Salt and Chocolate, A Dynamic Duo: Portland OR

Is salt this year’s chocolate? Or, vice-versa?

I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s an either/or situation. And anyway, salt and chocolate are both always in style. And they seem to like to hang out together – not just at The Meadow, but also at Ruby Jewel, the very Portlandy, artisanal ice cream shop (which, by the way, is conveniently located next door to The Meadow on Mississippi Avenue).

All of Ruby Jewel’s flavors are fabulous, and sometimes down-right sophisticated (like the Lemon Cookie and Honey Lavender ice cream sandwich).

Oh but then...there's the Caramel with Salted Dark Chocolate. Wow! This flavor really takes sweet n’ salty to new heights. Hefty chunks of salted caramel are embedded throughout dreamy dark (but not bitter) chocolate ice cream. I highly recommend you enjoy this flavor in a freshly pressed waffle cone (also made on the premises). It’s the perfect crunchy delivery vehicle for this particular flavor. Don’t deny yourself this part of the experience, please!

Plain and simple, Ruby Jewel ice cream is a great dessert.

It’s great for dinner, too, if you catch my drift.

Ruby Jewel Scoop Shop
3713 North Mississippi Avenue,
Portland, OR 97227

The Meadow, A Foodie’s Field of Dreams: Portland OR

I belong to a supper club that gets together about once a month to prepare a meal. The host sets a theme and we all bring a dish. This time the theme was Spain, and because I’m the weakest cook in the bunch, I’m always in search of the perfect easy recipe. In this case, I made prawns with olive oil which called for some fancy-pants salt. Well, this just thrilled me because it gave me a reason to go to one of my all-time favorite stores in Portland, The Meadow.

The Meadow sells chocolate, wine, bitters, and is well-known for its expansive gourmet salt collection. You’ve just got to love a store that in a deep recession dares to sell only small fancy food items – and manages to not only survive – but thrive! But if you think about it … it makes perfect sense. I mean, as far as I’m concerned, these are the essential building blocks of “the good life”.

Beside enjoying the merchandise, you can also visit The Meadow solely for its aesthetics. Located on the ever-increasingly hip Mississippi Avenue, the tiny store feels like someplace you might happen upon while exploring the side streets of Paris. Let’s just say “charming” is an understatement.

Thank God places like The Meadow exist. It’s a foray into a world of luscious items you don’t really need ... but once you enter, you wonder how you ever lived without them.

The Meadow
3731 N. Mississippi Avenue

Portland, OR 97227

A Sunday Drive: Canby OR

Part 1: Dahlia Dalliance
One drizzly Sunday in July (summer had taken a hike) I decided rather than stay home and curse the skies, to take a drive. My semi-aimless trajectory led me to Canby, Oregon where I happened upon Swan Island Dahlias. According to their website, Swan Island Dahlias is the “Nations Leading and Largest Dahlia Grower”. Who knew?

I wandered through the rows where the blooms were just starting to kick in. Very nice, but by far the most entertaining thing were the names of the plants, which included “Hot Cakes”, “She Devil”, – and get this – “Blah Blah Blah”.

I paused to ponder the true meaning behind the Blah Blah Blah dahlia, then scraped together a few bucks, paid honor-system style for a bunch of the big, luscious flowers, and set off.


Sunday Drive Part 2: Magic Ferry Ride
After leaving the dahlia zone, I saw a cute little sign for the Canby Ferry, which I heard about but had never experienced. And people, let me say this: it’s things like this that make Oregon great. I mean, it’s not many places that you can just stumble upon a ferry from the early 20th century (1914 to be exact). Really, it’s a little slice of Americana that you actually can drive onto and ride. I know it’s a real functioning ferry – but it felt more like a big giant toy boat that takes you across a scenic corner of the Willamette. I’ll be taking this ferry again, and next time I’ll bring my parasol for the occasion.

A jaunt to Swan Island Dahlias topped off with a real ferry excursion was a great way to shake off the dreary weather. It’s also the perfect quickie site-seeing excursion for out-of-towners who want to experience something quaint.

Swan Island Dahlias
995 NW 22nd Ave
Canby, OR 97013

Historic Canby Ferry
Holly Street (Eastside) and Mountain Road (West)
Canby, Oregon 97013
503.650.3030 (24 hr recording)

A Little Bit of Luxury: Palos Verdes CA

I’m not really the fancy resort type, which is probably a good thing, because for the most part, I can’t afford them.

Having said that, far be it from me not to partake in a fancy resort when the chance presents itself. And so, during my last trip to the South Bay in LA, I took a tip from my sister (who has a nose for all things luxurious) and headed out to the Terranea Resort on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Of course, this being LA, it's no surprise that this tastefully designed Mediterranean environment (with a vaguely eco-friendly feel) boasts an entertainment pedigree. It sits squarely on prime ocean front real estate that was once Marineland, where the beloved TV show, Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges, was filmed.

