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Farmhouse Kitchen

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This week’s Hot Spot is the delicious Farmhouse Kitchen. I have been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened back in 2017! I have been pretty scared by bad and mediocre Thai food however, so it can take some time before I am ready to jump in again. Luckily, I thoroughly enjoyed everything we tried!

The restaurant has an amazing patio mostly under a pergola adorned with wisteria flowers. Upon closer inspection the flowers are fake, which honestly is genius. They look perfect year round and there is no chance the petals will fall into the perfectly plated food. The tablecloths are vibrant and inviting, all set in a casual atmosphere to make you feel very welcome while you are dining.

We started off with an appetizer called Ahi Scoops. The pan-seared Ahi was topped with a chili lime sauce and some dill and served over sliced cucumbers and seaweed salad. They had a really nice spicy kick without being overpowering and was the perfect way to warm up our palettes for dinner.

We chose to share the fried rice with pork and Run Juan Seafood Sizzling, a plate of assorted seafood in a spicy sauce served with blue jasmine rice. The fried rice was mild and delicious and we were given a hearty portion. The seafood sizzle was quite spicy, but not to an excessive extent. The curry paste imparted a very deep and rich flavor that helped give the dish some real body. I do quite well with spice, but the rice was a much needed accompaniment.

We will definitely be venturing back here to try more dishes and check out some of the cocktails. Have you been to this great restaurant yet? What was your favorite thing you tried?

Is there somewhere that you think we should feature? Let us know in the comments!

August Events

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Portland summertime. The season we look forward to all year, that always passes in a flash. But never fear! If you are looking for some last minute summer fun in PDX, here are some August events that you may enjoy.

  • Saturday 8/3 Rosé All Day You know this one has our heart. Entrance includes a frosé, tasting glass, 8 tasting tickets, and snacks. Produce Row $45 11am-5pm Benefits Make-A-Wish https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rose-all-day-at-produce-row-cafe-tickets-63984632759
  • Monday 8/5 The Moth StorySLAM Amazing storytelling, and you can enter as well! Keep it under 5 min, the theme this month is Animals. Secret Society $15 Doors-6:30pm Show-8:00pm https://themoth.secure.force.com/ticket/#/instances/a0F0e00000V3lsUEAR
  • Monday 8/5 – Saturday 8/10 BURGER WEEK! $5 burgers all over town! Can you eat them all? Probably not, but why not try? https://www.portlandburgerweek.com/
  • Saturday 8/10 Pan African Festival Live music, dance, food, and entertainment, plus supporting education, awareness, and opportunities for community involvement! Pioneer Courthouse Square FREE 12pm-8:30pm panafricanfestivalor.org.
  • Saturday 8/17 Adult Soapbox Derby One of my favorite (and most ‘Portland’) events of the year; a bunch of people make extravagant and homemade vehicles and plummet down a big hill to the delight of all. Mt.Tabor Park FREE 10am-4pm https://www.facebook.com/PDXsoapboxracer/
  • Saturday 8/17 Cocktail Crawl This month’s cocktail crawl highlights the classic Cosmopolitan! Each distillery creates their own spin and $1 of each one goes towards Causa: Oregon’s Immigrant Rights Org. Distillery Row $6 per cocktail https://www.cocktailcrawlpdx.com/2019-causes-and-cocktails
  • Saturday 8/24 Soulful Taste of Portland Eat delicious food and enjoy live music while supporting and celebrating the contributions of African Americans to Portland’s epic culinary scene. PCC Cascade Campus FREE 11am-7pm https://www.facebook.com/events/414652442596225/
  • Saturday 8/24 ANDAZ Bhangra Bollywood Dance with DJ Anjali and The Incredible Kid The longest running Bollywood dance party anywhere, you are sure to have a blast learning fun moves and sweating the night away with this fantastic duo. The Liquor Store $10 ($5 before 10pm) 9pm-2am https://www.facebook.com/events/517664808977484/
  • BONUS Every Wednesday in August Movies at Dusk Every year Pix Patisserie hosts movies at dusk. Epic champagne list, amazing macarons, and a free movie on the patio? Count me IN. This month features The Terminator, Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail, The Breakfast Club, and Pulp Fiction. Pix Patisserie $5 min. purchase of food or bev (includes free popcorn) Seating opens at 7pm http://www.pixpatisserie.com/events

