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The Herb Shoppe

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We all use herbs in our daily lives, but do you ever stop and think I wonder what all these herbs could really do? The Herb Shoppe has taken NW native herbs and created natural medicines and remedies. It’s the top priority in this shop to unite the community by educating locals about the wonders of natural medicine.

Once you’ve entered The Herb Shoppe, you might think to yourself, Oh my goodness where do I start? No need to get overwhelmed! The staff here is extremely knowledgeable and excited to help you along your herb journey. They offer bulk herbs for personal use or in-house custom creations. If that wasn’t enough to get you excited, they offer a full blending bar for you to make your own custom tinctures, essential oil blends, teas, salts, lotions and so much more! One of my favorite discoveries was the bath bomb section. Who doesn’t love soaking in the tub after a long days work?

The Herb Shoppe does indeed believe there is great importance to natural medicines. If you’re looking for herbs to be a part of your day to day life, we would strongly suggest sitting down for a consultation. You can request a consultation Here. They will start by going over your health history. Then help you come up with a plan for your overall health goal. This doesn’t need to be intimidating, It should be fun and exciting. While we were there we found out that they have teas for things like morning sickness, hangovers, a better night rest, and so many other amazing things. They also offer kits for detox, wellness, sensual desires, and allergies.

Do you think you are ready to explore what our local herbs can do for you? Check out their website Here for more information on what all they have to offer. If you’re not ready to jump into the world of herbs quite yet, check out some of our other hot spots Here

Portland’s Best Donuts 2.0

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Portland is known for so many exciting things. One of those things is donuts. Usually the first question I get when someone asks where I am from is, “Have you been  to “blank” donut shop?” Honestly I have been to many Portland donuts shops and not all of them live up to the hype they have been given. About a year ago we searched Portland for our favorite donuts at that time, but as we all know so much changes in a year! This week we decided to set out to find where Portland’s great donuts are now. In no particular order here are our Portland’s best donuts 2.0.

Doe Donuts

4110 NE Sandy Blvd Portland, OR 97232
Monday – Thursday 8am – 4pm Friday – Saturday 7am – 8pm

Our favorites: Salted Vanilla bean, Muddy Buddy (seasonal)
Menu Here

NOLA Doughnuts

110 NW 10th Ave Portland, OR 97209
Thursday – Sunday 8am – 3pm
They also offer laminated doughnuts. Think half croissant half donut!

Our favorites: Lemon poppyseed, Mini beignets
Menu Here

Coco Donuts

Several Portland locations
709 SW 17th Ave Portland, OR 97205
Monday – Saturday 7am – 2pm

Our favorites: Lavender raised, Mochi blueberry crumb
Menu Here

Delicious Donuts

12 SE Grand Ave Portland, OR 97214
Mon – Sat 5am – 1pm
You can customize your own with 24 Hrs notice

Our Favorites: Chocolate peanut, Cinnamon roll
Menu Here

Annie’s Donuts

3449 NE 72nd Ave, Portland, OR, 97213
Tue – Thurs 7am – 1pm & 6pm – 10pm,  Fri 5am – 1pm & 6pm – 10pm Sat – Sun 7am – 1pm

Our favorites: Cream cheese flips, Raspberry fritter

Pips Original Doughnuts

4759 NE Fremont St, Portland OR 97213
Thurs – Mon 8am – 2pm
They give our free donuts on your birthday

Our favorites: Candied bacon maple, cinnamon sugar

Donuts don’t have to be only a guilty pleasure. Start one of your mornings off right this week and grab a donut or 12. As you may have noticed, there is a wide variety of flavors out there to try. Some of these shops even offer savory donuts. If you didn’t see your favorite shop on our Portland’s Best Donuts 2.0 list please leave it down in the comments and we will try to check them out. We also have other great Hot Spots Here

John’s Marketplace

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Portland is full of breweries that serve up great beers and ciders, but sometimes those beers are hard to find. John’s Marketplace provides you with a one stop shop to beer, wine, cider, and so much more. This market has made quite the mark on Portland! We figured we were overdue for a visit at their new location.

Inside the market

John’s Marketplace doesn’t only carry local beers galore, they have beer from all around the world. The first time I walked into John’s I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Would it be just a few selections? Or would it be the same o’l stuff you find at the supermarket? Nope! There is Isle after Isle of variety. We even found frozen wine popsicles! The store is set up so that patrons can either shop for items to take home or they can have a staff member to open them to drink on site. If you don’t want to peruse the bottle selection, they have 17 taps that range from Lagers, sours, stouts, and ciders. And there is always a friendly bartender there to give out a taste if you’re not quite sure what you’re in the mood for. Take a look at the current tap list Here. If you find something on draft that they don’t offer on the shelves, they can put it in a crowler for you to take home.

