Everything is Holy (Especially Portland)
I got my cocktail. Oh yes. A jalapeno-infused blackberry puree, shaken with lime juice and vodka. Green chile salt on the rim. Happy Belated Birthday to me.
My mom and I had a great time in Portland even though she had a horrible cold which she caught from watching my kids last weekend. Sorry Mom. She's a trooper, though, and it hardly slowed us down at all. We will go to great lengths for the love of food.
I'll give you the dining blow-by-blow, but I have to get philosophical on you for a minute. I've had a couple days where everything seems especially poignant, especially real-- homeless folks on Burnside, soft sheets in our hotel room, my Mom's beautiful coat, coming home to my (sweet) husband. Does that ever happen to you? Even cameras can't capture it. I've had the feeling that, indeed, everything is holy. Especially Portland street food.
Street food is BIG in Portland, cropping up everywhere in little Airstreams, shacks, and trailers. Even right downtown, where the property values can't be low, there's a central lot that's devoted to street food instead of parked cars. After dinner we stopped at the corner of 12th and Hawthorne and got a lingonberry and lemon curd crepe--hot, crackly around the edges, folded around itself in a piece of parchment paper. At 11 pm, the place was buzzing--people pulling in on bikes, friends meeting up, even families standing in line for BBQ, tacos, or fries and gravy. Since 9:00 is my normal bedtime, I was cross-eyed with fatigue, but didn't want to be anywhere else. It had a plaza-like feel--an outdoor meeting space where people don't have to buy anything, where the real point is being together. I find that Seattle (and most cities in the States I've been to) sorely lack those sorts of spaces, and it felt great--holy, even--to be there.
Okay. Here's some highlights from our Eat Fest. So much more to try. My Mom thinks we should make this a tradition. Twist my arm.
- Peruvian food for lunch at Andina. Ceviche, a jaw-dropping pisco sour, prawns with crunchy quinoa coating, empanadas.
- Our favorite, dinner at Pok Pok. Inventive, lively Thai street food. When the fish sauce-marinated chicken wings came, I didn't talk to my Mom for 10 minutes. She meekly handed over hers, and I ate the whole plate. My mom said I turned into a cave woman. I can't write about them anymore because I'm giving my keyboard a saliva bath. You think I'm kidding.
- Crepe outside with all the other food-worshippers.
- Flaky, sugar-studded morning roll at Ken's Artisan Bakery. Plus a perfect latte.
- Sandwiches for lunch at Bunks Sandwiches, where we stood in line for an hour to eat at a hot, cramped lunch counter. We groaned the whole time. Pork belly po' boy and slow-roasted pork shoulder with feta, good conversation with the sandwich artists who were totally zen even though the line outside the window was endless.
In short, Portland is a food-obsessed city, and my Mom and I fit right in. Thanks for bringing me into the world, Mom, and for being my biggest fan. I'll start marking the guide book up for next year.
P.S. We're leaving town tomorrow for our last outing of the summer. I thought about doing some phantom posts in the next four days, but then thought again. This blog has to go the way my life goes or it won't be sustainable. So I'll be here next Friday, having missed you, of course.
August 29, 2009
Reader Comments (35)
Sounds like the perfect foodie trip, I'm glad you had such a great time with your mom! My mom and I are meeting in NYC next month for a girl's weekend and I'm already super excited!
Cute picture, Sarah! :)
Happy Belated Birthday. We were in Portland last week. I wish I had read about all these restaurants.
vivid memory: years ago, asking about your trip to italy and the response being a similar play-by-play of the food. oh let me count the ways i love you, smk! i'll be working on a nyc tour...
Oh this post makes me so homesick! Andina is one of my favorites, and I ate at Bunk two days in a row when I was in town in January. Sounds like you guys had a great time!
Gosh I really enjoy reading your blog - glad you and your mom had a good time in Portland - I'll bet the two of you are hard to keep up with.
Your sangria recipe sounds good - That was one of my favorite things to drink at Dos Padres - I don't think you were old enough then tho, huh? I think they put brandy in theirs or something that gives it a little "kick" - Now I may have to go down to the south side and have a glass..and a taco salad - even though my friend Greg gave me the salad dressing recipe (which entirely makes their taco salads, I think) they are never quite the same when you make them at home... Take care and Happy Birthday! T.