Eem

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After months of hearing and reading rave reviews, we finally made it to Hot Spot of the week, Thai and BBQ fusion spot Eem, and it did not disappoint. Backed by a powerhouse team, the flawless execution of food, cocktails, and relaxed but efficient service come together to achieve an experience that deserves the accolades they are receiving. 


The cocktail menu tends towards the rum-based, citrus-heavy vacation style, and the ones we tried were delicious. Some are served in delightful Tiki mugs and feature sprightly flourishes. Food comes as it is ready, which ended being a perfect pace for always having a variety of new things to taste without having an over-crowded table or feeling rushed. 

On our recent visit, we tried a variety of dishes from all parts of the menu, including a fantastic pork belly dish with fermented pineapple, a burnt end brisket curry, and the simply prepared but outstandingly delicious snow pea tips. The Thai street food flavors melded so well with the smoky slow-cooked barbecue flavors, it makes one wonder why people haven’t been combining them for longer. 

We can’t wait to return and try everything else on the menu, and live that vacation life without leaving our lovely city of Portland.


Where should we head next? Let us know in the comments!

Montesacro Pinseria Romana

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We all love Italian food, but generally I’ve found that people in the United States tend to oversimplify the wide array of deliciousness that the country has to offer – too often reducing it down to pasta alone. Montesacro Pinseria does a wonderful job of showing off all of the other mouth-watering offerings of Italia.

I actually lived in the Northwestern corner of Rome for 6 months back in 2006, and since returning, had not found a single restaurant that transported me back to those times until sitting down for lunch at this unassuming spot in the Pearl district. However, one bite of the Gambuccio panini (not the pressed white bread variety you may be thinking of) and I was instantly back to a street-side bistro of Trastevere. Perfectly crunchy and soft bread, heaped with a generous portion of prosciutto and burrata, yet it was the zucchine sott’oli (zucchini marinated in olive oil and spices) that honestly brought tears of nostalgia to my eyes. I highly recommend getting the Sbagliato, a wonderfully bright and bitter combination of bubbles, Campari, and Cocchi Torino to cleanse your palate between blissful bites.

I cannot wait to return to try all of the deliciousness on this menu, and relive those days living in the epicenter of amazing Italian cuisine.

Have you tried this place yet? Let us know in the comments!

Ruby Jewel

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This week’s featured spot is the delectable Ruby Jewel! We are here to tell you that this is the best ice cream in Portland. They have amazing flavors that change regularly, they use only locally sourced ingredients, and you can get an ice cream sandwich, inside a COOKIE!!!!!

I don’t dislike the other ice cream shops, which shall not be named, but Ruby Jewel gives you classic flavors with a small twist that only makes them taste better. A current favorite is the Peanut Butter Dream. It is peanut butter ice cream, with peanut butter cups and swirls of chocolate. It is truly to die for. I would recommend getting it inside of some chocolate chip cookies. Some of their other offerings include The vegan Jewel which is made from chocolate coconut ice cream and a gluten-free cookie and the Pride-Which made from cereal milk ice cream, rainbow cookies, and rainbow sprinkles. They will donate 10% of sales to Q Center if you buy this cookie sandwich.

Since its first opening in Portland, Ruby Jewel has grown in popularity throughout the city. They currently have 3 locations that you can step into to create your own delicious treat!
1650 NW 23rd Ave
3713 N Mississippi Ave.
428 SW 12th Ave
If none of these locations is close enough to home, don’t worry! You can now find their ice cream sandwiches pre-made in most of our local grocery stores! You’re never too far away from the best Ice cream in Portland! Check out all the current flavors Here.

Do you have a place that you think we need to check out? Let us know in the comments!

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!

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!