|
 |
March 2nd, 2007
This week we present the “Look Tasty, Eat Tasty” issue, because each Friday’s Portland Picks should be your respite from the daily grind, and we just found some delish new spots. Reading Portland Picks should lead to a weekend of happy pleasures to help you forget the trials and tribulations of everyday life, and the often saddening, seemingly insurmountable world-wide issues that we spend so much time considering. We’re not blasé about the state of the World, it’s just that we need a break sometimes. Don’t you? So consider Portland Picks your vacation spot—right in your email inbox. We’re not here to be message-y or preachy or do anything but make you happy—in the most generous way we know how—by featuring local, small businesses and encouraging you to support them. After all, Portland is heaven for “the little guy.” (Heck, we’re the little guy!) We just want to share the love…and the sandwiches. |
||
Portland Picks: |
|||
| 1 | See You at the Bar Whatever happened to the neighborhood “local”? The place people walk to from their homes to grab a pint and a good meal when they’re sick of their own four walls and have dirtied all the dishes? Why does it exist only in other countries? Where’s our local? Well, they might be on to something at Tiga. It’s cozy enough to be a slinky little date spot, yet friendly enough to be your neighborhood bar, and comf enough to return to again and again. Plus they just added a menu, so you can come for dinner and/or a drink. We happily tucked into a Squash & Goat Cheese Tart, White Bean Stew, and a Ham & Swiss Panini (with a mildly dressed but peppery salad). Oh, and they make their own ice cream and caramel sauce! Every few days they bring in a DJ to spin all kinds of music. They’ve even been known to have a live string quartet. And when we say all kinds, we mean it…this Wednesday DJ Valkyrie is spinning “Deep Classical Cuts.” Tiga |
|
|
| 2 | Make New Friends, but Keep the Old One of our friends just sent us the most delish invite…to be an extra in a party scene in an indie film! We were soooo excited, because A) this kind of stuff doesn’t happen to us, and B) we were so flattered she considered us “hip” enough to not only be seen with in public, but preserved on film! And as we were searching our closet one night for something super-hip to wear, we decided on the spot that we’d trek over to Seaplane to find something awesome enough to make us stand out in the crowd. Literally. Our milieu is new boutiques, but sometimes we go back and revisit our first loves…like Seaplane. Founded in October of 2000 by house designers Kathryn Towers and Holly Stalder, Seaplane has become a national media darling, and for good reason. They’re an incredible resource for independent design. And oh, how we love their designs! With fashion-favorites like Adam Arnold, Precious, and Linea, not only will we knock them dead in the crowd scene, but we might attract a crowd of our own! Seaplane |
||
| 3 | When The Acorn Becomes… We’ve noticed a rather unusual trend of late—everything seems to be getting smaller (except, of course, for us…but that’s another story). McMansions are downsizing into lofts, iPods go “mini” and “nano” and if cell phones seem to be getting bigger, well, that’s only because you’re not thinking of them as tiny versions of laptop computers. So the time certainly is right for a teensy “microdeli” like The Acorn, a new venture from the owners of downtown’s Half & Half. Fortunately, small in size can still equal big in taste. Sandwiches combine flavors like we’ve never seen before—beets and pesto, pears and onion marmalade, pork and jalapenos—that make lunch worth savoring. Top that off with jumbo pickles, homemade pies, scrumptious soups and bargain prices and The Acorn will soon become your favorite place to break from shopping in the Pearl. One thing to note: don’t go expecting to see the same menu over and over again. This can be hard when you have a craving, but wonderful for expanding your food horizons. See, great things really do come in small packages! The Acorn |
|
|