Outside the market

The brains behind John’s Marketplace really thought of everything. If you’re enjoying your beer on site, you’re probably in the mood for a snack or two. John’s does offer some snacks inside if you just want a small bite but if you’re ready for more of a meal you can find; Noah Halal, Azul Taqueria, Holy Trinity BBQ, Matt & Memere, and Jojo right on site. You’ll find plenty of seating either on the back patio, or out front next to the food carts. John’s has prepped for all types of weather, so it’s the perfect hangout spot all year round.

Have you been to John’s Marketplace yet? Let us know in the comments what your favorite beer to grab from the market is. If you need some help finding other Portland Hot spot check out some of our other favorites Here

Güero

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We have loved this place for quite awhile and it is high time we share it with everyone! Hopefully you have already been to try this awesome restaurant, but if not, here is why we love it! Güero started as a food cart and after their massively popularity, moved into its brick and mortar location. They landed on Ne 28th which has become a more and more popular destination for food and snacks. They have been making fabulous tortas and margaritas since they opened in 2017.

Guero

All of the food is phenomenal, but they are of course best known for the tortas. My personal favorite is the Ahogada, a carnitas torta with jalapeño slaw covered in achiote tomato sauce. I always gravitate towards saucy things on the menu and this one really wowed. If you aren’t in the mood for a sandwich, you can also try one of their fabulous bowls. No matter what you order, I can guarantee you will enjoy it.

Güero also has a fabulous margarita, you can order one with Mezcal or tequila, and have them on the heated patio, or to go! They are simple yet perfectly tart and dangerously drinkable. If you want something lower in alcohol, they make a great horchata and aqua de jamaica.

Güero has done a great job of making things cozy for people wanting to dine in, the patio area is well covered and has several heaters going to keep you warm. We went out on a brisk 40* degree and were quite comfortable with our food. If you have tried this restaurant we would love to hear your thoughts! If not, be sure to go check it out soon! You can head over to their website to see the full menu and hours HERE.

Portland’s Best Florists

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Valentine’s Day is coming up! I love this holiday because it gives me an extra reason to celebrate my loved ones. I try and start each day with a thankful heart. And my heart is exploding with love for this amazing community, and all our local vendors. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not a good florist is always a nice thing to have. Sometimes it is nice just to surprise someone with flowers. Especially these days! This week we searched the city to find some of Portland’s best florists. In no particular order, here are a couple that we loved!

Solabee Flowers and Botanicals

801 N Killingsworth St, Portland OR 97217
Open Monday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Pickup or delivery available
Website Here

Botanica Floral Design

3318 Ne Wasco St, Portland OR 97232
Open Monday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm
Saturday 9 am – 4 pm
Pickup available
Website Here

Old Town Florist

old town florist

404 NW 10th Ave LL1, Portland OR 97209
Open Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm
Pickup or delivery available
Website Here

Sellwood Flower Company

8215 SE 13th Ave suite A, Portland OR 97202
Open Monday – Saturday 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Pickup or delivery available
Website Here

Goose Hollow Flowers

1219 SW 19th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
Open Monday – Friday 9 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday 10 am – 2 pm
Pickup and delivery available
Website Here

Starflower

3564 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Open 7 days a week 11 am – 6 pm
Pickup or delivery available
Website Here

Are you ready to pick out your perfect bouquet yet? If flowers aren’t quite what you’re looking for we have a lot of other suggestions around town for you. Just go Here and you might find that something special that you’ve been looking for. If you have any favorite places that we missed please leave us a comment and we will try to add them to our list.

Hammer & Stitch Brewing

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This week we ventured to Slab Town to check out one of Portland newest breweries. Hammer and Stitch opened October 10th with 5 standard beers. The brewery has since added 4 more creations to their collection. The goal of this brewery is to keep it simple, and just make good quality beer. The name Hammer and Stitch is an homage to makers of all sorts, but specifically the late mother and father of some of the partners behind the company. Their mother was an apparel designer and seamstress and their father was an architect and builder. This pairing is what makes up the logo for the brewery.

  • The Front
  • The Deck

The team behind the beer is one of the things that makes this brewery so special. Ben Dobler, who has been making beer in Portland for the past 27 years, brought his skills and expertise to Hammer and Stitch. He isn’t alone in the brew house however. Head Brewer Cam Murphy has been working with beer for several years. These two have worked at many breweries on their way to Hammer and Stitch, those include at places like Widmer, Mt. Tabor Brewing, Laurelwood Brewing and Von Ebert.

