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Pink Rabbit: A Hidden Gem in Portland

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If you’re looking for a unique and stylish bar experience in Portland, look no further than Pink Rabbit Cocktail Bar. This hidden gem is tucked away in a corner of the city and is the perfect spot for a night out with friends or a date night with your significant other.

The bar is known for its playful and colorful interior, which is inspired by the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland. The walls are adorned with vintage-style posters, and the lighting is soft and romantic, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

The Drinks

But what really sets Pink Rabbit apart is their incredible drinks menu. The bar is dedicated to creating the perfect cocktail, using only the freshest ingredients and expert mixology techniques. Their menu features classic cocktails with a twist, as well as unique creations that are sure to surprise and delight.

One of the most popular drinks is the “Rabbit Hole”, a gin-based cocktail with fresh berries and a hint of rosewater. It’s light and refreshing, with just the right balance of sweetness and tartness. Another standout is the “Caterpillar’s Elixir”, a delicious blend of whiskey, honey, and lemon, topped with a colorful butterfly pea flower.

For those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, Pink Rabbit has you covered too. They offer a variety of mocktails, including the “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party”, a blend of hibiscus tea, lemon, and honey.

The Food

In addition to their drinks menu, Pink Rabbit also offers a small but carefully curated food menu, featuring small plates and snacks to complement your drinks. Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet or savory, there’s something to satisfy every craving.

Overall, Pink Rabbit is the perfect place to unwind after a long day, or to celebrate a special occasion. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will make you feel right at home. Their inventive drinks and delicious food will leave you wanting more. So next time you’re in Portland, be sure to check out this hidden gem.

Voysey

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This week we checked out the elegant speakeasy cocktail bar Voysey! This basement bar can be found by following the red light down the stairway at the back of Loyal Legion. If you don’t have a curious mind, you may not have even known this plush cocktail lounge existed.

Voysey Portland, that portland life

Voysey is run by veteran female bartenders and bar managers serving up their own personal cocktail recipes as well as fun twists on some of the classics. As a result, everything on the menu is very thoughtful. If you are not in the mood for cocktails the menu is simple – 5 beer choices and 5 wine choices with a little something for everyone.

Voysey speakeasy in Portland

There are lots of cozy seating areas and a strong vintage vibe. Pink and red lights add to the ‘old-world’ vibe of the space. The bartender who served us was incredibly friendly, checked in on us just often enough to keep our drinks full, and was super knowledgable about all things cocktail.

We will definitely be going back to check out more of the drinks! If you want to keep current with what they are doing, check them out on Facebook!

Have you been yet? Had you even heard about it? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Valentine's Day 2020

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Valentine’s Day 2020 is fast approaching and there are so many amazing things to do to celebrate with your loved ones! You can always go the route of a special dinner out or you could perhaps take your sweetheart dancing. You could go for a walk in one of Portland’s amazing parks or you could sip a delicious cocktail in a sultry speakeasy. Check out the list below for some fun ideas to make your day or evening special!

Where to Dine

Ava Gene’s – Italian eatery serving cocktails & upscale fare, including family-style options, in a chic space.  3377 SE Division St

Blue Hour – Upscale eatery with 16-ft.-long drapes & an outdoor patio serving Mediterranean-New American dishes. 250 NW 13th Ave

Canard – Dishes take their inspiration from all over the world at this stylish venue mixing fresh cocktails. 734 E Burnside St

Davenport – A regularly changing eclectic American menu served against a warm, industrial-hip backdrop. 2215 E Burnside St

Jacqueline – Seasonal, seafood-centric New American fare is offered in an intimate setting with quirky artwork. 2039 SE Clinton St

Urdaneta – Comfortable, chic choice for creative Spanish small plates paired with craft cocktails & wine. 3033 NE Alberta St

Where to Sip

5 and Dime – Playful cocktail menu, draft wines, and yummy bar bites in a Portland-chic neighborhood space. 6535 SE Foster Rd

Box Social – Casually elegant, candlelit bar featuring creative cocktails, nibbles & light bites. 3971 N Williams Ave

Circa 33 – Prohibition-themed cocktail bar with a patio & secret back bar hidden behind a swinging bookshelf. 3348 SE Belmont St

Fireside – Striking gastropub with dual fireplaces serving New American fare, wine & cocktails. 801 NW 23rd Ave

Kask – Cool craft cocktail bar with rustic accents featuring clever, hearty small plates & a nightly punch. 1215 SW Alder St

Wonderly – Classic and creative craft cocktails in a chic, colorful space, featuring a focused but delicious bar menu. 4727 NE Fremont St

Where to be Different

Take your sweetie for a soak at one of Portland’s many soaking pools. Kennedy School, Common Ground, or Knot Springs are all good options.

Challenge your cutie to a puzzle-solving extravaganza at a fun escape room. Both Escapism Portland and Escape Games PDX are top-notch for a brain-bending good time.

Take a hike with your honey within the city limits. Forest Park, Mt. Tabor, or Tryon Creek are all beautiful spots to take in nature and each other’s unique beauty.

Dance the night away with your darling at one of the great dance parties around town. The Goodfoot, Holocene, and Dig-a-Pony all have delightful get-downs going on this weekend.

