Tornado Tuesday: Dallas TX

This week’s winner of the Venture Out Award goes to my sister, Lisa, who attended a trade show in Dallas last Tuesday. She went there to beat the bushes for new business for Beehive, a marketing agency she runs with her husband, Greg. To say that a typical business trip ballooned into something else is an understatement. As it turns out, this was not just another day walking the show floor. I knew that when Lisa gave me a mid-day ring at work. The conversation went like this:

Laurie: “What’s up?”

Lisa: “I’m on the bottom floor of the Dallas Convention Center with about 40,000 people. They made us come down here. We’re surrounded by tornadoes”.

Laurie: “Uh… whoa… what?”

Lisa: “Oh, wait – they’re giving us instructions …they’re telling us to get away from the windows. I gotta go.”

CLICK.

Trying my best to suppress visions of Hurricane Katrina and the Superdome, I logged onto weather.com and, indeed, the Dallas/Ft. Worth area was blanketed with little red dots. Each one represented a storm cell, and all together they looked like an angry army of red ants marching towards Dallas. The map was accompanied by a "DANGEROUS WEATHER WARNING" that said “LIFE THREATENING SITUATION, SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY”.

Uh …OK.

Later, once I knew everything turned out all right, I shot her an email. Being her bratty younger sister, I couldn’t help but ask if she saw Dorothy or Toto. (And, by the way, where the hell was Glenda the Good Witch of the North when you needed her?)

Here’s her email reply, an eyewitness report from the depths of the Dallas Convention Center:
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It’s very interesting to see 40,000 people herded down escalators. They were WAY serious about having us get away from the front windows and into the bowels of the hallways where the private meeting rooms are.

I didn’t see Toto - but I did see everyone watching the weather channel on their phones, and the convention center was a dot in the middle of the screen. And there was one storm cell right to the East maybe a couple of miles, and also to the West, which is where the storms come from as they move Northeast. There was – no lie – about a hundred miles of red storm cells… and at that point I knew we were pretty much on the path of something.

And then they had the weather channel on a big screen TV, where it showed 18 wheelers being tossed around and I thought "no big deal" ...UNTIL they showed a long shot of one of the twisters, from probably 2 miles away… and it was friggin' HUGE........not one of those half mile wide jobs, but the next step down.

Anyway… I think i'll facebook this. : D
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Beehive
beehiveagency.com
310-548-1516

Dallas Convention Center
dallasconventioncenter.com

Blown Away: Lincoln City OR

On a recent trip to Salishan Resort, my friend and I went into nearby Lincoln City where we wandered into the Jennifer Sears Glass Art Studio.

It's an interesting place where you can blow your own glass objects, including simpler pieces like floats and paperweights, and more elaborate items like sea creatures and bowls. It looked like fun, but at $65 for a float (the entry-level piece) we decided to observe rather than participate.

There was more glass action across the street at Volta Gallery, where the artists in residence from the Jennifer Sears studio sell their creations. I was most intrigued by a glass hammerhead shark, which was in striking contrast to the cuter, more colorful pieces in the gallery. I thought it was just plain cool – although I'm not sure I'd want it staring at me at home. It did, however, give a whole new meaning to the term "glassy-eyed."

Jennifer Sears Glass Art Studio
4821 SW HWY 101
Lincoln City, OR 97367
jennifersearsglassart.com

Volta Gallery
4830 SE Highway 101
Lincoln City, OR 97367
541-996-7600

Get Your Groupon: Salishan Resort, Gleneden Beach OR

Remember when “impulse buy” meant you actually had to walk into a store? Now, thanks to sites like Groupon, enticing retail-therapy offers get dumped into your email box daily. Call me a sucker, but an e-coupon for a $129 one-night stay at Salishan popped up and I bit. The next day I had a vague sense of buyers remorse, as I thought, “Hmmm … Salishan – isn’t that some kind of corporate retreat/spa/golf kind of place?” But too late. I had clicked.

So, in late February, a friend and I headed out to the Land of Salishan, coupon in hand. Not really knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised that the resort was not nearly as slick as I anticipated. It's more like where Mid-Century-Modern meets macramé. There’s the discreet '60s entrance, and room décor dominated by '70s earth tones. As described on their website, Salishan is “entirely unique from today’s minimalist urban design.” I’ll say!

Since it was the off-season, and a wet and windy winter storm raged, no nature walks to the beach this time. We did, however, partake of the dry sauna and the pool.

Another highlight was dinner in The Attic bar. Not so much the food (which was mediocre at best) but the entertainment. That evening, the Beth Willis Rock Duo performed and they fit right into the Salishan groove. They covered classic rock hits from the '60s to the '90s, and their playlist felt dated in the same comfortable way as the resort. I confess – it was fun to bob my head along to familiar tunes from back in the day. Plus, that Beth can really belt it!

Now, is Salishan the hippest place to stay on the Oregon Coast? Probably not. (And I’m not sure where that place is – and it’s probably not available through Groupon.) But in the end, I did come to appreciate it, mainly because the original owners seemed on the forefront of the “eco lodge” movement. (And for 1965, that was pretty far ahead of its time.)

Plus, this '60s/'70s throwback resort does manage to reflect the quirky, low-key, natural beauty of the Oregon Coast.

Salishan Spa & Golf Resort‎
U.S. 101
Gleneden Beach, OR 97388
salishan.com‎

Donut Destination: Sandy OR

Silly me. When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest, I used to blow right through Sandy on my way up to Mt. Hood. That is until one trip my ski buddy asked, “Do you mind if we stop at Joe’s Donuts?” I could tell by her polite-yet-firm tone that this was a rhetorical question, and that stopping at Joe’s was definitely on the agenda.

Since that day, it’s rare that I drive through Sandy without hitting this scruffy red-and-white checkerboard shop. On winter weekend mornings, there’s often a line of skiers and snowboarders out the door. However, the line moves quickly, and you can be back on your way in about 15 minutes.

Ok, so what is it about these goodies that make people hell-bent on hitting the slopes actually pull over? I’m not quite sure, but I’ll offer this: Joe’s Donuts has taken straightforward favorites like maple bars, old-fashioneds, and apple fritters to the next level. Their versions of these classics do seem lighter and more flavorful. Even the icing is tastier. All this adds up to a superior donut-eating experience. The folks at Joe's sum it up best on their website, where they refer to themselves as a “nationally acclaimed donut paradise.”

Funny, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to put the word “donut” and “paradise” in the same sentence. But in this case, it seems to work.

Joe's Donuts
39230 Pioneer Blvd
Sandy, OR 97055
(503) 668-7215

For the People - City State Diner: Portland OR

During the winter, venturing out often means venturing in ...to warm, inviting places that serve food. Don’t get me wrong — I like a good snow cave as much as the next person. But when the chill is on, it’s tough to beat a cozy local place with character where you can get a bite to eat.

So last Saturday morning, after dropping the car off at Les Schwab on Sandy Boulevard for some tire maintenance, I went in search of food. Lucky for me, I came upon City State Diner on NE 28th and was immediately taken by its clever indie name, it’s cool retro vibe and its no-nonsense breakfast menu. The staff was a collection of Portland hipsters — but friendly, service-oriented hipsters that actually acted like they cared.

In true diner fashion, I stuck to the basics and ordered a scrambled egg, a pancake and a cup of decaf. Besides being tasty, it was a pretty good deal — the bill came to a whopping $5.25.

And yet another reason to visit ...



City State Diner
126 NE 28th Ave.
Portland, OR 97232

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