A Thousand Things I Want To Say to You

Last night was our last night in Portland and we spent it with our good friends, Nadine and Eric

at one of our favorite Portland hangout spots, Palace of Industry.  Located just a few blocks from Nadine and Eric's house, Palace of Industry is a wacky mix of a vintage store and a bar

and a restaurant. 

There is a DJ on Friday nights, the furniture is comfy (although these two look pretty uncomfortable - like they're on an awkward first date)

and there are lots of fun things to look at.

Jack and I have sure enjoyed spending time with our friends here and it's reminded us (as if we need reminding) of our wonderful friends and family across the country.  Like the sign on the wall says,

just not good-bye.  We wish that we could take all of you with us on our journey.   Don't forget that there is an air mattress with your name on it wherever we are.  (Pretty tempting, huh?  How can you resist such an offer?) We miss all of you and hope to see you sometime soon.  Next stop - San Francisco!

Portland a Shopping Mecca?

 

I haven't enjoyed shopping in the past few years.  Make that the past few decades.  Maybe it was all of those Back to School clothes shopping trips with my daughters that ended up with all of us bickering and somebody crying.  Usually me.  Like many girls, I grew up loving to browse through stores to check out the new clothes each season and, if I was lucky, maybe buy something.  My sister and I would meet up with our group of friends and walk downtown on a Saturday afternoon to work our way from one end of Chicago Street to the other.  Sears, Penney's, Klines, Printer's Ink, Fehrenbacher's and the ultimate in 1970's teen cool, Al Baskin.  Hours and hours of time spent browsing the day away and hoping to run into cool guys. 



Since I've been an adult, shopping has just been an annoying chore to get through.  If I have money to spend, it seems like I can't find anything I want to buy and if I'm not in a position to purchase (like now, with no home to furnish and no room to store more clothes or knickknacks in our car) I seem to find lots of things that strike my fancy. 

 

Portland is a browsers paradise and I've really begun to enjoy shopping again since I've been here.   Although the Portland Saturday Market is full of vendors and shoppers and gets a lot of positive press I haven't been that impressed the two times I've visited the Market.

 

My favorite places are the quirky little shops and second hand stores scattered in different neighborhoods throughout Portland. The Mississippi Arts District and the Sellwood District have become two of my favorite areas to explore.  I love to browse for vintage clothes and collectibles and these neighborhoods in particular seem to have my kind of stores.  (No, I did NOT buy the Troll Dolls but aren't they cute?  They are selling for almost $10 a piece!)

 

We've had guests the past two week-ends and it's been fun to take our visitors  to some of my favorite shopping spots, especially when they love to shop like our daughter Emily and her fiance' Grant.

 

I get a kick out of the way the small shops curate their displays (the wackier the better as far as I'm concerned)

 

mixing together old and new things.  My favorite store so far is Flutter, where 1950's prom dresses

 

 

mix with unusual odds and ends and the changing room is a crazy silk tent.

 





 

The STARS Antique Mall in the Sellwood neighborhood is another favorite spot.  It has so many items that they need two large buildings to house everything.  The aisles are wide, the antiques are clean and somehow they have avoided that musty smell that antique stores often have. 

 

 

My heart beat just a little faster the first time I walked through the door.  Our friend Nadine found an amazing Pendleton jacket there (very Katherine Hepburn) and Jack found a great Black Watch Pendleton shirt.  All I can say is thank goodness I broke my vintage jewelry addiction several years ago. It could have been very, very bad.  (One GOOD thing about menopause, I guess.  I can't stand to wear necklaces and bracelets they are just too hot!) 

 

There are so many great things about Portland: the food, the beauty of the city, the wonderfully preserved housing stock, it's proximity to some amazing natural wonders like Multnomah Falls and the Pacific Ocean, the wealth of microbreweries and wineries, I never thought that I would be writing about shopping.  All I can say is - visit Portland.  And maybe bring a slightly empty bag on the airplane.  You may need it 

 

 

 

 





Jack's New Orleans Style Birthday Celebration

There is probably no city in the United States more associated with celebration than New Orleans.  O.K., maybe Las Vegas.  I've never been to Las Vegas so I can't compare the two cities.  All I know is that during our stay in New Orleans it seemed that there was a festival, a party or a parade going on all of the time.  New Orleans is the city that Jack has liked the best during our cross country tour.  He would move there in a heartbeat if I would agree to it.  For me, Las Vegas is a nice place to visit but not a place that I would choose to live.  Too hot and buggy.  Since Jack loves New Orleans so much, I wanted to find a restaurant here in Portland with Creole/Cajun food for Jack's birthday celebration yesterday.  Luckily, I found the perfect spot only a few blocks away from where we are staying.

