The Press Club, a Great Hang: Portland OR

It’s true that all who wander are not lost, but in my case, they’re probably hungry. Which is why it’s so great to wander around Portland, because the chance of stumbling upon some charming place with tasty, affordable food is pretty darn high.

Take last Sunday afternoon – I was in Southeast Portland and came across The Press Club, a bar café complete with a menu loaded with sweet and savory crepes named after famous authors, plus a wall of cool magazines. I enjoyed a Raymond Carver salmon and spinach crepe, along with some sparkling water, while perusing the Sunday New York Times. It was a good 90 minutes, and I could have easily stayed longer.

Overall, this place is a really nice combination of cozy, contemporary and continental. It's remindful of cafés in Europe, and almost made me feel like writing “wish you were here” postcards to friends.

The Press Club
2621 SE Clinton St
Portland, OR 97202

Vino Local: Portland OR

I guess I’m on a bit of a wine kick. (Truth be told, I’m always on a bit of a wine kick, and thankfully, so are most of my friends.) So on Fridays after work, we find it fun to pop into tastings around town.

Bruce, with trusty assistant Kate, prepares pours

One of my favorite places to taste is at Vino, owned by Bruce Bauer
(brother of local food writer/blogger Kathleen Bauer of Good Stuff NW). For many years, Vino was in Sellwood, but then Bruce relocated to that groovy little pocket near SE 28th and Burnside (also home to Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Crema, and the Grill Cheese Grill, just to name a few).

Besides the location, I like Vino's tastings because they’re festive. They often feel like a good party that you didn’t have to throw, not to mention clean up afterwards. Plus, Bruce has kind of a democratic approach to wine, and organizes things in a way that many can enjoy. Tastings are $10 for the first five wines. You also have the option to pay a bit more for “bonus pours” of the higher-end stuff. He supplies quality bread to nibble, and doesn't mind if you bring your own spread to nosh.

As much as I like the Friday festivities, I also like visiting Vino on Saturday afternoons, which tend to be more low-key. You can still taste, and you can also chat with Bruce, who will go deeper with you on what you’re drinking.

And although patio season is a ways off, I do want to mention Bruce’s outdoor area, which is a mighty fine place to sip wine on a warm Friday afternoon.

Vino
137 SE 28th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214

A Christmas Moment at Food Front: Portland OR

I hate to admit it, but due to some brutal work deadlines that fall right around Christmas every year, combined with the usual stresses of the season, I head into December with a deep sense of foreboding. Instead of mistletoe hanging over my head – there’s a dark cloud of anxiety and dread.

But every year, it never fails that when I need it most, I have what I fondly refer to as my “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!” moment. That’s when something genuinely non-commercial and authentic slices through my bah-humbuggery, like a sharp knife through a Honey Baked Ham, and I feel the yuletide glow.

This year, a co-worker (who was slaving away on the same deadline as me) suggested I take a break and check out the employee-made gingerbread houses on display at the Food Front grocery store near our office. As a card-carrying member of the Food Front co-op, I felt it was my duty to go see them, and indeed, it was worth the visit. Each department had built their own little house, and each was cute as a button and had it’s own personality.

And seeing them lined up in a neat little row on that dry, sunny, December afternoon brought a much-needed smile to my face. Once again, my “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!” moment had arrived.

Food Front

2375 NW Thurman St. 

Portland, Oregon 97210

Limo-ing to Wine Country: Newberg OR

God bless my friend Peggy. She’s a planner, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have much of a social life if not for her. Recently she hustled a small group of us to take a limo to wine country. I know what you’re thinking ... limos ... bachelorette parties ... prom night ...

Our limo driver standing by

Yes, you’re right. Limos are cheesy. But they’re kind of fun in a cheesy sort of way, and they sure beat mini vans. In fact, being inside one felt more like being on a plane. You know, you’re not in control of your mode of transportation, and your supposed to be comfortable, but you’re really not. (Which, by the way, is no reflection on our driver). And anyway, we were attempting to be “responsible adults” by not drinking and driving.

So, off we limo-ed. To add to the cheese factor, one of the gang brought along their Hall and Oates Greatest Hits CD to play on the way. Now I really was going to the prom.

Just so you know, I’m not even going to attempt to review the wines. (Would you really trust someone’s taste in wine that was singing along with a Hall and Oates CD?)

Our first stop was Carlton Cellars, which has lovely grounds and some tasty, affordable wines. Lots of Pinot Noir as you would expect. I’m not a huge Pinot fan (I know – I’m living in the wrong state) but it was fun to try them.

Penner-Ash tasting room

Then we hit Penner-Ash, Adelshiem and Bergstrom, in that order. Penner-Ash has a casual-yet-chic contemporary tasting room with lots of light, which made for a pleasing experience.

As for Adelshiem, I found it a tad overpriced, starting with the $15 tasting and the $78 Pinots. But then again, we were the riff-raff in the limo belting out 70s pop tunes, so maybe it just wasn’t a good fit.

