That Portland Life

Portland Lifestyle and Real Estate

Contact Us!

portland outdoor dining

Flying Fish Company

by Leave a Comment

Living in Portland exposes us to all sorts of amazing food, and on the top of that list is seafood. Are you ever craving some sushi-grade tuna at home, but you’re just not sure where you can find it? Or maybe you just want some oysters on the half-shell? Flying Fish Company offers a fresh fish market for consumers as well as a full-service restaurant. This week, we decided we needed to experience all that Flying Fish Company offers.  

The food

We settled in under their outdoor covered patio just after the lunch rush started to die down. The menu offers various seafood with both raw to cooked options. As well as salads and burgers. We selected the cod fish and chips, grilled steelhead sandwich, and tuna Niçoise salad. The freshness of the seafood here is unsurpassable.

The cod was lightly battered and fried until golden brown and crispy. Served with a side of Jojo’s and some citrus kale slaw. The grilled steelhead was perfectly seasoned and lightly grilled so that the interior of the fish was still moist and delicious, but the fish skin was nice and crispy. The fish was then served on a Grand Central ciabatta roll with the best herb aioli I’ve ever had and the kale citrus slaw that accompanied the cod. Last but certainly not least was the Tuna Nicoise. Poached albacore tuna was served on top of a bounty of greens with a light red wine vinaigrette with just the right amount of bite. The potatoes and egg were cooked to perfection making the salad stand up next to the other entrees without question.

On our way out we headed into the fresh fish market. Todays offering had fresh oysters, and clams, ahi tuna, cod, steelhead, Dungeness crab, Scallops and so many other fish options. In addition to all the fresh fish, Flying Fish Company also has a variety of canned seafood to stock up your pantry with. For the current list of what’s fresh go Here. Whether you’re looking for an easy meal out or a decadent dinner in Flying Fish Company has everything a seafood lover could need. For more local hot spots check out our blog Here.

Tropicale

by Leave a Comment

Springtime is here with summer just around the corner, and this week’s Hot Spot -Tropicale – is the perfect place to celebrate that fact! We headed here recently to test out their famous pina coladas, margaritas, and snacks, and were positively delighted!

First, let me say – Tropicale has their patio situation dialed in. There is plenty of space, a festive atmosphere, and different styles of outdoor heaters dotted about to make sure you stay warm enough while you imbibe. We actually ended up between a stand-up heater and a long, low fireplace style, and had to take off a couple of layers! A smart move on their part, as it certainly added to the tropical feel of the place!

Tropicale patio.

We started, of course, with the famous pina colada in a whole pineapple. While everything is better when served in a pineapple, I can say that the beverage itself held it’s own. Delicious! Next, I tested out the spicy mango margarita, which was so tasty I had finished it before I knew what had happened. Based on those two, I want to try everything they have!

tropicale Pina colada in a whole pineapple

Next, it was time for some food to balance the bevvies. We tried a lot of the menu and were quite happy. As is tradition, chips and guacamole to start, which here you can add on dueling salsas (do it) to complement. The shrimp tacos were lovely, bright, and well-made. The tostada ahumada (topped with smoked skirt steak, greens, and caper aioli) had an excellent balance of flavors and textures and was quite filling. We ended up adding on the pulpo at the end, because, how can you not? As many know octopus can be diffficult to cook properly, but Tropicale did it right! It was super tender with wonderful flavors.

Tostada

We cannot wait to come back and spend many summer evenings on the patio here. With their tasty food and fresh, fun cocktails, I think this is going to be a spot we re-visit frequently! Check out Tropicale here.

Where should we visit next? Let us know in the comments! If you want to see our other Hot Spots head HERE

Portland’s Best Decks

by Leave a Comment

Springtime in Portland is unbelievably beautiful! Flowers are blooming all around and the blue skies are finally showing themselves again. One of our favorite activities is sipping a drink or two and enjoying some delightful bites while sitting on one of Portland’s best decks! Portland has a few elite options when it comes to dining in the sunshine. We could only choose a few to make our list so we took into consideration the outdoor space, the food, and of course the drink quality! In no particular order, here are our favorites!