 Acadia is located on a residential street in a block of buildings that includes a wine bar, an Irish Pub and a coffee shop.  It is close enough to our apartment that we could have ridden our bikes there although we took our car last night. 

The decor is reminiscent of New Orleans and features Jazz Fest posters and Outsider art, which we both like.  The purple and gold color scheme reminded us of the purple and gold drapes in the living room of our former home in Joliet.  (I loved those drapes.  They were worth every penny of the exorbitant price we paid for them.)  

The fleur de lis on the seat covers, light fixtures, and even the bill took us right back to our time in New Orleans.  

It turns out that I made a great restaurant pick.  (Thank you, Yelp)  Everything that we ordered was delicious and the service was excellent.  Jack and I started out by sharing the Barbeque Shrimp appetizer.  It wasn't a typical barbeque but more like a spicy gravy with Worcester Sauce, butter, and pepper.  It was great for dripping our bread.  If I had had a spoon I probably would have eaten the sauce like a soup.  It was really good.  

For our main course, Jack had the Pasta Jambalaya

and I had the Goat Cheese Gnocchi with roasted chilies, toasted hazelnuts and corn.  

Both dishes had the kind of heat that seems to be typical in Cajun food but they weren't so spicy that all you could taste was HOT. The portion sizes were just right because we were saving room for dessert.  After all, what's a birthday celebration without dessert?

Take a look at the amazing bread pudding that Jack ordered! 

When I saw his dessert I almost wished that I had chosen the bread pudding but after one taste of my own banana cream pie with salted caramel sauce I knew that I had made a good choice for my own dessert.

This did not stop me from drinking the leftover vanilla sauce from Jack's dessert.  (I'm breaking my own rule and posting an unflattering picture of myself.)

Bad manners, I know, but after two glasses of Pinot Noir it seemed like such a good idea! 

Even though no one said, "Who Dat?" or threw beads, I think that Jack really enjoyed his New Orleans style birthday celebration.  It seems as if he's aging backwards rather than getting older. The kids always tease Jack that there is a Dorian Gray-type portrait hidden somewhere that ages while he looks younger and younger.  Whatever the secret is I'm just glad that Jack was born 59 years ago and that we are spending our lives together.  He is such a great guy.  I always tell Jack that he is my gift from God. 

Voodoo Doughnuts - Keeping Portland Weird

One of the tourist "must visit" spots in Portland is Voodoo Doughnuts.  Apparently the owner/owners have a wacky sense of humor (or they just know what works in their city) and they've created a whimsical selection of doughnuts that are as tasty as they are unusual.  Voodoo Doughnuts adds ingredients like peanut butter, Captain Crunch, Tang, banana chunks and bacon to their recipes.  Check out the selection using this link to their website Voodoo Doughnuts


In an effort to combat my Catholic guilt over consuming large quantities of greasy deliciousness, Jack and I decided to ride our bikes over to the doughnut shop.  Even though it ruins my hair and is certainly not my most flattering look, I always wear my bike helmet.  I'm not used to riding a bike in traffic and can be a little shaky sometimes so the bike helmet is a good option for me. 

Luckily, Portland is set up to facilitate bike commuting with wide bike lanes on many streets.  Drivers are aware of bike riders and appear to be very cautious and courteous of both walkers and riders here.

After locking our bikes up in front of the doughnut shop, Jack and I walked in to a barrage of color, smells and sounds. The shop features a big juke box and a picture of Kenny Rogers on black velvet.  It was only after placing our order and taking our tray to sit outside that we realized we had come in the wrong door, completely jumping the line that was out the door on the other side!  No one said anything about it, it's pretty laid back here.  