Bergstrom - the view

Bergstrom was a group favorite. It was a pretty setting, and the wine seemed within reach. The staff was friendly, too, and even helped us play with a wine aroma chart. We all tried really hard to identify underlying scents like “wet leaves” and “diesel”, with varying degrees of success.

After four wineries, our wino – uh – I mean limo time was running low, so we headed back to Portland. We all agreed that despite the cheese factor, it did feel good to slump down in a limousine like bratty rock stars and leave the driving to someone else.

Carlton Cellars
30 West Monroe Street
Carlton, Oregon 97111
carltoncellars.com

Penner-Ash
15771 NE Ribbon Ridge Road
Newberg, OR 97132
pennerash.com

Adelsheim
16800 NE Calkins Ln
Newberg, OR 97132
adelsheim.com

Bergstrom Wines
18215 NE Calkins Lane
Newberg, OR 97132
bergstromwines.com

Interstate Limo
interstatelimo.com

Kindle Kart: Portland OR

When you work in the same neighborhood for over ten years, you tend to get very excited when a new place to eat appears on the scene. This happened about a week ago. During my all-too-familiar lunch walk to fetch some predictable grub, I spied a food cart near Montgomery Park, and felt compelled to check it out.

As it turns out, this wasn’t any old food cart. It was the Kindle Kart, which serves “wood-fired street fare” including a variety of designer pizzas, plus burgers, brisket and pomme frites.

Wow! Talk about a great way to beat the workday lunch blues. I immediately ordered a pizza topped with blue cheese, caramelized onion and enough roasted garlic to keep the vampires at bay. It was a toasty and savory midweek treat to be sure. And on that fine fall day, I even got to enjoy it outside.

Kindle Kart
NW 26th & Vaughn,
next to Montgomery Park
kindlekart.com

Hot Salsa: Portland OR

Gee whiz – I think I’m on a bit of a Latin kick. I just find so many aspects of the culture appealing. (Probably because I’m such a Gringa.) Food, drink … and now dance. That’s how last Friday I found myself stepping into Paradise Studio for a beginner’s Salsa lesson.

At this entry level lesson, we were instructed on the basics of Rueda de Casino, a style of Salsa that originated in Cuba. To start, our teacher Tom, had us form a circle of alternating men and women, and face our partner.

He then coached us on how to execute the foundation step of the dance, called Guapea (Left-Right-Left-Pause-Right-Left-Right-Pause). It is fairly easy – and important – to get Guapea down, since it is the step onto which all other moves are added.

Once you master this basic step, the music kicks in and new moves are introduced, which “the caller” (in this case our teacher) announced at quick intervals. These moves can be rhythmic like “un fly” which calls for a single clap, or playfully flirty like hip-bumps, or even the occasional air-kiss. For sake of comparison, I found this style of Salsa to be almost a Latin version of square dancing – where the dancers keep moving and partners keep switching.

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, and wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But I am happy to report that if you're single, and are a bit squeamish about anything that smacks of being a “singles” activity – this does not. The emphasis is on learning the dance, meeting new people, and having fun. Of course, there are social opportunities (wink-wink, nudge-nudge) but not in an uncomfortable or overbearing way. Another great thing is that you can show up alone. This time I went with a friend, but have no qualms about going solo next time.

And yes, there will be a next time.

Paradise Dance Studio
826 SE Belmont St
Portland, OR 97214

Tea Time at Pike Place: Seattle WA

I love my hairdresser.

And not just for his masterful cut and color – but for his spot-on travel trips. His name is Marciano, and he’s a very sophisticated fellow, originally from Paraguay. (Prior to doing hair, he worked for the United Nations.)

During a recent visit to his home, I admired a painting his partner had done. He explained it depicted a package of Yerba Mate tea from Paraguay. Coincidently, my Seattle-based friend had just introduced me to Yerba Mate. I must say … I found it to be somewhat “experiential”, if you know what I mean. Sort of like the mescal of the tea family.

I shared my findings with Marciano, and he agreed. (And he’s been drinking it all his life!) He also told me if I was interested in authentic Yerba Mate, that I needed to check out El Mercado Latino located in Pike Place Market. It is here you can find Pajarito, the brand with the bird, direct from Paraguay.

So a couple of weeks ago when I was up in Seattle, my Yerba Mate-drinking buddy and I ambled around Pike Place Market and finally found El Mercado Latino. We were both impressed at the selection of Yerba Mate from all over South America. Plus, the store was stocked with loads of other good things including a variety of hot sauces, vibrant dried chiles and exotic candies.

Feeling generous, I treated my friend to a small package of Pajarito. (Apparently it's less expensive than what she’s been was buying, so she was happy to find a new source.) After sampling the brew when we returned home, she agreed that it had quite the kick.

Once again, my hairdresser had steered me right. This time to the little bird that packs a punch.

El Mercado Latino
1514 Pike Place (at Post Alley)
Seattle, WA 98101