Portland
On our first morning in Portland we wanted a relatively quick breakfast, so we opted for bagels at Bagel Land. I got the simple lox on an everything bagel – very reasonable at $7. Eric had the Porklander, with eggs, bacon and pepperjack cheese on a sesame bagel.
Oh, and an absolutely enormous chocolate chip cookie. The bagel shop isn’t an eat-in situation so we took our food to the nearby Beverly Cleary garden in Grant Park and found a picnic table.
We also had a night in Portland a week later. Our first stop was Oakshire Beer Hall for their happy hour pizza special and varied beer list. I tried the Overcast Espresso Stout (nitro) and the Blueberry Vanilla Ice Cream from Theme that tasted like a Naked Juice Blue Machine smoothie. Eric had the Sun Made Super Fruit peach mango and the Fruit Farm Peach. We each got a pizza: mine was goat cheese and basil and Eric got pineapple. It was a lovely place to spend an hour+. Our only regret is that all the outdoor tables were already taken when we got there!
We also returned to the Les Clos wine bar, a short drive down the street from Oakshire, and we managed to snag a close parking spot. Thankfully we had made a reservation because several groups were turned away in the 30 minutes or so after we sat down. The outdoors/upstairs started to empty out a bit at 8pm so it seems to be an early place to hang out during the week. We swore to try the grilled cheeses the next time as they looked tasty. Eric got the “Winesman’s Pick” white (a surprise wine pour for $12) and I got a sangiovese from the Island of Elba. His turned out to be a Portuguese vino verdhe – nice acidity and an enjoyable white.
Willamette Valley
During our three nights in the valley we visited Red Hill Market twice. On our first trip we got the last parking spot in the lot (lucky!) and enjoyed our dinner under the covered patio area about 30 minutes before they closed. I got the cheeseburger (which I think by weight had more pickles than beef – but it was good) and a Rogue brown ale on draft. Eric had the open-face meatball sandwich and a cherry lime cider.
On our last night we decided to head over to Barn Door Brewing to try them out. Alas, they were closed for the entire weekend (!) due to insufficient staff. Bummer. So, we went back to Red Hill Market and split a pizza and sour beer while trying to avoid roaming children playing in the rain.
On this trip we made a point to bring our friends to Wolves and People, as we enjoyed their beers on a previous trip. I got a full pour of the Two Barns Belgian dark with figs and Eric had half pours each of the Rulander (pinot gris sour) and the Pesca (peach sour) – all were excellent. I really like that their half pour prices are exactly half so you can try a few things without feeling like you are paying a premium for less beer. Also, we lucked out and got to enjoy the Adirondack chairs near a firepit.
After enjoying our beers we had an early dinner at our favorite restaurant in the area – Rosemario Osteria. Once again, it did not disappoint. Although they weren’t serving the gnocchi menu we still made off well with a bread basket for the table, a wild boar pasta and the Bolognese. Our friend’s dish came loaded with cheese (unlisted on the menu), and they happily refired it for him in a butter sauce instead, and in short order too. Sandie and I paired our meals with a Chianti Classico reserva bottle that was a great accompaniment.
Finally, at Brooks Wine we ordered food in addition to our wine tastings. Eric and I split a cheese plate and James said the kimchi hotdog was amazing. We sat outside on the covered patio and the heaters added a nice extra layer of coziness given the cool, rainy conditions. The views were a bit obstructed by the mist but it was still a gorgeous settings and one of our favorite views in the valley.