What a nice way to spend your birthday weekend. Perfect for you two! So much fun to hear your perspective and see the pics, thanks for sharing!
Happy Belated Birthday! Your birthday cocktail looks amazing!
Love the graphics and pictures. Sounds like a great birthday.
Happy Birthday.
Great pic, great post, great idea getting away if only for a weekend. I heart Portland, how can you not?
When my parents and I went to Portland several years ago, we too stopped for a morning nibble at Ken's Artisan Bakery. We also had crepes, but at Happy Crepe, I believe it was called, instead of the street cart - didn't see that. The other three recommendations sound wonderful as well. I hope to get back some day and will keep those on my list!
Cheers,
*Heather*
Correction: it's called Le Happy, found at 1011 NW 16th Avenue between Lovejoy and Marshall streets :)
*Heather*
mmm, mm. it all sounds good. solo time with your mom in a city that loves food inside and out.
i had strong waves of that everything is holy/everything is real during the month of july, I was just telling Trudy, Rebecca, and Shannon about one yesterday when we were checking out the Whidbey Island Institute (!). I think we may want to journey there for our working towards being annual January Retreat. Have you been there before?
Have a great time on this last summer outing.
Another reason Portland is Holy and loves to gather folks was on NPR/kuow this morning -
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112293295
I love slow, Sunday mornings.
Hi Sarah,
A belated Happy Birthday to you. One of the things I missed when I moved to Bellingham from Portland 23 years ago was the restaurants. There wasn't street food then, but the food in Portland has always been good. It's so funny that you would end up eating at Pok Pok. That is where my Yugoslavian relatives lived when I was growing up next door, in the house on the corner that is now a gift shop. Never could my great aunt, Aunty Mandina have imagined her house turning into a popular eating spot serving Thai food. When I was in Portland last summer, my sister and I tried to eat at Pok Pok, but the wait was too long. Glad you and your mom had a wonderful time in SE Portland, and in the other areas, as well.
Zip
Sarah--sounds like a great time--and right up my alley! Tons of different food and restaurants to try! I knew I wanted to visit Portland!:)
Friday? Next Friday? What the heck am I supposed to read til then? A BOOK? Ew. (that reminds me, I still need to read Pollan before the next book club.)
the pulled pork sandwiches make me drool. sounds like fun. I loved Europe for the same reasons you loved Portland. simply watching people surround food places and live life. also, I don't know if you get this often, but after seeing this picture of you and a picture of your daughter that your dad put up today during his sermon, I think she resembles you.
This is the city I visit most often, being from there and having all my family there, but we hardly go anyplace (especially now with kids) other than my family's homes. That is going to have to change. Thanks for the inspiration to start venturing out and savoring Portland.
fling a cannon g10 over her shoulder,give her a comfortable,clean room to lounge in, good food, a chance to unwind ,no responsibility,an opportunity to call the shots, and you end up with a rag doll.we hadn't been home more than one hour when loretta was whining about something, and Sarah said "now why did I miss her" (and she did!). absence does make the heart grow fonder, and going to portland proves it! thanks sarah, for such a fun trip, so much fun that we decided to make this an annual event. and girls if you want to get a little attention, carry a power shoot cannon g10. it was funny to me the men that opened a conversation with her saying "oh I see you have a cannon g10" It's a good thing she is so happily married, so happily married that she really thought they were interested in her camera.
Hi sister. Sounds super fun. I have got to get to Portland!!! Haven't been there in years...probably since college days with Misha. I wish we had a night street foodish scene like that here (unless I just don't know about it because I am always home at night with kiddos!)...reminds me of so many scenes from trips abroad. All that buzz + life starting up when the sun goes down.
Awww, just look at that happy, contented expression on your face! Sounds like a wonderful time.
Yep, I concur with KitchenWitch - you look really happy & dreamy in that shot... like you're almost on the edge of a food coma :)
Hi Sarah - Happy that your mom was able to make it for the adventure in Portland. Cute shirt by the way.
Nice Nice Nice! Will try to refrain from being insanely jealous and stick with just being happy for you instead. :)