  • The Tap House
  • The Brew House

The beers here are all easy drinking and don’t weight you down like so many other beers can. We couldn’t try everything on tap, but we certainly tried. The IPA is hop-forward with piney aromas balanced by citrus notes. The Lager is crisp, clean, and just slightly hoppy in the finish. The Amber has a little bit of everything in it, caramel and chocolate malt flavors with woody floral aromas. The Porter is warm and toasty with chocolate malts but is still incredibly smooth and light in the finish. The Cozy is a Russian Imperial Stout that has bold coffee and chocolate aromas which hit your senses immediately, but it finishes with hoppy, woody, and floral notes. If you’re looking for a fruity finish the Berry Cozy is the same Russian Imperial Stout but they added raspberry puree to it.

Are you feeling thirst for a beer yet? you can get more information about the brewery and their beers Here. If you didn’t quite find what you were looking for you can check out some of our other Hot spot Here

Kann

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This week we are featuring a truly unique hot spot experience with Kann Winter Kitchen. This winter, American Express and Resy teamed up with some amazing chefs around the nation to create pop-up restaurants located in yurt clusters. Luckily, we got one in Portland and the chosen chef was none other than Gregory Gourdet, who created a memorable and transporting menu of traditional and creative takes on Haitian cuisine.

The Yurts

Kann Winter Village is the perfect description for what we walked into. The cluster of quaint and cozy yurts, complete with pine boughs and twinkly lights, delighted us immediately. The yurts are heated and outfitted with spare utensils, plus a lazy Susan so that the wonderful staff can safely deliver your food while remaining properly distanced.

The Food

Our first course of the evening was a Ripe Plantain and Squash salad. Full disclosure, I thought this sounded like the least exciting part of the menu. I was SO wrong. I have no idea what the chefs did to make that squash easily the most tender and delicious I have ever tasted, but I certainly want to. There were also wilted greens that were outstanding, bright pops of tart pomegranate, and plantains two ways. I think of salads as being often mundane, but this was a fully conceptualized and balanced vegetable side, and I adored every bite.

Our second course there was a split. For the omnivore menu, a Twice-Cooked Pork Belly and for the pescatarians, a shrimp Creole. Both were delicious, but the tender, crispy, rich, and spicy pork belly had our hearts. Third course was the Soup Joumou, which had a bone-in chicken drumstick for the omnis that was absent in the pescatarian. This soup was incredibly hearty, and could have acted as a filling meal in itself.

As an extra treat to ourselves we did add on the 1/2 Peking duck, which arrived next. We were already starting to feel quite full at this point, so we just had a little taste and took the rest home for an epic leftovers feast the following day. What a taste it was! The duck was meltingly tender and the sauce was highly spiced and complex. It was served with plantain crepes, Haitian cornmeal, and spicy pikliz. Again, I could have eaten an entire meal of just this and been pleased as punch.

Next, we had another division. Braised Beef Short Ribs with Habanero and Thyme for the omnivores and an Epis Marinated Sea Bass for the pescatarians. Once more, while both were lovely dishes, I have to side with the omnivores on this one. I LOVE short ribs and would say I may eat them more regularly than most. These were some of the best I have ever enjoyed. And mind you, at this point I was stuffed, and yet I could not resist eating a slightly excessive amount of these delectable creations.

Finally, somewhat bursting at the seams, we enjoyed dessert. A lovely Upside Down Banana Cake, topped with warm coconut cream and with a caramelized burnt crust. I’m not quite sure how I managed to find the room, but I finished every bite. As a bonus treat (did we need more?) we added a bottle of the first of the wines from the pairings (our favorite!) a pinot noir rose bubbles. We finished every drop of that one too.

If you also would like to make it to Kann, check out more info Here. Where should we go next? Let us know in the comments!

Posh Baby

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There are so many options when it comes to shopping for baby things. We like to keep as much of our shopping local as possible. So when I needed to get a new car seat, I researched for somewhere that I could go check out our options in person. When I walked into Posh Baby I was immediately greeted by a very kind sales person and asked what I was looking for. She guided me through the options and was thoughtful about giving space and allowing me to peruse without hovering.

Posh Baby Sign

The car seat that I ended up ordering they didn’t have in stock, so they ordered it and had it shipped to my home for free. She also sent follow-up emails to let me know when things were shipping, when they would arrive, and asked how the product was working out. I haven’t had customer service like that in many years and I truly felt like a VIP customer.

They had tons of options for gear; car seats, strollers, cribs, bouncers, and carriers. They also have a large selection of eco friendly and organic baby clothing, as well as locally made outfits. Basically if you have a baby, they have what you need!

Posh Baby interior

They do specialize in higher end clothing, so expect to spend more than you would at Target, but you will also get far superior service, high quality items, and be supporting a local company. I know that this will be new go to for all my gear needs. I’ll also shop there when we have baby #2!!

Let me know if you have been to Posh Baby, did you also have a fabulous experience? You can check them out online HERE. Also if you have somewhere you think we should check out, leave us a comment!