Links I Love!

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As an active online dater the process of swiping, liking and happy houring can be exhausting; I field through a lot of crazy messages, participate in a good amount of small talk and have kissed a few frogs... and lawyers, engineers and accountants. I have met some really amazing people through this - one of my closest friends - and experienced a bit of heartache. But through it all I have become more and more sure of one thing: I am pretty darn sparkly!

Okay... enough with the pinterest affirmations! Onto the good stuff!!!!

I LOVE gnocchi. Summer Gnocchi with corn and zucchini is speaking to me!
Beautiful and efficient approach to face masks.
FRIED provolone?!?! In a tomato sandwich? Deb is a goddess.
My friend Oliva told my to check out this documentary. Tig Nataro is a badass!
Coconut water popsicles. With gummy bears! Get outta town!
My fantasy man.
Ashley Madison, not the next Bachelorette.
It is 100 degrees right now, but come October I will be a regular at Broth Bar!

What are you loving these days? Any links to share? I would love to know!

#ThursdayToursPDX {Brunch Spots}

Brunch is one of the safest and most universally loved social activities in Portland. Whether you are getting together with an old friend, meeting up with a colleague and their family, or even going on a date brunch is socially acceptable for all of these scenarios. From vegan to meat-centric dim sum, we have it!

For this installment of #ThursdayToursPDX it only made sense to have the lovely Mary Ellen of Pate a Chew share her recommendations. Going to brunch is one of our favorite activities! ME excels at identifying what makes all of those delicious brunch pastries so delicious - or what they are missing. An absolute necessity when trying to replicate these treats at home! She is always game to order multiple items off the menu, order more okra when necessary, and analyze just about any text or conversation!

For more brunch recommendations from Marlynn of Urban Bliss Life head on over to Bakery Bingo!

{Image courtesy M.E.S.}

If I had to pick one defining characteristic of the Portland food scene, it would be the importance we Portlanders place on brunch.  Brunch is a big deal here, and for good reason: the quality of Portland brunch fare is unrivaled.  Brunch can even be something of a competitive sport - as demonstrated by this classic Portlandia sketch.  And yes, I've waited over an hour for a table at popular brunch spots - something I would have never, ever done during my five years in Manhattan!

Below are just a few of my favorite brunch spots in Portland:

Isabel (NW Pearl)

My neighborhood favorite!  The restaurant identifies as "Latin Asian fusion," but I see it more as Latin.  I always get the avocado scramble.  Always.

Muscadine (NE Prescott)

If you are looking to get your southern comfort food fix, Muscadine is your best bet in Portland.  I really enjoy their salmon croquettes, but you can easily create a meal out of their long list of delicious sides.  The best thing on the menu?  Fried okra.  Added bonus: the vinegar-y hot sauce on the table - it's good on everything!

Genies (SE Division)

This is best "diner experience" I've had in Portland.  Portland is full of creative, crazy-delicious (or sometimes just crazy) brunch dishes, but there are times you crave the comfort of a Greek omelette or a short stack of pancakes.  And for Bloody Mary lovers, Genies has a long list of house-infused vodkas that allow you to flavor your cocktail in a myriad of ways.  Cucumber-dill, bacon, habanero, and horseradish are just a few of their flavors!

La Provence (NE Alberta, as well as other locations around Portland)

This boulangerie and patisserie serves up an amazing French-inspired brunch.  My current favorite plate is an omelette with leeks, peas, fresh thyme, Gruyere cheese, and mint pesto - not your typical omelette, but oh so good.  It also happens to have my favorite croissants in Portland!  

New + Noteworthy {Marmo, Shift, and Levant's Brunch}

This installment of New + Noteworthy could also be considered a love letter to gluten.With two tasty bruschettas, croissants, pastries and crouton loaded salads Marmo, Shift and Levant's Brunch Service are all offering up some of my favorite glutenista treats.