Hammer & Stitch Brewing

2377 NW Wilson St., Portland OR 97210
Menu Here
Open Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday 12 pm – 7 pm
Friday – Saturday 12 pm – 9 pm
Minors allowed

Revolution Hall Roof Deck

1300 SE Stark St. Portland, OR 97214
Menu Here
Open Monday – Thursday 3 pm – Late
Friday – Saturday 12 pm – Late
Minors allowed until 7 pm

Botanist

910 NW 14th Ave. Portland, OR 97209
Menu Here
Open Wednesday – Thursday 4 pm – 10 pm
Friday – Saturday 10 am – 2 pm & 4 pm – 10:30 pm
Sunday 10 am – 2 pm

Tope

15 NW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Menu Here
Open Thursday – Sunday 4 pm – Late
Minors allowed

Radio Room

1101 NE Alberta St, Portland OR 97211
Menu Here
Open 7 days a week 9 am – 11 pm
Minors allowed

10 Barrell Brewing

 1411 NW Flanders St, Portland, OR 97209
Menu Here
Open 7 days a week 11 am – 11 pm
Minors allowed

Warm weather has already hit us this spring, so it’s about time to bust out those sandals and hit one of Portland’s Best Decks! Any of these places are guaranteed to show you a good time. If you didn’t see your favorite deck on our list leave us a comment and we will check it out! We also have several other Portland favorites Here.

Yalla

by Leave a Comment

This week, our Hot Spot is phenomenally delicious Mediterranean BBQ spot Yalla! As Spring gets started and the weather becomes more forgiving, we have been trying to find great outdoor dining options. Both of us independently saw an Instagram post by the one and only @foodiesnitch that featured Yalla’s adorable dining cabanas and decided we had to go!

First of all, we thought these cabanas were so perfect! With one fully open side and a small directional heater, they are totally equipped so that we felt both safe and comfortable. Food was delivered in to go-style boxes to our end table that we then distributed family-style.

We started with drinks of course. Yalla has a nicely curated list of beers and a few canned wines, plus a couple of solid cocktails and their own house-made sodas. I ordered the Prime Manhattan for an opener and Jessica tried out the Ginger soda. Both were great for sipping.

For our meal, we were so excited to try the food that we ordered a bit of everything. For our salad course we tried the Gathering Together Greens with dill, radish, ricotta salata, and walnut vinaigrette. Let me tell you, I don’t normally get very excited about salads, but this one had me scraping the bottoms of the box!

The next course, we tried the Hummus with Burnt Ends and the Yellow Falafel. The falafel was so nicely crunchy on the outside but tender inside and the flavors were on point. The burnt ends seriously melted in your mouth with that perfect amount of smoky fat and the hummus was a great accompaniment. That dish also came with some delicious roasted poblanos that further elevated the flavor profile. We also had a side of the oven roasted carrots with harissa and they were delightful. Cooked perfectly with just the right spice and sauce.

Next was a battle of the fried chickens! We ordered both the chicken wings served with pomegranate molasses and the fried chicken with harissa honey and pickled cauliflower. Both were absolutely top notch, with super succulent meat ensconced in crispy batter with a touch of sweetness. Comparing notes later, we discovered that while we thought both were excellent, I leaned slightly towards the fried chicken and Jessica leaned slightly towards the wings.

We cannot wait to go back and try all of the rest of the menu! In particular, we are very excited to return for the short ribs (a dish recommended for 2-4 people) and the desserts! If you want to decide what to order when you stop in for a visit, check out the menu here. If you want to see where else we have eaten lately, you can find our other Hot Spots here.

Do you have somewhere we should feature next? Let us know in the comments!

Kayo’s Ramen Bar

by 1 Comment

Our Hot Spot of the Week this week is delicious N Williams Ramen spot – Kayo’s Ramen Bar! Full disclosure, this was an accidental find. We had intended to lunch somewhere else, but arrived to find that the outdoor seating was full to the brim with newly-seated patrons. However, sometimes the world works in mysterious ways, because the loss of that other dining experience led us to discover this absolute gem!

There are several standout features of Kayo’s. First, they not only have fantastic traditional ramen options such as Shoyu and Miso, but they also have many interesting and creative spins on the dish. You could choose a Curry Ramen or Wasabi Smoked Salmon one. If you are feeling really wild, maybe you will want to try out their Japon tacos! Another great feature is that you can choose the amount of gluten you are feeling up for. You can get the standard option of traditional noodles, substitute the gluten-free option of julienned zucchini and daikon, or even try out half and half!

We both thought that the TanTan Ramen sounded the best. Apparently many people agree, as this is their most popular option. We tried out the regular TanTan and the TanTan Mazemen (no broth) respectively as well as sharing an order of the Pork potstickers.

First off, let me say that those were the BEST potstickers. They were cooked perfectly, the flavors were on point, and we made a bit of a mess because of how delightfully juicy they were. I could eat them every. damn. day. The ramen was phenomenal as well. I adore Sichuan DanDan, and having a ramen version was a totally new experience for me. We both agreed that it was better with the broth rather than the Mazemen style. That is partly because the spice disperses better in the broth and partly because the broth was so delicious!

This place is such a great option right now especially. The patio is wide open and covered, with very well–spaced tables. Plus, ramen is the perfect dish for these days where the sun is shining, but still a chilly nip to the air. Check out their menu here.

Have you ever tried Kayo’s Ramen Bar? What should we order the next time we are in? Let us know in the comments!