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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

Quaintrelle

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This week I went out to Quaintrelle. I had heard great things from friends and was very excited to visit! Dining outside in the winter isn’t always comfortable with the rain that Portland is so well known for, but Quaintrelle makes it feel comfortable and warm. There is a large white tent on the cobblestone patio with multiple tables, bistro lights, and a large heater to keep the space warm. Regardless of weather, at least one side of the tent is left open to allow for proper air flow.

Our Food

Quaintrelle makes Pacific Northwestern food sourced from local farms and purveyors. Seasonality is a huge part of their menu so it changes frequently which allows you to return over and over and always have a new experience. We started with green curry mussels with house made pickles. The mussels were plump and buttery. The broth they were served in was rich, full bodied, and had just a hint of spice. Next was the “Whiteout”. As the name suggests everything on the plate was completely white. Parsnip, egg, celeriac, pear, yuzu, and wasabi snow. The dish was playful and imaginative. This paired perfectly with my sparkling wine. They also have a small cocktail menu with some of the classics.

We moved into our second course by ordering the whole striped bass with miso and nuac cham, brussels sprouts with ginger, hoisin, and puffed rice, and beets with Meyer lemon custard, barley, and Roquefort powder. The bass was perfectly cooked, it was moist and fell away from the bones effortlessly. Quaintrelle took just as much care with their vegetable sides as they did with their main entrees. Each dish had the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and bitter notes.

I would highly recommend Quaintrelle to anyone that hasn’t had the chance to try it. If you’re in the mood for some great local Northwest cuisine, you will not be disappointed.

Have you tried Quaintrelle yet? Let us know in the comments! If you have yet to try it out, you can check out the menu here. To see what else we have featured, you can check out those here!

Oma’s Takeaway

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This week we had the pleasure of trying Oma’s Takeaway! Oma’s started as a pop up when the chef/owner of Gado Gado realized his food wasn’t well situated for the take-out only option of the pandemic. He and his sous chef started putting together a menu based on their childhood memories and grandmother’s cooking. They both called their grandmas Oma, so it was an easy name choice. The two restaurants are now ‘sister’ restaurants with a similar southeast Asian style.

Oma's Takeaway exterior

Oma’s Takeaway now stands where Whiskey Soda Lounge used to be. I was unsure before trying Oma’s if they would be able to fill the shoes of the past owners. I didn’t have a chance to try Oma’s when it was just a pop-up so I had a few doubts. The smell wafting from the restaurant as I approached the door was sweet, spicy, and slightly fishy – all things you want from a southeast Asian restaurant! Oma’s has the options right now of either dining on the patio or taking their food away.

The Food

I really wanted the full experience so I tried almost everything on the menu. The standouts for me were the Cumin Curry-spiced Ribs in Tamarind glaze, the Braised and Fried Chicken, and the Corn Fritters. The corn fritters were fried perfection with a sweet and sticky soy dip. Both the ribs and chicken are part of the Nasi Lemak. Nasi Lemak is the national dish of Malaysia and means rich rice. The rice is served with peanuts, fried anchovies, and house made sambal. For dessert we tried the rice crispy treat. I don’t know about you, but I hadn’t had one in AGES. They add whole marshmallows and fruity pebbles to the recipe to add a bit of flair. It rounded out the meal extremely well and I can’t wait to go back!

Did you have the chance to try the pop-up? Or have you been to the new brick and mortar? Let us know in the comments! If you are looking for something different you can check out the other restaurants we have featured HERE.

Laurelhurst Market

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This past week we braved the weather to head out to one of my favorite restaurants in all of Portland. Laurelhurst Market is hands-down one of the best steakhouses in the city, but did you know that they also have a FABULOUS lunch menu? The butcher shop carves up meat and makes them into artisan sandwiches and charcuterie boards, both excellent.

Laurelhurst Market is currently serving both lunch and dinner on their very impressive parking lot patio. Now that the rain is here to stay, they have upgraded from individual umbrellas to a full-sized tent with lights and heaters. The tables are spaced more than 6′ apart and there are multiple barrels with plants to help separate the space even further.

Laurelhurst Market

We tried 2 different types of sandwiches, the Hot Pastrami and the Special of the day which was a cheesesteak-style sandwich. The Pastrami comes with Swiss, Dijon, zucchini pickles, and red onion and is served on An Xuyen roll bread. The steak sandwich came with provolone, caramelized onions, and sautéed mushrooms. Both sandwiches tasted exactly the way you would expect the sandwich to taste and the meat was very tender.

