A Hobbit Walk in the 'Hood: Portland OR

By now, the vibrant red, yellow and gold leaves of October have pretty much blown off the trees and are bunched up against the curb (or floating around in puddles). The transition into the austere part of the year is in full swing.

However, if you keep your peepers peeled there’s still lots of unexpected beauty – not exactly in plain sight – but just outside the frame as they say. It’s often hidden under piles of wet leaves, broken branches and hearty shrubs.

And the great thing about Portland is, that despite the new construction explosion, you can still tap into the “hobbit vibe” that's pervasive throughout the Pacific Northwest. The unexpected woodsy, mossy, moody moments that surround us…hidden between skinny houses that sprouted overnight, or condo complexes that were once empty lots.

You just have to look a little harder.

A Different Kind of Mocha: Portland OR

Yeah, yeah…I know what you're thinking. Another aerial photo of a cute coffee drink. But you know what? This one is different. This is a Soviet Mocha from Jim and Patty’s, the beloved coffee and pastry shop located in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. What makes it Soviet is that underneath all that whipped cream is a mocha infused with a dollop of sour cream. Delicious!

So just give yourself permission to forego that anemic skinny latte made with 1% (blecch!) and go for it.

Sometimes happiness is elusive, but sometimes it’s as easy as getting a really amazing specialty coffee drink.

Jim and Patty's

Portland, Oregon

Near Beer: Portland OR

Boy, talk about not having to venture out too far for a good time. On this particular rainy afternoon, my friend and neighbor Amy and I wandered up to our 'hood – Beaumont Village – and found ourselves in Bottles, a recently-opened bar that specializes in all kinds of craft beer on tap, and of course, in bottles. (Duh!)

Friend Amy hanging at Bottles

After bellying up to the bar, we were warmly greeted by one of the owners, Brant Kunze. While pouring Amy a tasty IPA and me a crisp Pilsner, he shared a bit of the Bottles story. Here’s the short version:

Brant and two of his buddies wanted to open a “nice” bar that served quality beer. The place would cater to not only bohemian hipsters, and not only the sports bar crowd, but to regular neighborhood folks (just like us!) So, they pooled their savings, ditched their apartments, moved into Brandt’s basement, and proceeded to do a year of “research”, which consisted of hitting almost every brew pub and bar in town. They studied the clientele and scoped out potential locations, taking copious notes and sampling copious amounts of beer along the way.

Bottles owner Brant Kunze

Out of their determined efforts, Bottles was born.

We were so taken by this success story that we just HAD to sample the food. We decided to go for it and order the “rib pile” (oink!) served with a side and some chips. And before I forget, did I mention the grill and the smoker out front? It's fired up Tuesday through Sunday, and produces pulled pork, grilled wings, as well as the smoked ribs. (Get um’ while they last. The grub runs out around 8:00 PM.)

The smokin' smoker and grill

Two plates of ribs and two pints each later, we realized we had killed most of the afternoon at Bottles. Is there a better way to spend a rain-soaked Sunday? I think not.

We’ll be back.

Bottles
5015 NE Fremont
Portland, OR 97213