#ThursdayToursPDX {Pechluck's Outdoor Lunch Spots}

For this installment of #ThursdayToursPDX we are shaking things up a bit. Instead of featuring two bloggers today we are each featuring recommendations from Portland blogger Pech. If you know Pech, or read her fantastic blog, you know she is always provides the most thoughtful and thorough insight to just about everything. From blog posts to restaurant reviews every word is authentic, informative and extremely valuable. When we asked her to provide her recommendations for outdoor lunch spots she went above and beyond by offering restaurant and food cart suggests!! We decided to split them up and feature all of her amazing suggestions on Bakery Bingo and Martha Chartreuse!

Here we will be discussing food cars (including my personal favorite Kargi Gogo!) and restaurnts will be featured over on Erin's blog!

Outdoor Eating brought to you by Pech of Pechluck's Food Adventures

All photos courtesy of Pechluck Laskey

Food Carts!

As soon anyone asks me about outdoor eatings, I always think of food carts first. It's one of the very uniquely Portland things to do, visit a food cart pod. And, there are several food carts that are ONLY open for lunch in the downtown and PSU areas, so if you are open for lunch on a weekday visiting food carts is the first thing I recommend visitors to PDX as well as locals.

One of my favorite places to send people who are looking to eat outdoors and really experience Portland are in particular two types of food cart experiences, based on assuming you don't want to do a lot of walking to find a comfortable place to sit and eat after getting your food from the carts.

One option is to Experience a Museum and South Park Blocks.

On weekdays, after a late morning visit to the Oregon Historical Society (free admission for Multnomah County residents) I then suggest a walk in the South Park Blocks to find Haan Ghin, a Laotian little shack/cart right by the PSU Library at SW Park and Harrison. Both the Mii Gai (Noodles and Chicken) and the Laap Gai (minced chicken that you eat in lettuce wrap) are delicious, offering a medley of soft and crispy, sweet and spicy (not too much- you tailor it yourself) and savory.

Option two is to Experience Downtown Cart Lunch in Portland's Living Room.

It's fun to walk around between SW 9th and 10th and Alder and Washington to see the many types of food carts, as well as all the people watching as you watch people emerge from the various office buildings to get lunch at the carts. My favorites of the many food carts here include Kargi Gogo (I always get the khachipuri cheese bread and some khinkali dumplings), fish and chips from The Frying Scotsman, deep dish Chicago from Thick, cheesesteak from Steak Your Claim, a Hawaiian plate lunch from 808 Grinds, or any dish from Emame’s Ethiopian Cuisine. Walk 3 blocks southeast to Pioneer Courthouse Square and dine while doing more people watching in the buzz of Portland's "Living Room", You have just traveled the world in cuisine by visiting just that one block.

Honorable Mentions:

- Food carts in the evening: Tidbit Food Cart Pod or Prost

#ThursdayToursPDX is a collaborative series between Portland, OR bloggers {Erin} Bakery Bingo + {Meredith} Martha Chartreuse. In a city filled with amazing restaurants, artisan experiences, and fantastic tastemakers the inside scoop is a must. We will be asking our friends and fellow bloggers for their recommendations and tips for all the City of Roses has to offer.

New Experiences {Q2}

As I've mentioned before, my 2015 Resolution was to do, try, learn or experience something new to me every month. The first quarter of the year was focused on a lot of physical activities. For April, May and June the activities focused on emotional well-being and learning more about photography.

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April

Salt Water Floating

Not where I went floating, but higher quality photos.

In April Erin invited me along to try out Salt Water Floating - a sensory deprivation vessel meant for relaxation and meditation. For 90-minutes I floated around in a blue chamber with twinkly stars in complete silence. I will be completely honest and tell you just how darn hard this was for me. I was alone, awake, without Netflix, music or Instagram and completely nude. For the second half I was incapable of sitting still and actually had a conversation with myself. Riveting stuff! What I learned is that relaxation for me needs to include a book, napping or binging trashy television.

