end, the winner of the Spelling Bee was someone who had won a Spelling Bee as a child. I guess some skills stay with you.

The moral of the story: "You don't have to be in 8th Grade to be in a Spelling Bee, but you should be able to spell like one."

Beautiful Days

There's something to be said for the dreary weather that Portland is known for and that is it makes the gorgeous days that more enjoyable. Though, I have to say it's not nearly as bad as people have warned me or maybe I'm just immune to it. Either way, I hope the previous statement doesn't bring an onslaught of miserable gray drizzle-filled days. Back to my point, today the sun is out, the weather is on the warm side, and the flowers are blooming. It's truly beautiful and reminds me why the Northwest really does have a lot to offer.

If I was in Manhattan on such a beautiful day I would be heading outdoors and take in the rays. Probably grabbing a book, taking the Zsash and heading over to the river or Central Park. It would be glorious. On my way home, I'd probably stop at some shops along the way to pick up some food to make for dinner. Here it's actually not so different. Portland is all about the parks. When I say all about, I mean "all about" - every neighborhood has its own park. I'm not talking about smallish parks that litter New York City like Madison Square Park (Shake Shack does add to its appeal), but I'm talking about large sprawling parks complete with luscious green lawns, huge trees, tennis courts and walking trails. The one near me actually has three reservoirs and plenty of trails that lead up into a mountain through massive trees. You don't even know you're in a city anymore and it's just a 10 minute walk away. It's nice.

While I can walk there just fine - it's about a mile away. I know because my pedometer tells me so. Don't laugh. I got the pedometer so I would get walking again. Portland can be a walking city, but it's not immediately obvious. Probably because everyone prefers to bike here. Anyway, back to the park. I can walk there, but Zsash can't really walk there and then enjoy all the trails. Today, I drove Zsash over and we walked on some of the trails and she sniffed more trees than I care to count. In short, it was great for her. For me, I got to soak up the sun, get some exercise, and remind myself how much I love nature in a place that's so naturally beautiful.

I do love nature, always have except when I was in New York I tended to appreciate it more and go out of my way to seek it out more simply because it wasn't immediately evident. New York is a landscape of buildings - many are beautiful, but there's something to be said for not having to look down a street of tall buildings just to get a glimpse of some green.

Off to read Vanity Fair on the deck. Northwest it's not so bad.

Two Words: Fred Meyer

If you've never been to Portland or Oregon, for that matter, these are two words you'll come to know quickly. It's the one stop shop for virtually everything. At first glance, you might think it's a really big super market with a few extras, but alas they sell TVs, music, storage, paint - really, anything for the home. I think I must have went to the mother ship yesterday - it's the store in Hollywood. (Side note: The neighborhoods here sometimes take their names from somewhere else - thus Hollywood. There's even one called Brooklyn, but it's not anything like Brooklyn. You don't even need to take a bridge to get there.) Anyway, this store was easily the size of two football fields with plenty of room for visitor and home benches. It was freakin' ginormous. It had clothes, BBQ's - gas and charcoal - a large gardening center, and of course tons of food and a fabulous wine selection. I think the only thing it didn't sell was wood, so you can build a house. I only went for a few items, but I was in the area - so clearly I got a bit of exercise while I searched out and selected my items. 

Here's the thing for me about Fred Meyer: I like to shop. I really, really do. It's an activity and part of the activity for me is discovering new little finds in random places. There's something extremely gratifying for me to go to a few speciality shops to seek out special ingredients for something I want to make later that day - the bakery for bread, the cheese shop, the corner vegetable stand/bodega. Though it inevitably creates more bags to carry (new or recycled), there's something magical to me about the whole process -- bags and all. So, this one stop shopping is not really for me. It makes me think I should be in some snowbound town found in Minneapolis where these kind of stores are needed since you usually get so snowed in you can only make it out to one place and that place better have everything you need.  Yet, that's simply not the case here in Portland and so the need for an  institution like Fred Meyer puzzles me, but it is indeed a defining Oregon attribute. 

Making the Move

I arrived here about four months ago with my dog Zsa Zsa to live with my boyfriend, Matt. About a month prior to the move, we actually made the decision that we would indeed be living in Portland instead of New York. There were many reasons and loads of logic that went into the decision making process, but basically it came down to where would it be easiest for both of us. Seeing as we're both pretty independent, it became apparent we'd need a lot of living space and it's no secret that it's going to be a lot easier to fill that requirement in Portland than in New York. So I came out for a week with Zsa Zsa and we found a place that had a tiny yard for Zsa Zsa and plenty of room for me and Matt. I headed to Vegas for CES and then back to New York for a quick two weeks to pack-up and gear up for a move west. It's been quite an adventure and even a bit of culture shock. Now, four months later, here I am with a ton of observations to share and I even have a few questions I'm hoping to get answered.