We took a trip to Portland this past long weekend to hang with the inlaws. Portland is a complicated place and I’d hesitate to get into all that, but we had an awfully good time visiting. We stayed in the Nob Hill area, which is maybe the fanciest and least-weird of the areas?
I didn’t really intend our trip to be culinarily excellent, but that’s how it turned out!
Wednesday
Arrived in the late afternoon.
Dinner at Fireside. Just a lovely place. I had a French Dip sandwich, brussel sprouts, and a soft pretzel. That all sounds a bit mundane perhaps, but all three were spectacularly done.
Desert a few doors down at Salt & Straw. I had an apple sherbert, which was excellent.
Thursday
Breakfast at Elephants Delicatessen. I had a simple Bacon & Egg sandwich on an English muffin, enhanced by a really nice Cholula-based spread. This place is weird and complicated but I like it.
We all went to Hopscotch which is just a can’t-miss but hard to describe super cool place to experience. I even heard the food is kinda good there, but we didn’t eat there.
Instead, we ended up at Kizuki Raman, which apparently was just opening up in Portland. I had the Spicy Miso Raman and a few wings and they did a great job. Very satisfying on a cool evening.
Friday
We drove out to Astoria, a really wonderful coastal city. Goonies city. We went to Fort George brewery, a destination for me as I’ve been on a real City of Dreams kick. Tried and liked a number of beers, including a fresh-hopped version of City of Dreams which is basically my dream.
We pretty much spent the whole day here. It was also a long 2 hour drive there and 2 hours back.
Dinner was at a S.E.A Crab House place and it only had sea food. Not much of a sea food guy for the most part so I had some onion rings. Whatever I’m happy to go places like this since we live so far inland it’s gotta be nice for a sea food lover to get proper fresh stuff when they can.
Saturday
Breakfast at Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels. I had a salt bagel with scallion cream cheese and loved it. Although I feel like most bagels are pretty good? I don’t get the idea that only certain cities make great bagels. I’ve had them. They are fine.
We took a cruise on the Portland Spirit over lunch (but didn’t eat on the boat). It was kinda neat. Made a little extra special because it was directly over the Portland SUP Witches Paddle Boarding Event. (Why wouldn’t they call it “Witches on the Willamette”?).
Afteward we drove up to NE because I wanted to drive by my old pad at 15th and Killingworth and see how it was doing. Alberta Street looks like 15% fancier than when I lived there but mostly the same. The old house looked exactly the same. We went to Kennedy School for lunch. I think McMenamins locations are like 10/10 for cool ambiance and like 3/10 for food. I just had a little salad because I already knew that.
What I wanted to do was order Fire on the Mountain wings for the Wisconsin vs. Ohio State game that evening, but apparently, they don’t deliver and I didn’t feel like driving to get them. I’m still pleased they have opened a Bend location! Instead I ordered pizza from PIZZA KAT and it took forever but was very good.
The family walked over to Salt & Straw while I was watching the game, which I mention because I was proud of Ruby! They had a flavor called Don Bugito’s Creepy Crawly Critters which has literal bugs in it and Ruby was grossed out by it when we went the first time but the second time actually tried it. Nice! Apparently, it was just like “crunchy tea”.
Sunday
This was partially a special birthday trip for Ruby, so Sunday morning was special breakfast time. I woke up early to go charge the Tesla at the closest charging station in Beaverton, then swing by Blue Star donuts to pick up a half dozen and coffee. They say they are “Donuts for Grownups” but anyone who like sweets would love them I think. Maybe the best I’ve had?
We went to the zoo in the afternoon, another real highlight of Portland, then ended up back at Elephants Delicatessen for lunch as we were pretty hungry and wanted quick as we were trying to get on the road back home.
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