May

A Day of Nothing

Casual times with Athena-Gram

The month of May was extremely busy for me. I had activities at least 6 nights a week. By the end of the month I was at an absolute loss regarding what I should do for my new activity. Finally, I realized the last day of the month was completely free of plans. Instead of scheduling a new activity I decided to try a 'day of nothing' and go with the flow that day. A day without commitments, activities, chores or a to-do list. It was actually really challenging for me. I woke up and had an impromptu lunch, but then struggled with how I would spend the rest of the day. I felt extremely guilty for not being productive enough. Since then I have tried to reduce the number of commitments I make and am allowing for more down time and flexibility.

June

Photography Classes

For Christmas my sisters and brother-in-law gave me a gift certificate to New Space Photography. I was able to take a two classes that helped me learn more about my DSLR and how to shoot in manual. Both Saturday classes, I took more than 10-pages of notes and have been practicing my skills more and more. So, in case you were wondering why the blog became more visually appealing in the last 6-weeks, thank the June activity!!

Any thoughts on what I should do next? Will July be the month I go to a bar by myself without a cell phone??

inPDX {Oyster Apocalypse}

I feel like I should tell you about my love languages. While there are many oysters, champagne and sunshine are pretty much always at the top! Oh, and the show Chopped! If I could be watching (or playing) chopped while eating oysters, drinking champagne and enjoying a cool breeze on a sunny day I would be beyond elated. Well, the Oyster Apocalypse came pretty darn close!

Delicious Argyle Bubbles

With a Chopped style box of mystery ingredients three Portland chef’s barbequed up a feast of oysters at Dan + Louis! The box included butter, lemon, tomato, garlic, shallots, gruyere and cheddar cheeses. The liquid options included Dr. Pepper, Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon and Full Sail Pilsner. Pantry ingredients also included spices, dill, rosemary and tarragon. Please start thinking about what you would whip up!

To start off, Jason Blair from The Fireside went with a refreshing approach; a zingy homemade BBQ sauce and fresh dill and lemon zest.

David Ezelle from RingSide Fish House served up the most unique (and my personal favorite) by making a Dr. Pepper and bourbon glaze. The creaminess of the sauce also indicates lots of delicious butter and cheese.

The Bottle+Kitchen team focused on a punchy and vibrant sauce. While it had a very similar flavor profile to BBQ sauce the consistency was very broth like. Isn’t that Goose Point Oyster gorgeous?!

Judges Jason Staats (Where To Eat Guide), Keoni Wachsmuth (Dan & Louis Oyster Bar) and Ryan Fox (Nomad PDX) had the very tough job of determining the winner: Jason Blair from The Fireside!

It was such a lovely day and I had such a great time chatting with fellow oyster lovers, enjoying the beautiful day and filling up and oysters and bubbles! Possibly the perfect Saturday! I am already looking forward to the next one!

inPDX {Nossa Familia Coffee + Grand Central Bakery}

{Latte + Caramel Latte Dunkers}

A few weeks back I had the great pleasure of attending a coffee and pastry pairing event featuring two local businesses - Nossa Familia and Grand Central Bakery. It was such a beautiful morning filled with great people, yummy food and an abundance of caffeine. Without a doubt, the food and drinks were fantastic, but what really left a lasting impression was the people.

#ThursdayToursPDX {Baby Friendly Spots}

Fair warning, today's installment of #ThursdayToursPDX is by far the cutest yet! Though neither Erin or I are the keepers of small humans we know baby friendly spots are a must for a lot of you! I am so excited to have my dear friend Jane of In the Pink and Green sharing some of her favorite baby friendly spots.

A very fresh Henry!

I met Jane through blogging and she has become one of my closest friends in Portland. From slumber parties where we chat about nail polish and ice cream, to walking around talking about life events and my (always interesting) dating life, we never run out of things to say. She also always has the best recommendations for coffee, pastries and dessert. Just check out her Instagram if you don't believe me. And if you do believe me, still check it out! In December, Jane and her husband welcomed sweet baby Henry! Henry has quickly become one of my favorite humans. We always enjoy a good giggle, long chats (mostly me chatting) and dining out. Jane is such an encouraging person and a prime example of encouraging community and lifting one another up - I am thrilled she is sharing her recommendations today!

Head over to Bakery Bingo to find out where Lindsay of Rosemarried likes to take her darling daughter Margot!