| 4 | Trust Your Instincts It was prime bar time on Friday night and our lackluster week left us wanting something new…something fun…something unexpected. We checked our “places to try” list and Trust Lounge was at the top. We hadn’t heard a peep about it, which only fed our curiosity. We headed knee-deep into The Pearl, and after circling the block, we spotted it: A giant stretch limousine. Something told us that it was parked right outside our intended cocktail location—and sure enough, it was. “That’s some curb appeal!” our date said. The intimate iinterior of the bar almost made us feel like we were inside a limo. It was dark, chic and sparkled like shiny tinted windows reflecting the city’s lights. We quickly found a cushy corner, and studied the cocktail menu (very nice, and very creative). We decided to go with a house specialty, the “Pomegranate Fizz” (Grey Goose Vodka, pomegranate juice and soda bubbles). We sucked down the ruby beverage and thought, “Ya know, there’s just something fun about going out to a new spot.” Trust Lounge |
||
| 5 | Make Friends with Your Stylist We are firm believers in the saying "diamonds are a girl's best friend," but we also have our own saying: "Hair stylists are a girl's best friend." Diamonds may be beautiful, but hairstyles can make or break you, a la Britney, and have you seen the new Michelle Williams pixie cut? Too cute! With that said, we have found our new best friend: John, the owner of SE Salon, hair stylist, and a Portland native. (And did we mention that he’s gorgeous? Shhh…don’t tell him we said so.) Built from scratch (by John), the privately owned salon is located in where else but SE Portland. It's meticulously clean, personal, and overlooks his backyard where clients are welcome to hang out. And the best part—he's funny, outgoing, and smart—everything we would want in a friend. We heart our new best friend, and although we want to be a little selfish and keep him all to ourselves, we'll share. Because, that's what friends are for, right? SE Salon |
||
| 6 | Classic Rock Usually when we walk into a restaurant, and it’s quiet, we’re worried. But it was dark, we were hungry, and Albina Green was there. So we bellied on up to the full bar, flipped open the menus (made from old LP covers), and placed our orders from Albina’s vaguely rockstar-themed menu. There are some places that you want to keep quiet. Albina Green’s not one of them. Our hubby called his pulled pork sandwich the best he’d had in Portland—not just the best pulled pork, but the best sandwich, hands down. And our “Sir Paul” veggie burger was juicy and cheesy and totally awesome—good and messy like a real burger. Even the coleslaw, usually just an afterthought, tasted of sharp, lively honey mustard. If they put this much detail in their dang coleslaw, think what else they can do! And let’s not forget their weekend brunch. Priced incredibly gently (no dish over $7) and generously portioned, we’ve found our weekend hangout for sure. Especially because we’ll have just been there the previous night; bands play there biweekly. We’re already saving seats! Albina Green |
|
|
| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Stockings Full of Joy We've still got a month before we hit our big 3-0, but planning has already begun. We're even a little excited about not feeling so darned young anymore. Weird, no? So when we heard about the "birthday sock," we knew we had to have one for this momentous occasion. It’s just like a Christmas stocking—a place where friends and family can prove their love by stuffing it full of more little presents than we probably deserve. |
 thebirthdaysock.com |
|
| 2 | Create Your Story We can’t find time to make sense of family photos, much less do anything cute and keepsake-y with them. Without professional help, years of memories are mixed up and stored in shoeboxes. Hooray for Heritage Makers, and independent consultant Laurel Winkel’s online services. Her expertise in “storybooking” turns your photos into hard-bound books of heirloom quality. Forget photo “captions,” she helps you tell the whole story. Plus they’re reasonably priced and come in different sizes. (Great ideas for Mother’s/Father’s Day, btw!) www.memorymakeronline.com |
 memorymakeronline.com |
|
| 3 | Birds of Portland Though we love all things vintage, we've always shied away from old books. Not because we don't like to read (we do!), but because they're often too fragile for our clumsy fingers. Fortunately, artist Jennifer Doheny of Urban Bird Designs is infinitely more coordinated than we are. She takes pages from these same tomes and gives them colorful new life as art for her greeting cards, incorporating every medium from wax to colored pencil in the process. The results? Delicate and timeless, just like the originals themselves. Available at New Seasons, Powell’s, and a variety of independent retailers. |