Does your baby like beer? Take them to Zwicklemania on Saturday for free tastings and brewery tours all over the city!

Where do you plan on celebrating this Valentine’s Day 2020? Let us know in the comments!

Straightaway Cocktails

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We headed out to try the relatively new tasting room for straightaway cocktails this week. You may have seen some of the cans of white wine spritzer on the shelves of your local new seasons and that had me very curious!

straightaway cocktails building, Portland Oregon

We sampled both the cocktail flight and the spritzer flight, both of which come paired with a little snack. The cocktails were all delicious, perfectly strong, and less sweet than you would imagine for a pre-made cocktail.

Straightaway Cocktails has 6 pre-mixed cocktails tat you can sample or buy. These 6 classic cocktails are the Lintik, a gin martini, a cosmo, a negroni, an old fashioned, or a paper plane. Each cocktail has a unique twist on to give you a little surprise, as an example, the martini also has a dash of orange bitters. My favorite of the bunch was the cosmo, not just because I am a vodka girl, but also because it had a really nice dry citrus bite to it. Each cocktail comes with it’s own pairing snack, which for the most part, were wonderfully flavored popcorns. We tried a mexican chocolate popcorn with the negroni and they both really complimented each other.

The Spritzers are served on a tray with a nice amount of kettle chips. These help you get that salty element you crave while drinking a white wine spritzer. There are 4 choices; the last word, the apertivo, the fiore, and the negroni. They are all made with sparkling pinot gris, a liqueur, and some bitters that vary drink to drink.

The staff was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and very excited that we were in to visit. We were given really great pairing notes and information about where all the delicious snacks and flavors were sourced from. You can’t get a full sized cocktail in the tasting room, but just doing the smaller platters was a ton of fun! they have a small shop inside the tasting room so you can bring a bottle home with you. I bought a sample pack just in time for the holidays.

Have you tried this awesome new distillery yet? Check out the menu and website here! Let us know what you think in the comments!

Pix Patisserie & Bar Vivant

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Hot Spot of the Week

With the most extensive sparkling wine list and one of the finest dessert selections in town, Pix has been one of our favorite stop-ins for many years. Previously located in a Victorian home on SE Division, it was practically impossible to get in due to the small size and large popularity. Thankfully, a few years ago they moved to the larger space they currently inhabit on 22nd and E Burnside. We were recently reminded just how much we love this spot when we hosted our monthly Champagne meet-up on an evening that cleared up perfectly to allow us to mingle on the expansive patio.

We started out each choosing a different glass of sparkling, but quickly moved on to choosing assorted bottles to share so that we could compare and contrast the different regional flavors. The sparkling list at Pix is so long that we could easily come here for months and never repeat a bottle! Plus the costs aren’t prohibitive. While you could buy a bottle for a couple hundred dollars, there are also bottles as low as $28 that are still quite tasty.

A few of our group decided to indulge in some of the delicious tapas provisions from Bar Vivant before proceeding to dessert, including a perfect Spanish tortilla and a few quail eggs wrapped in prosciutto. Once our savory nibbles were done, it was time to sample some of the famous desserts. First off, the macaron selection here is incredible. They make somewhere around 30 different flavors and I have loved every one I have ever tried. This visit we went with the Fleur de Sel, Strawberry Balsamic, and Passionfruit, which paired surprisingly well with our Brut Champagne from the Loire region. If macarons aren’t your fave though, they have many other delectable sweets, like the fig filled with creme brulee and topped with gold leaf pictured above (hurry, it’s seasonal!).

Can’t wait until our next visit! Is there somewhere we should check out next? Let us know in the comments!

Acadia

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Our hotspot of the week this week has truly been one of my favorite restaurants in Portland for many, many years now. Acadia Bistro has such consistently wonderful food, drinks, and service that the only explanation I have for why is isn’t perpetually packed is that it’s longevity in a city obsessed with ‘new’ makes it almost like a well-guarded secret between friends.

The menu walks a wonderful balance of maintaining the classic New Orleans dishes that transport you immediately to the bayou, and introducing new innovations and seasonal ingredients from the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. It would constitute a cardinal sin to miss out on the BBQ shrimp as a starter, jumbo head-on Gulf shrimp bathed in a pan-sauce so decadent you will dream about it for weeks afterwards. The Hushpuppies are another wonderful opening, fluffy fried batter of cornbread and seasonings, doused with a spicy-sweet orange and horseradish marmalade.

The beautiful conundrum of the entrees is that I can never figure out which is my favorite, and so have learned that I have to bring at least 3 people with me so we can share everything family-style. On a recent visit we all thoroughly enjoyed the Fried Soft-shell Crab with Crawfish Etouffee, the impossibly tender Hangar Steak, the light and balanced Seabream topped with blue crab and brown butter sauce, and a Pork Chop that was practically the size of my head and juicier than I knew a pork chop could be.

The desserts and cocktails aren’t to be missed either. My Vieux Carre was perfectly rich and boozy, and the housemade ice creams are what Salt and Straw wishes they could be. My recent go-to ‘genius move’ is to get a scoop of the Sea Salt Brown Butter on top of the outstandingly delicious Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding. You can thank me later.

What should our next hot spot be? Let us know in the comments!