There were so many options to choose from, Jack and I were pretty overwhelmed.  The names were as colorful as the choices.  Should we pick the Maple Blazer Blunt?  The Old Dirty Bastard with chocolate frosting, Oreo's and peanut butter? The chocolate cake doughnut with butterfingers on top? The Tangfastic or maybe the Cock-N-Balls that has "Bite Me" written on it (really)? Maybe the Gay Bar with white frosting topped with Fruit Loops in all the colors of the rainbow? 

We finally settled on a Voodoo Doll each (raised yeast filled with raspberry jelly and a pretzel stake that can be placed in a variety of spots depending on how you want to "hex" someone), a Diablos Rex doughnut for me (chocolate cake, a vanilla pentagram, red sprinkles and chocolate chips), and a Maple Bar for Jack.  I felt a little sick after eating all of that sugar but I know that I'll be back! 

Home Base: Portland

Jack, Coco and I arrived in Portland, Oregon, last week and we like it here a lot.  Of course, we arrived in the middle of summer when the sun is shining and the plants are blooming which helps.  It's hard to believe that we're all the way out here (it seems so far to me for some reason) on the West Coast after starting our journey on the East Coast last November.  The three of us have really covered a LOT of ground!

Neither Jack nor I have ever been to the Northwest before and we think that it's a beautiful place.  While I haven't been all over Portland yet, the city itself seems very green with lots of trees and flowers.  It appears to be less about having the the large open lawn and more about the plants and trees. The hydrangea bush in the picture below is on the patio of our apartment building along with lots of potted plants that hummingbirds really like.

Jack, Coco and l like sitting outside watching the birds and enjoying the cool evening weather.  No mosquitos!  It is surprisingly quiet here considering that we are three blocks away from a major retail hub with shops, a mall and a grocery store.  Walkability is one of the things that really appeals to us as we plan our visits or think about a place to live long term and we are in a wonderful location for walking here.  Last week, Jack and I were able to walk to Blossoming Lotus, a great vegan restaurant, for dinner.  It's located next to a coffee shop, across from a Mexican restaurant and down the street from a wine shop and lots of other retail (including the ever present nail salon and cell phone store, of course).  It's the best of both worlds for me; a cross between the good parts of living in the suburbs and the good parts of living in a big city.  I think that I would enjoy city living but a two month stay in New York City showed me that I'm not ready to give up my car!

We have had some disappointing rentals during our cross-country trek but we love the apartment that we've rented here in Portland. Our unit is on the first floor of what is called a streetcar-style apartment building that was built in 1923.  It's located in the Irvington neighborhood of Portland which is full of Craftsman bungalows, Queen Anne style homes and Victorian homes on tree-lined streets.  It's a neighborhood where people live, not a tourist area. The wood-burning fireplace, hardwood floors and tons of windows give the apartment a welcoming feeling.



 

The apartment feels modern and bright even though the building is almost 90 years old.  I've always wanted a sunroom and for the next few months we'll have one here.  It's a great place to drink my coffee in the morning while I watch the commuters ride their bikes to work.  It's a worthwhile exchange for having no dishwasher, I think.  At least for a little while.

Jack and I have learned how little space and how few things we need to make a home feel like home and we think that we could be very happy in a place like this apartment long term.  I do miss my own things, though. 



We are glad to be here on the "Left Coast" for the next few months and we're looking forward to exploring the area.  Jack and I bought a couple of second- hand bikes and plan to get out and about on two wheels as much as possible, although Portland seems to be a very drivable city.  It's a great place to call home - for now!







Things We Love About New Orleans

New Orleans Likes: Food, Music, the "Vibe",Feel of History, Smell of Flowers  Everywhere, Friendliness (to humans and dogs), Weather,
Outdoor Lifestyle, Walkability, Festivals, Drew Brees

New Orleans Dislikes: Mosquitos, Heat, Broken and Bumpy Sidewalks and Streets, No Recycling

Jack and I have been in New Orleans now for almost a month and it has taken me that long to start feeling settled in.  Jack seems to feel right at home here and has said more than once that he could see living here.  He loves the heat and humidity (and it's only April!) and of course, the great food and music. 
While I like it here in New Orleans, I don't get the feeling of "home".  We really enjoy the Garden District neighborhood where our rental house is located so it's not that.  Our current home is one half of a double shotgun style house with high ceilings and hardwood floors.  It's certainly not a fancy place but it's clean and safe.  We laugh and say that it's like your dream first apartment after college - close to retail, lots of bars and restaurants, public transportation and Walgreen's.

