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Portland’s best – Outdoor Concerts

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Portland always has some pretty amazing concerts, but in the summer we get to all pick up and head outside for some truly phenomenal shows. We put together a list of just some of the shows we are most looking forward to this summer.

  • Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
  • Great local talent both young and old put on by Jazz Society of Oregon
    • FREE!
    • July 19th-12st
    • Cathedral Park
    • All ages
  • Pdx Pop Now
  • Established and Emerging Local Artists
    • FREE!
    • July 20th-21st
    • Audiocinema – 226 SE Madison St
    • All ages
  • Chicago
  • One of the great live bands from the 1970’s
    • Tickets available by resale
    • July 21st
    • Oregon Zoo
    • All ages
  • The Raconteurs
  • Throw back rock band by Jack White
    • Tickets Available by resale
    • July 21st
    • Edgefield –  2126 SW Halsey St
    • All ages
  • Broken Social Scene
  • Alt-rock supergroup with singer/songwriter Feist
  • B-52’s
  • 20th century party band bringing lots of nostalgia
  • Feist
  • Indie pop singer songwriter
  • Weird Al Yankovic
  • musical parodies and satirical rock tunes
    • Tickets available by resale
    • August 14th
    • Edgefield –  2126 SW Halsey St
    • All ages
  • Brandi Carlile
  • Singer songwriter who’s music spans multiple genres
    • Tickets available by resale
    • August 23rd-25th
    • Edgefield –  2126 SW Halsey St
    • All ages
  • Amos Lee
  • heartfelt folk pop

Honorable Mentions

These are a bit outside of the Portland area, but worth the drive to see some great music!

Sunlight Supply Amphitheater

  • Lynyrd Skynyrd
    • July 26th
  • Shinedown
    • July 27th
  • Wiz Khalifa
    • August 14th
  • ZZ Top & Cheap Trick
    • August 16th
  • Blink 182 & Lil Wayne
    • August 30th

Pickathon

  • The 21st annual summer festival is packed with artists all across the musical spectrum
    • Tickets – pickathon.com
    • August 1st-4th
    • Pendarvis Farm – 16581 SE Hagen Rd, Happy valley
    • All ages

If you are hoping for something a little less formal there are also tons of free concerts in the park all around the city, you can find a comprehensive list here

We hope that you have a fun and music filled summer!

Burgers

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Ahhh, the quintessential go-to meal, the almighty burger. There are many, MANY fantastic burgers in this city, and it would take more years than I have to attempt to eat all of them but a girl can try, am I right? For this post I did focus on the meaty rather than the meatless, but most of these establishments do have veggie or vegan versions for those who prefer their burgers sans bovine.

  • The Lutz – 4639 SE Woodstock Blvd
    • The Lutz has not one, but about 8 of the best burgers in Portland. I don’t know the secret of what makes this patty so delicious, but I do know that it is always perfectly cooked and incredibly juicy. It almost doesn’t matter the accoutrements, but a couple of my favorites are the Backdraft if I’m in the mood for SUPER spicy or the Lutz Burger if I’m looking for a classic.
  • Slingshot – 5532 SE Center St
    • Great drinks, rotating art collection, cheap bubbles, and a damn fine burger and fries makes this unassuming bar a fantastic spot for a low-key date night or head there for the happy hour to get the night started.
  • Slow Bar – 533 SE Grand Ave
    • At Slow Bar, a perfectly fluffy bun cradles a patty that is the perfect combination of juicy and crisply char-grilled, and best of all, you can get it until quite late.
  • Little Bird Bistro – 215 SW 6th Ave
    • All of the food at Little Bird is phenomenal, and the Double Brie burger is no exception. Tangy pickles and a spiced ketchup are a great counter-balance for the richness of the brie.
  • Yakuza – 5411 NE 30th Ave Suite 100
    • An izakaya isn’t exactly the place that I would look for one of Portland’s best burgers but happily, Yakuza delivers one. Piled high with truffled shoestrings, goat cheese, and spicy mayo, the Yazuza burger is always a deliciously messy and perfectly cooked treat. Add the fried egg for an extra dose of decadence.