The menu changes frequently depending on what the butcher shop has that is fresh and there is a new special at least every week. You can always check out the lunch menu here if you are curious to see what they have. If you aren’t quite ready for tent dining, they are still offering takeout for both lunch and dinner.

We would love to hear what you think if you have been! If you have somewhere that you would like us to feature, let us know in the comments.

Someday

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Ahhh, Someday. An apt name for a bar that was originally conceived of years ago by the owners, who wanted to open their own bar ‘someday’. An even more appropriate refrain for all of us who are wishing and hoping to return to some sense of normalcy in our daily lives ‘someday’. Yet, while we are waiting for indoor dining to be a safe option again, we are always looking for a great spot to grab a drink and a bite outdoors, particularly as the long winter months approach.

Someday is doing the patio scene right. They have big, well-spaced picnic tables, strands of draped lights across the space, and last we checked, were installing heaters to keep you warm and cozy while you drink. The wine selection is well-curated, the cocktails are balanced and delicious, and there is a selection of tasty snacks. If you are looking for a heartier meal, the patio also offers a few food carts to choose from.

Another really fun and unique thing that they are doing is an Oyster BBQ pickup on Sundays! You all know how much we love oysters, so I can’t wait to grab some of these one of these days.

See more about their menu and hours here.

We are really excited for more visits this winter to this cute tucked-away alley bar! Have you visited Someday yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments!

Baerlic Brewing

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This past week we headed out in search of a cool patio and some yummy beer. While we have an abundance of choices here in Portland, it can be a bit harder to find the truly outstanding ones. Baerlic, however, is a brewery that you can always trust to have great beer. Their huge ‘Super Secret Beer Club’ Patio is just a fantastic bonus!

Berlin Patio

One of the things that we love most about Baerlic is that they excel in multiple different styles. There are a lot of breweries that specialize in IPA in Portland, fewer that you can get a great Helles or a Saison and Baerlic is certainly one. Personally, hoppy beers have never been my thing. This time, I tried an Oat Gose, which is a slightly sour beer usually brewed with a bit of salt, and the Helles. Both were clean, crisp, and delicious. The menu changes very frequently here, but you can check out the beers currently on tap before you drop in if you want to make sure they have one of your favorites.

Baerlic Beer

The ‘Super Secret Beer Club’ doesn’t offer any food, but you can bring your own, order from some nearby carts, or have something delivered. Teote or The Hawthorne Asylum Food Carts would be my recommendations because you can walk there and they are delicious! If you want to check out some of our other favorites places to grab beer, head over to our list of Top Breweries in the city!

Ecliptic Brewing

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This week we are featuring one of our favorite breweries and restaurants. With space themed decor and beer Ecliptic Brewing is just a fun place to visit for the whole family. They are currently only offering patio dining, but they have converted the entire parking lot into space for tables so there is plenty of space (pun intended).

Ecliptic also offers a wide variety of beverages, there is a full bar and some local wines to choose from. The real star, though, is of course, the beer. John Harris has been an important NW brewer since his early days at McMenamins. He then moved to Deschutes and Full Sail before finally opening his own brewery.

He doesn’t play it safe with his beer either, depending on the time of year that you visit, you can get almost every style of beer available. I love a fruity sour, there were multiple choices on the menu so I tried the the Carina Peach Sour. With the hot weather we also wanted to try a crisp and refreshing beer so we opted for the Ecliptic-Ruse Collab Pilsner. Both beers were refreshing, delicious, and exactly what we were expecting of the style.

Ecliptic Beers

Ecliptic has by far the best food menu of all the breweries. They focus on fresh and seasonal ingredients and switch up the menu often. This summer they are offering little gem salad, street corn and seared albacore tuna. You can also order one of their many burgers or sandwiches. They always have a great burger, but they are currently also offering a beet melt with goat cheese and granny smith apples and a salmon burger with avocado and jalapeño aioli. Head over to the website to see the full menu.

If you aren’t quite ready to head out to a restaurant you can order the food to go or have some beer delivered! You can order your beer HERE. Have you tried the beer/food yet? What did you enjoy most?