Jack and I really enjoy the four block walk to yoga class at Shanti Yoga Shala and then stopping at Martin's wine store to pick up a bottle or two of wine on the way home.  You cannot beat their selection and prices! On another day, we might stop at Mahoney's to sit outside and split a veggie poorboy and some amazing onion ring straws washed down with an Abita beer.  While we hiked when we lived in Illinois, we rarely walked to anyplace like a restaurant or store and we are both really enjoying the walkability of New Orleans.  It's also fun to take the trolley that runs between Uptown and Downtown. The wooden seats, no air conditioning and the open windows give the trolley that old time feel that is one of the things we enjoy in New Orleans.

Last Friday, we walked down to Perlis Clothing so that Jack could get some new work clothes (shorts).  Perlis is an old time department store that sells Men's, Women's and Children's clothing.  Unlike in many stores today, every sales person seemed glad to see us and talked to us.  Pleasantly.  They made eye contact.  The owner came over and told me about living behind the store when he was a boy, Jack's salesperson told him about her grandchildren and her recipe for stuffed peppers, and I learned all about the young shoe salesperson who taught himself English at school after his parents immigrated to New Orleans from Korea, earned a scholarship to Tulane and is now headed for medical school.  Such a different way of interacting here.   

 

We love the beautiful homes here in the Garden District and Uptown and, as always, we wonder what these people do for a living?  Some of the homes are amazing, and while you know that they have to be less expensive than a similar home in a city like New York or Chicago they still must cost a great deal. 

Last week, while I was out walking Coco in the neighborhood, I came upon the film crew preparing to shoot scenes for Quentin Tarantino's new movie, Django Unchained.  A neighbor of the home the studio had rented for the shoot told me that it was a Tarantino film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman, and Sacha Baron Cohen so I Googled the film name when I got back home.  Unfortunately, no celebrities were spotted that day.  

Jack and I feel very lucky to be able to spend some time in this beautiful city.  We've walked and driven through almost all of the neighborhoods and have found a lot to like.  In the next several weeks, we have both the French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest to look forward to along with trips to the Rock and Bowl for Zydeco Music and trips to Mandina's and Mother's for local food.  I'll keep you posted!

   

Charleston Restaurant Review

If you've been reading our blog regularly, you know that Jack and I have spent a lot of time trying out different restaurants in Charleston.  I can honestly say that I did not have a bad meal during our visit.  While it is all fresh in my mind, I'd like to share our recommendations with you. 

About two years ago, I saw the movie Food, Inc. about America's corporate controlled food industry and it changed my life and the way I think about food.  Not that my body is a temple or anything but, after learning about the way animals are treated on corporate farms, I just don't have a taste for meat any longer.  With that being said, before coming to Charleston, I was worrried about finding a lot of restaurant options because low-country cooking is so meat-centric.  What the heck is pork belly anyway?  Luckily for me, Charleston chefs are also very much a part of the farm to table movement and there are lots of delicious vegetables and grains to choose from at most restaurants although you might have to ask the server for some help with that.  I do eat fish which gives me some more options.  While Jack eats mostly vegetables and fish for his main course, he still eats meat on occasion and enjoyed sampling some traditional Southern foods during our visit. 



Jack and I agree that the best meal that we had in Charleston was lunch at a restaurant called Husk.  We were able to sit outside (in February) on the second story balcony which added to the experience.  The coffee they serve at Husk is specially produced for the restaurant in Haiti where the soil is similar to South Carolina soil in the 1800's.  It was strong and delicious.  We loved the shrimp and grits and that the cornbread came to the table in a little cast iron skillet.  We could see why Husk was named, "Best New Restaurant of the Year" by Bon Appetite magazine.  The service was great, too.

The executive chef at Husk is also the chef at another local restaurant, McCrady's.  Jack and I enjoyed the 4 course tasting menu at McCrady's thanks to a gift certificate from our daughter Emily and her boyfriend Grant.  The restaurant features southern cooking with a modern flair and the sauces and food accents to each dish were what made them stand out.  Simple dishes prepared in a new way. (At least to me.) We had a rutabaga soup as a starter that was out of this world! The service at McCrady's was attentive but not pushy and we loved the ambiance of the rooms with lots of dark wood and local art work on the brick walls.