Did we miss your favorite burger?? Let us know in the comments!

Boutiques

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Mother’s day is just around the corner, and if you are anything like me, maybe you procrastinated? The good news is that I have some great local boutiques for you to finalize that last minute shopping! Here are some of my favorites in no particular order!

  • Sloan – Promoting themselves as surprisingly affordable fashion for every woman, they have brands that you will be familiar with and some unknown names. No matter your style there is something that both you and your mom will love!
    • 3526 SE Hawthorne Blvd
    • 3824 N Mississippi Ave
    • 735 NW 23rd Ave
  • Recycled Chic Boutique – This designer store is so much better than your average consignment shop. You will find unique pieces in perfect condition. If you want the very best without paying the full designer price, this is the place to shop!
    • 612 NW 12th
  • Imelda’s and Louie’s – This shoe store is much more than just a shoe store. They have shoes that are ahead of the trends in a laid back environment. They also have great handbags and jewelry!
    • 3426 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
    • 1416 NE Alberta st.
  • Gild – This shoe store is modern and sleek. The customer service is fantastic and they will help you find something perfect for your style and budget! They also carry tons of jewelry by local Portland artists!
    • 3370 SE Division st
  • Adorn – Focusing on trendy but timeless fashion these boutiques are sure to have many things that would make great additions to your closet. Everything is handpicked by the owner and is frequently updated.
    • 3366 SE Division st.
    • 4120 NE Fremont st.
    • 1016 SW Washington st.
    • 360 First st. LO

If you are a new mom like me, perhaps you would also like to buy some cute clothes for your little one! I find it much more fun than shopping for myself, here are 2 cute places that I love!

  • Posh Baby – This boutique has Modern and Eco-Friendly gear for mom and baby. If you have any “must-haves” on your list that you haven’t purchased yet, or you just need an adorable new toy, this is the place for you!
    • 916 NW 10th Ave.
  • Hoot N Annies – They offer both new and used items for both mother and baby. This surprisingly affordable baby boutique will have everything on your list!
    • 6308 SW Capitol Hwy

Good luck with all of your shopping and let me know what you all get!

Tacos

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May 5th is Cinco De Mayo so naturally I am going to focus on Tacos! 

I love mexican food, more than any other style of food, I would happily eat it everyday! I especially like tacos, they are so simple, but so delicious. This was an incredibly difficult topic for me to research *wink wink* but now you can enjoy the fruits of my labor! 

There are 5 taco places that really stand out to me, of course there are many many more, but I can vouch for all of these. In no particular order, here are the places you should definitely check out this week! 

  • Xico – 3715 SE Division – They have an awesome back patio, amazing margaritas, and fantastic food, everything on the menu is worth eating and while they don’t always strictly have tacos on the menu, the carnitas is a build your own taco plate and to die for! 
  • Taqueria Nueve – 727 SE Washington – They also have an amazing patio and so many taco choices you will need to try them all! They really focus on keeping things authentic and it shows! 
  • Nuestra Cocina – 2135 SE division – really cute restaurant that is a Portland staple. They have homemade tortillas instead of chips and really incredible sangria. They don’t always have tacos on the list either, but many of the entree’s come with tortillas to build your own tacos! 
  • Mi Mero Mole – 32 NW 5th – this Mexico City inspired eatery has tons of choices for your tacos. They focus on guisados, which are home style dishes like stews and stir-frys. Put that all together and you get some amazing food! 
  • Portland Mercado – 7238 SE Foster – This list wouldn’t be complete without the Mercado. There are so many delicious carts here, by Tierra del Sol wins for their tacos. Lots of choices, simple and delicious, and affordable! You truly cannot go wrong. 

Let me know which places you end up trying and which ones are your favorite!!