Food Scene
A great breakfast spot in Spokane: Cafe Marron in Brown’s Addition. The restaurant is light, airy, and so urban!! When I visited for an early bite the weather was warm enough that they had the front of the restaurant (which is a glorified garage door) open. Although they don’t have very many vegitarian/vegan options on the menu, if you ask they will whip something up for you. The food is delicious and decently priced.
A plug for Spokane: A few weeks ago I was in Spokane and eating out with some girlfriends. We made reservations at Mizuna’s. It happens to be a favorite date spot for Bryan and I since it’s where he first took me out when we lived in Spokane. It’s a vegan friendly, Northwest-fusion restaurant with stellar service and amazing food. They have a fabulous little wine bar and the atmosphere is warm and upscale. I’d recommend NOT coming in your jeans unless you’re visiting during the summer and opt to eat on their outdoor patio.
If you’re in the mood for a fabulous brunch location, stop in at Pambiche on 28th and Glisan. Bryan and I took my Grandmother there a few months back and the food was amazing. Their smoothies and fruit drinks are yummy-licious and the menu has an overwhelming variety of choices in a good price range. We’ve been there for dinner as well and the plates of Cuban food are HUGE! I definitely recommend it. Plus, the atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and a little quirky.
It’s spring and in the spirit of rebirth and rejuvenation, I’ve poked around online and elsewhere for some healthy food options. I am currently reading Carol Alt’s In the Raw, which is a beginners guide to eating everything raw. How hold on, before you scurry in the opposite direction, afraid that I’ll convince you to stop enjoying pasta or an occasional steak I actually think there are a lot of really yummy recipes in her book. I can’t promise that I will ever stop eating cooked food, but her book has encouraged me to start serving more raw foods at mealtime. For some local suggestions on where to purchase raw cheese and other tasty morsels check out Foster & Dobbs or visit Edible Portland and discover what foods are grown locally and what’s in season now. Another blog that I loved is called the Pacific Northwest Cheese Project and they highlight all the cheese artisans in the area as well as events going on in Portland and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Another great resource to get you started is Jake’s Unbaked. They produce raw, vegan premade foods that can help you get started. And if that’s not enough, I highly recommend this blog for the hundreds of amazing recipes you’ll find. Happy Eating!
Looking for good food and quality beer in the same place? Widmer’s Gasthaus Pub is the perfect spot for you. The menu boasts numerous hearty dishes with a strong emphasis on German fare. A variety of Widmer’s staple beers are on tap as well as seasonal selections. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed. A great spot for dinner with friends on a rainy night.
For Bryan’s birthday we dined out at Bay13 in the Pearl District. It is the perfect combination for us because all I want to do is eat raw fish and everyone else likes variety, Bay13 offers a great dinner menu and a sushi menu. A warning, however, the sushi menu is extremely limited and while tasty it still doesn’t beat Masu.
All the hype about Apizza Scholls is true. We tried it last night and miraculously didn’t have to wait in the line that normally snakes around the block. The pizza was fabulous. Too amazing to describe. They have very thin crusts that get delightfully crispy on the bottom while on top everything becomes slightly caramelized. Yummy, yummy, yummy. And the prices aren’t bad for date night dinner. The pizzas run from $20-$28 and they are big enough that you’ll end up taking half of it home with you anyway. This isn’t a bad place to take kids either because the atmosphere is low key and there’s no expensive chinaware to break, the noise level is high enough that some screaming now and then probably won’t even be noticed, and the food is easy to eat with fingers. A warning however if you are brining kids, usually you won’t be as lucky as we were last night and you’ll end up waiting in line for awhile so get there EARLY if you don’t want your children going nuts in the waiting area.
There must be something in the air because lately I have had cravings for sushi pretty much 24/7. So far, two of my favorite places to go are Mio Sushi and Masu Sushi. Of course, the two are of very different caliber but they both seem to satisfy my insane desire to eat raw fish any time of day, without breaking the bank to do so.
My girlfriends and I found this delightful little restaurant called Wine Down the other night. The wine list is superb, although I was disappointed that there were only two Oregon wines on the list, and the food is quality. Don’t expect to get dinner for under $20 unless you’re willing to settle for a plate of simple pasta. The best part, however, is that Wine Down is designed a little like a coffee shop. There are big overstuffed chairs and a couch where you can lounge indefinitely with friends over a glass of wine and plate of warm, crusty bread. Forget the bar scene after work, Wine Down is the perfect place to relax.
Located at:
126 NE 28th Ave
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 236-9463
If you’re looking for a great place to eat fabulous local food with organic ingredients and boasting one of the best drink menus in town then look no further than Mint/820. This restaurant is actually two side-by-side featuring very different decor but great food either way. I had a light and very fresh fruitslaw at Mint the other night and a PassionFruit drink that was just the right blends of alcohol and flavor. The atmosphere on the Mint side is warm, with neutral brown and green tones and great lighting. I vote it one of the coolest date places in NE Portland.
Kells Irish Pub, our favorite haunt in Portland thus far.
Good food, good beer, great atmosphere…what more could you need? Plus, I wake up at night dreaming about the Guiness meatballs. They are to die for.
Bryan took me out last night to McMenamin’s Kennedy School. We had a fabulous time. We saw Pan’s Labyrinth, a Spanish film with subtitles that was thought-provoking and refreshingly different from your typical American film. Then we had dessert at the Courtyard Cafe. If you’ve never been to the Kennedy School, you are missing out!! The food was divine, although sadly I heard a rumor that they are discontinuing their berry cobblers and the building is beautiful. Built in 1915, much of the original architectural design is still evident and it’s just delightful.