The restaurant is down an alley and has large windows that were the doors to a stable in the building during George Washington's time.  Legend has it that he would eat in the meeting room upstairs and that a cannon would be fired each time a toast was made in his honor so that all of the Charleston citizens could drink with him.  Hard to believe that a building that old is still standing.  If you plan on visiting Charleston and would like to visit either of these restaurants try and make reservations prior to your arrival.  Due to a recent write up in the New Yorker and other national publications, Husk and McCrady's are a hot ticket in town!

In addition to eating at some of Charleston's "must see" restaurants like Poogan's Porch and SNOB, Jack and I tried to search out some great places off the beaten path where the locals go to eat (like Merichka's in Joliet).  We found several spots just by talking to people that we came across while we were walking Coco, who is a terrific Good Will Ambassador for us since everyone wants to stop and talk about her. 

Trattoria Lucca was suggested to us by a number of different people who each mentioned the restaurant's take on Italian food.  It is definitely not Olive Garden; while pasta, handmade fresh daily, is served with each dish, it seems to be a component of the meal rather than the centerpiece.  We liked the fact that the restaurant is hidden away in a residential neighborhood in a tiny, old store front.  It's so small that there is no waiting area and you need to walk down the block to their bar, Enoteca which is also in an old store front.  The hostess calls Enoteca when your table is ready and you can bring your drink back down to the restaurant with you.  It's quirky and fun.



Our favorite restaurants seemed to be the casual, relatively inexpensive ones with a great, fun vibe that just so happened to be located within walking distance of our rental house.  It goes without saying that their food was good too!

Five Loaves restaurant started out as a soup and sandwich lunch place that later expanded to serving dinner.  It's another small space in a residential area within walking distance of downtown but not on the tourist strip.  It's close to the College of Charleston and can get crowded.  They don't take reservations so the earlier you get there the better.  I will say that we never waited more than 15 minutes and they let you order your drink and take it outside while you wait for a table.  On Wednesday and Saturday nights they offer 1/2 price bottles of wine which is a nice thing if you're a wine drinker like me. 



Fuel is a cross between a diner and a Caribbean bar that is located in an old gas station. It has a great outdoor bar that allows dogs.  Jack liked the Jerked Chicken sandwich and I loved the Shrimp Tacos.  They had good music on the sound system the two times we were there and when the weather is nice they open the garage bay doors in front and back.  Recently featured on Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins, Fuel is a lot of fun.



There are so many more wonderful Charleston restaurants that I could go on and on. Check out Barsa for if you like tapas and visit Grocery for great local food served in three different portion sizes; Tastes, Small Plates, and Entrees.  This offered a great way for the two of us to try lots of different things and everything we sampled was first rate.  Make sure to leave room for the Churros which is their signature dessert.  The crispy, donut-like sticks are served with a trio of sauces; Salted Caramel, Dark Chocolate with a hint of Orange, and White Chocolate.  Heavenly.  I don't eat meat but I do love dessert!

While we are on the subject of dessert I do want to make sure to mention two bakeries that we really enjoyed visiting during our stay.  Sugar is located on Cannon Street down the block from Five Loaves restaurant.  They supply the desserts for both Five Loaves and Fuel along with other local restaurants.  We enjoyed our cupcakes sitting outside in their tiny courtyard with a glass of sun tea.  Jack had peanut butter cupcakes with a strawberry jam filling and I had a caramel cupcake.  Coco enjoyed bits of a gingerbread bone.  









Wild Flour Bakery is located on Spring Street and on Sunday mornings they sell giant sticky buns with pecans and equally giant cinnamon rolls. Yum! Well worth the walk or drive over, they sell out of those items quickly so either get there early or plan on waiting until the next batch comes out of the oven. 

Charleston has so much to offer; history, shopping, quick access to the beach, great restaurants, beautiful homes.  It is very walkable.  Both Jack and I could really see living there.  At least in the Winter when the weather is good.  I'm not sure how I'd like the heat and humidity of August.  We both wholeheartedly recommend Charleston as a wonderful place to spend a few days, a few weeks or longer.