Want to check out our other hotspots? You can find those HERE

Cooking

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We are still stuck inside and with dine-in restaurants being closed for the foreseeable future in Oregon, now is the perfect time to pick up a cooking hobby! I am a total foodie, and while I prefer to have other people cook for me, I can also whip up a pretty tasty meal. Below are some of my favorite recipes for cooking, baking, drinking, or throwing yourself a mini dinner party! You could even have your friends cook the same meal and do a virtual dinner party via Zoom, Skype, or Google!!

Easy Meals

I’m a mom of a toddler, so easy is basically my go to these days. These recipes taste delicious, are quick, and don’t involve too much prep work!

  1. Salmon Bowls
  2. Super simple grilled salmon, tossed with healthy veggies with a Mediterranean flair. Easy and super healthy too!

Recipe

  1. Shrimp Tacos
  2. Grilled shrimp topped with simple fresh ingredients for a great punch.

Recipe

  1. Chicken and Dirty Rice
  2. Super flavorful one-pot meal with chicken thighs and andouille sausage.

Recipe

Slow Roasts

Sometimes you just need to let things simmer. I love my Dutch oven and firmly believe that everything just tastes better after it has cooked for 3 hours. These are my top slow-cooked choices!

  1. Pork Green Chile Verde
  2. Slightly spicy, super meaty, crazy tender pork, just the way a good green chili should be. Pro tip – shred up the pork after its cooked, it’s even more tender that way.

Recipe

  1. BBQ Pot Roast
  2. This pot roast came out so much better than I anticipated. It is amazing on its own or fantastic on sandwiches!

Recipe

  1. Braised Short Ribs
  2. Wolfgang Puck knows how to cook, so you can bet that this will be one of the best meals you have ever had.

Recipe

Dinner Party Ideas

It is almost my birthday, and because we are still social distancing, I plan to have a little dinner party for myself. Here are 3 multi-course meals that I have made before that turned out phenomenally! You could always practice some of these recipes and then have a celebration with friends when we can finally see each other again!

  1. Traditional NW Meal
  2. 4 course meal with pretty simple recipes to help ease you into hosting a full blown party (for yourself or your family)

  1. Mexican Inspired Meal
  2. 4 course meal with some of my favorite Mexican flavors. This is one that is simple to pull off but is sure to impress!
  1. Citrus and Seafood Meal
  2. This one is easily my favorite, but it does require some cooking skills to pull off the protiens. This can be done as the full 7 course meal, or you can take out one salad and one entree to make it 5 courses.

Baking

Maybe cooking isn’t really your thing and you would rather whip up something sweet? Here are some of my favorite things to make when I feel like spoiling myself.

  1. Lemon and Raspberry Macarons
  2. These aren’t exactly easy to make, but they are delicious and I have total faith in your baking skills.

Recipe

  1. Key Lime Cheesecake
  2. Key lime pie, and cheesecake are easily my 2 favorite desserts, so why not mash them up? Also DO NOT use regular lime juice, you will do this dessert a serious disservice.

Recipe

  1. Amaretto Apple Crisp
  2. This is so so so good, I think I have made it 6 times. Pro tip – add some Amaretti cookies to the crisp to really make the amaretto flavor shine!

Recipe

Cocktails

Lastly, if you really don’t actually want to spend a bunch of time cooking in the kitchen, we have you covered with some of our favorite drinks! If you don’t want to go and buy special things to make drinks, we also have you covered. THIS WEBSITE will send you recipes that match what you already have at home…it’s a game changer.

French 75

Literally what your dreams are made of.

  • 1.5 oz gin
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 1 oz simple syrup
  • 1/4 C sparkling wine
  • Shake gin, lemon, and simple syrup over ice for 30 seconds, top with sparkling wine.

White Peach Sangria

It’s the perfect no fuss sunny day beverage.

  • 1 bottle pinot gris
  • 1/2 cup Peach Vodka
  • 1/2 cup Peach Schnapps
  • 1 cup soda water
  • 3 sliced peaches
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • combine all ingredients and serve over ice. If you want it to be more boozy, soak the fruit overnight in the peach vodka.

Perfect Margarita

Honestly, this one is hard to beat.

  • 2 oz white tequila
  • 1 oz cointreau
  • 1 oz lime juice
  • 1/2 oz agave syrup
  • combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain and serve over fresh ice with a lime wedge.

Hopefully this will all keep you busy for at least a week while we put together another list of great things for you to do! If you missed the last couple weeks we did: Netflix Binges, Books to Read, and Running Playlists.

As always please stay safe and healthy and know that if there is anything we can do for you, we are definitely still here to help!