Portland is Delicious Destination of the Year!

According to the Food Network Awards, Portland is the best "rising city with a fast growing food scene". We already knew that Portland has a culinarily diverse foodie community, but thanks, Food Network for giving us National props! Sadly, Tom Potter could not make it to the awards to accept the great honor. I know that the 8 or 9 people who watched this award show are now aware of Portland's possibilities and could increase tourism by, say 8 or 9 people this summer.

Anthony Bourdain, of Kitchen Confidential fame, wrote a hilarious blog entry about the awards.

However strange the awards are (Best Food Combo: Burger and Fries, Best Professional Grade Appliance: Microwave, need I go on?? How exactly do you award a burger and fries for being a burger and fries?), Portland is Delicious!

Meriwether's (2601 NW Vaughn St.)

I read this article today in Willamette Week and so when Kristin mentioned that she wanted to go to Meriwether's for dinner, I was intrigued. I had never eaten at a newly burned (not down) restaurant. "Do you have a reservation?" The host looked a little afraid of our answer. No, we told him. "Okay, okay, let's see - we might be able to put you at the bar, but there is a two hour wait for the patio. It wouldn't normally be this way, but we had a fire the other night and the dining room is completely closed, and we already had, like, a hundred existing reservations." We said the bar would be fine and took a seat.

The bartender was a sprightly young woman, with grapefruit-pink cheeks and a bright smile. She seemed genuinely happy to be there. I asked her if she could suggest some kind of a special non-alcoholic drink. She said in a slightly conspiratorial voice, "How about a basil lemonade?" Wow. I wasn't sure if that would be good or not, but it did sound exotic. Okay. I bought it. Then we ordered asparagus on buttery brioche with hollandaise sauce for an appetizer. Butter + asparagus + hollandaise + bread = heaven.

I ordered the goat cheese ravioli with stinging nettle butter. I really wanted to taste the stinging nettles. Kristin ordered a burger with bleu cheese. In the meantime, our bartender went to work on our basil lemonades. She plucked a few leaves off of a basil stem, added some ice and what I think was sugar water, then some fresh squeezed lemon juice. She pummeled the basil into the ice, shook it and then gave it a little stir. It was a deep lemonade. Solid complementary flavor, something to save to drink with dinner.

We waited about 45 minutes for our dinner, which was a little too long. And when I got mine, the bartender told me to enjoy my chicken liver ravioli, which was not what I ordered. However, at this point, I didn't want to wait another 45 minutes to get stinging nettles. The chicken liver ravioli was sauced in some type of basalmic buttery concoction and buttery basalmic concoctions are always okay with me. It was rich and light and perfect. And liver? No, I wouldn't have ordered liver on purpose, but it was fortuitously lovely. It was a satisfying meal.

We finished up and the bartender gave us our check. "This has been my favorite first day," she said as she took our cards. Her hair was starting to fall out of the little buns she had twisted at the back of her neck and she was a bit flustered, but smiling all the same. Since it was her first day, I can forgive the wrong ravioli. And, the basil lemonades were her treat. Who can be mad at that?

Three Lions Bakery (1323 NW 23rd)

So after the long walk/run on Saturday morning with Portland Fit, we decided to hit Three Lions Bakery for breakfast. I actually wasn't that hungry, but the attractive smell tickled my nose as soon as I got out of the car. The place was filled with people, (NW 23rd on a Saturday morning, of course!) and their display case looked yummy. I ordered an Oatmeal Raisin Scone, because it looked just like the ones my mom used to make when we were kids. It was buttery, crumbly and delicious. Just like the first one I ever tasted.

My friend got a breakfast sandwich on a croissant that looked great, along with some fresh fruit. The service was good, and it's a comfortable place to fill up on carbs after a good workout. Three Lions Bakery has five other locations. You should definitely check them out.