 urbanbirddesigns.com |
|
| 4 | No More Boozy Faux-Pas! |
 clingythingylabels.com |
|
| 5 | Bad Hair Day? So now it’s not just the ho-hum ponytail but a Pucci-esque retro inspired headband, or a tasteful black-and-white silk band, or her pink one that looks like a scarf, a la Ali MacGraw. Ooh la la! |
 amyschwabdesigns.com |
|
| 6 | In the Spirits |
 indiospirits.com |
|
| Event of the week: | |||
| The Charmed Engagement
What: The Charmed Engagement |
|||
Hip Happenings: |
|||
| 1 | Imelda’s and Louie’s 13th Anniversary Sale Clean out those closets and make room under your bed! One of our favorite shoe stores is having a sale. Happy Anniversary to Imelda’s and Louie’s, and thanks for 13 years of chic, hip, happening, fabulous shoes! Get 10%-70% off everything in the store, including all shoes, jewelry and accessories. What: Imelda’s and Louie’s 13th Anniversary Sale |
 imeldasandlouies.com |
|
| 2 | “Two Celebrate” Celebrates Artists Two Celebrate is hosting three events, March 2, 3 & 4, to showcase different artists. The first is the Siw & Adam show, makers of fine Norwegian jewelry in silver, brass, copper steel and compositions with semi-precious stones in contemporary designs. Ask for details about the next two shows! What: Siw & Adam Norwegian jewelry show |
 twocelebrate.com |
|
| 3 | Shoefly’s Huge Winter Warehouse Sale Attention all shoe addicts! Shoefly is transferring all sale shoes to the Pearl District location. All men and women’s sale shoes are now 70% off the original price! Get incredible deals not only on winter shoes and boots, but comfort kicks and more! What: Shoefly’s Huge Winter Warehouse Sale |
 shoefly.com |
|
| 4 | Boutiques Unleashed! Experience fashion for both ends of the leash! Boutiques Unleashed, a benefit for DoveLewis’ Pet Loss Support System, showcases the latest in couture for you and your pooch. Dogs and models will strut their stuff down the runway. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and hosted beer and wine, and participate in the Unleashed Auction! What: Boutiques Unleashed |
 dovelewis.org |
|
| 5 | Shimmer and Shine You’re invited to the annual fundraising event for BecomeX, a Portland nonprofit that provides life-changing career & personal-development skills to young women. Enjoy cocktails by Indio Spirits, hors d’oeuvres by Food in Bloom, wine from Anne Amie and live music. Plus a Personal Style, Fashion and Talent Show by BecomeX graduates. What: Shimmer and Shine |
 becomex.org |
|
| 6 | Oregon Culinary Institute News! To celebrate the opening of their dining room, the Oregon Culinary Institute will host an evening of food, fun and fundraising on March 22 to benefit Medical Teams International. Plus, they now have dinner service at their fine-dining restaurant with a four-course, prix-fixe dinner at 7 pm, Monday-Thursday. What: OCI Dinner to Benefit Medical Teams International |
 oregon culinary institute.com |
|
| 7 | Win Free Passes to “Premonition” “Premonition,” a suspense thriller, stars Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon and centers around a premonition of her husband dying in a car crash. Tell us about your premonition that came true, and you could win passes to the special preview March 13 at the Lloyd Center Cinemas! What: Advance screening of “Premonition” |
 sonypictures.com |
|
| 8 |
|
||
| 9 |
|
||
| 10 | Shop for Women Global Sistergoods is donating 10% of all website sales during the month of March to Mercy Corps' Darfur fund. It's in honor of International Women's Day, which is March 8, but our question is: Why only one day? Visit their website for more info, and shop all month to support women worldwide! www.globalsistergoods.com |
 globalsistergoods.com |
|
Have you seen something new or noteworthy in your neighborhood? Drop us a line and let us know. We love to hear from you! |
|||
Log onto www.portlandpicks.com and check out past newsletters (archives). If you like what you see, forward to a friend and encourage them to log onto www.portlandpicks.com and become a free subscriber. If you would like to subscribe or contribute, please email us at Contribute@PortlandPicks.com
Website and Newsletter maintained by Studio Ridge.com |
|||