The Nelson burger

In fact, Lloyd Bridges’ character, Nelson, is the namesake of one of the lovely restaurants at Terranea, which has stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and tasty food. I went for the burger, which was nicely presented and satisfying.

Besides the restaurant, there are mini hiking paths that meander along the cliffs and the expected glamourous pool, spa and golf course. And let's not forget the golf carts that can take you to and from your valet parked car! (The ultimate “I’m at a real resort” touch in my humble opinion.)

A cliff-hugging path beckons

It’s comforting to know that in these lean times, if you can’t afford a ten-day luxe vacation, you can at least afford a luxe afternoon – all for the price of an upscale burger!

Terranea Resort
100 Terranea Way
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Biker Bar: Portland OR

Wowee! June came and went without a post. (Shame on me!) A hectic month indeed, although I did manage to get out with the gals for a lovely bike ride along Portland’s Marine Drive. This well-known path is a favorite training ride for many. No stops for miles, so you can really stretch out and cruise.

Marine Drive bike path

OK, so nice ride. But for me, as with most rides, it’s also about stopping to refuel. After heading out and back to Blue Lake Park, we stopped at the Sextant Bar and Galley, which one could affectionately refer to as a dive. But what a great dive it is! Mainly because it has this terrific deck with quite the view of the Columbia River. And best of all, it’s fine to clomp in there all sweaty in your biking shoes and gear and no one cares.

Girls on deck

If you want to know about the food, it’s pretty much forgettable pub grub, so not much to say here. Except that one friend wisely requested “real" cheese on her nachos, instead of the kind that squirts out of a pump.

Like I said – it’s about the deck.

Sextant Bar and Galley
4035 NE Marine Dr.
Portland, OR 97211

A Short Stretch – SR 47: Northern Willamette Valley OR

One fine Sunday morning, my dear friend Kathleen (of Good Stuff NW fame) took me for a spin in her snappy red Mini Cooper, and we set out for the nearby Northern Willamette Valley. When folks head out this way, they often hit 99W – a popular highway packed with large commercial wineries. But we decided to take SR 47, the road less traveled, and that made all the difference.

Kathleen and her Mini

And what a charming road it was. Not much traffic, with a gently rolling landscape composed of farms and vineyards, and the occasional picturesque barn. Quite the pleasant Sunday drive – and only about an hour from Portland proper.

Scenic SR 47

Being Sunday morning and all, we weren’t up for too much drinking, but we did check out the Carlton Winemakers Studio where you can sample several different artisan wines by local winemakers. And the space is lovely – open and airy and loft-like with lots of light. Plus, there’s a nice, spacious deck out back. If you plan ahead, you can bring a picnic and hang out all afternoon.

Tasters at the studio

One suggestion: If you do visit and want to do some serious tasting, make sure to bring your own snacks. When we were there, they didn’t have any bread or cheese on hand (which would of been nice, since this is wine tasting, after all). But we roughed, it and managed just fine without palette-cleansing treats.

After a bit of sipping, we hopped into the Mini and buzzed back to Portland lickity-split, and still had plenty of our Sunday left to savor.

Carlton Winemakers Studio
801 N. Scott Street
Carlton, OR 97111

Good Mexican Food, Good Mexican Names: Portland OR

It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and the long-awaited first true Spring day had arrived. EVERYONE was out and about. So, a friend and I took to the joyfully crowded streets in search of food.

We found ourselves in the Hawthorne District, and wandered past Por Que No, a tasty upscale taqueria that prides itself on authentic Mexican food. But on this sunny Saturday, it was way too crowded and the line was out the door. (Better to hit it on a weekday anyway, right before the lunch and dinner rush. The moles are great.)

Popular Por Que No

Although Por Que No was packed to the gills, as fate would have it – in a moment of Isabelle Allende-like magical realism – a humble Mexican food cart appeared across the adjacent parking lot, just in the nick of time.

Newly launched by husband and wife team Nestor and Christine, this food cart is part of a new food cart “pod” located on Southeast Hawthorne at 46th. The food was tasty enough, and easy on the wallet. (We especially enjoyed the eggplant tacos at $1.50 a pop.)

Open for business

Aside from the cheap eats, the most interesting thing about this place was the name, which Nestor tells me was his wife’s idea. Apparently, it’s quite provocative by Mexican history standards.

Depending on who you ask, La Malinche, an indigenous woman that was a mistress of Cortes, is either a heroine in the same league as Sacagawea, or a complete traitor and a harlot. It’s a fascinating piece of Mexican lore, and worth a Wikipedia visit if you care to learn more.

Por Que No
4635 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97215

La Malinche
SE Hawthorne at 46th Avenue
Portland, OR 97215