Portland Fit (NW 21st and Raleigh)

Three years in a row I have joined Portland Fit, the Portland Marathon training program. The first year, I made it to the 7 mile mark. The second and third years, I made it to the Helvetia Half-Marathon and walked 13.1 miles. This year, I'm going to try to make it to 15 miles. Portland Fit costs roughly $100 for six months of training, seminars, free massages after the long walks and a free entree at The Old Spaghetti Factory, which frankly they should pay me to eat. It's a pretty good deal, all in all. The best part of the first three years was that on the first week, everyone walked or ran 3 miles and there were assistant coaches all along the route, cheering, clapping and encouraging me all along the way. Just having people cheer you on is well worth the $100.

This year, there were no assistant coaches cheering us on during the first week walk until the very end. That left me a little wanting. But there were really interesting conversations as I walked. A woman talking about getting the gene test for breast cancer and trying to decide if she should get a radical mastectomy and hysterectomy. Someone else discussing their problems at work. Relationship problems. I don't really like to talk to anyone that early on a Saturday morning, but I do like to listen. I keep my iPod loud enough to sing along, but soft enough to still hear people talking. That's the real entertainment.

Portland Fit is for all fitness levels, walkers and runners. There is no looking down on anyone. The coaches are encouraging and enthusiastic. The seminars are helpful and informative. Plus there's just something cool about taking a walk with a few hundred people early on a Saturday morning, across the bridges, on the waterfront, in the rain or sun - It's almost like you have your own real network, just like on those Verizon commercials. "We're almost there!" "Keep up the good work!" "How you feeling?" "Getting enough water?" Participants encourage each other. The runners don't care that there are walkers on the route. Walkers don't care that there are runners on the route. We're all part of the same team.

I am looking forward to the half marathon again this year. It's a super hilly route and everyone is super impressed when I tell them that I walked Helvetia. I don't tell the super-impressed people how many cuss words go through my head as I am forcing my feet to move during the last 2 miles. I'm always near the very end of all the runners and walkers and by the time I cross the finish line, most of the runners and walkers have been resting in the beer garden for a couple of hours and are really enthusiastic about pretty much anything, so I get the loudest cheer of all. Totally worth it.

The motto of Portland Fit is "Change Your Life". I love that. Five years ago, I never would have considered joining or walking a half marathon. But now I love it and want to tackle it each year. The first year, I needed oxygen right after I finished. The second year, I was a little slower but felt much better and didn't need oxygen. This year, I'm going to finish at least one minute faster and train on all the days that I'm supposed to. That's how I'm changing my life this time.

New and Improved

I've just re-hashed the blog a bit, squeezing in some links of what to do and where to eat. What are your favorite things to do in Portland? Favorite places to eat? What restaurant should I review next? Want to come along? Or are you going to let me do the dirty work all by myself?

Peanut Butter and Ellie's (4405 SW Vermont Street)

This here is a shout out to my nephews Joshua and Caleb and my niece Millie. I took Joshua and Caleb to Peanut Butter and Ellie's last year and we had the most scrumptious food. I had a peanut butter and bacon sandwich that was delicious. I think Joshua had something with chocolate and marshmallows! Caleb had fun writing on the chalkboard wall.

It's almost time for Millie to experience PB and Ellie's. Maybe next time they come up to visit me...

Lola's Room at the Crystal Ballroom (1332 W. Burnside)

It's 1:21 am. My toes smell like beer. I met a nice guy named John, with cool smarty glasses and hat. I was entranced by a guy with a Boston headband and sneakers, who looked like the friend in The Wedding Singer, and his friend, the girl in the super short, tight black knit dress who was dancing like Madonna on speed. My legs are tingling and I'm so tired. Good tired. Happy-post-dancing tired.

Lola's Room rocks on Friday night. It's 80's night. I've never been so up close and personal with Wham! and Prince, gazing down on me from the giant video screen, silhouettes of crazy, drunk, 80's-obsessed dancers getting down shadowing them out, only for a moment. You should seriously check this place out.

P.S. Also found out tonight that Ringlers (the restaurant attached to the CB) gets mighty wild on Friday nights with their own DJ. Sarah observed tonight "lots of guys in Abercrombie and Fitch and girls with perfect little curls" filling the place and the server said many of them end up disrobing at some point in the night. Not sure why, but also not sure I want to find out.