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Deadshot

August 23, 2021 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Our Hot Spot of the week this week is outstanding SE cocktail spot Deadshot! We had been hearing about this one for ages, in particular from one of our favorite cocktail-loving friends, so it was time for a pop in. Long story short, it was awesome.

We headed in for happy hour and grabbed a spot on the patio. Like many Portland establishments, they have an extended outdoor dining plaza currently, and we sure do hope those stick around! We started off with the happy hour cocktail of the day, an Americano, in part because Campari is delicious and in part because it was going to take a LOT more time to make our decisions. Deadshot is dangerous, as basically every single thing on both the food and cocktail menus sounds amazing.

Once our thirst had been quenched, we moved on to the slightly higher proof Tom and Artemis. This one was a super delicious blend of Old Tom gin, Genepy (an herbal, Alpine liqueur) lime, and absinthe served over a king cube. It was very spirit forward, but also crisp, bright, and drinkable. We also decided to get some tasty snacks and started with the Cha Gio from the happy hour menu. The description of these as ‘crispy pork and shrimp spring rolls did not prepare us for how delicious they were. We honestly considered immediately ordering a second portion. They were crispy, but also tender, and positively juicy inside. The dipping sauce was a great balance of spicy and sweet and the pickled carrots and daikon on the side was a fresh and tangy complement.

Instead, we decided to try out more things from the menu. We went with the Crying Tiger, which was a nicely grilled bone-in slab of short rib, and the Dragon Dumplings. The dumplings were recommended by our server and were outstanding. Ground pork and shrimp stuffed into some nicely toothsome dumplings were tossed in a delicious sauce with grilled long beans and crunchy peanuts. The bowl was nearly clean when it returned to the kitchen. Along with this round of food, we also tested out the Heart of Cyn, a tamarind take on a Whiskey sour that had us puckering but pleased.

We are definitely excited to head back to Deadshot and try out everything else on the menus. Their cocktails are creative and the food is wonderful and we just want more! If you haven’t been yet, check them out Here. If you want to check out our other Hot Spots, you can find them Here. Where should we go next? Let us know in the comments!

Someday

November 5, 2020 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

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

September 15, 2020 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

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!

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.

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!

Pizzeria Otto

March 16, 2020 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

We headed out to try some pizza this past week, and in a city that has SO much pizza, we really dug this place! Located in the hip Foster-Powell area this Neapolitan pizzeria does things a bit differently. The crust is soft and very thin. We typically think of thin crust pizzas as being slightly crisp, or perhaps chewy, but you can hardly even call the dough of this pizza a crust. They flash-cook the pizza in an incredibly hot wood-fired oven. This results in a crisp bubbly ring around the edges and a slightly gooey center.

We wanted to see what else they had to offer so we also tried a beet salad and one of their lunch paninos. The beet salad was fresh with a bright citrus dressing and a creamy goat cheese. It was everything that you have learned to love and expect from a good beet salad. The panino was surprisingly more like a pita made of pizza dough, but so delicious! They stuff the bread with salami, Italian dressings, Lil Mama’s peppers and tons of arugula.

The food wasn’t the only thing that we liked about this cool new location. The dining room is spacious, minimalist, and they have huge windows which let in tons of natural light. I could easily spend all day in this restaurant because it has a great vibe.

We enjoyed everything that we tried and definitely plan on going back to check it out again. We went for lunch and learned that they offer happy hour pricing from 11am to 5pm. So go and get a personal pizza and a glass of wine for cheap for your next lunch date!

In light of the Covid-19 outbreak, Pizzeria Otto is offering takeout pizzas and salads, just call ahead, order, and support your local businesses through these hard times!

Website, menu, and order number can be found here.

Voysey

March 2, 2020 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

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 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.

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!

Hat Yai – Belmont

December 9, 2019 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

For our Hot Spot of the Week, we decided to check out the newly opened SE branch of Southern Thai spot Hat Yai. With counter service and checkered plastic tablecloths, this casual eatery is a perfect spot to grab a bite while checking out the great bars along the Belmont strip with friends. If you want to check out the menu, or see more information, you can do that here

As usual, we each got a cocktail to start. While the cocktail list here isn’t extensive (3 options and a seasonal special) we were both able to easily choose something that catered to our preferences. The Turmeric Sweet Tea was a lovely Thai twist on the classic, and was perfect alongside the fried chicken. The Tamarind Whiskey Smash made me seriously wish it were a hot sunny afternoon. If cocktails aren’t your thing, there is also a no-frills wine and beer list to choose from.

For dinner, we decided to share the famous fried chicken. We opted for the half-chicken portion so we could try several different dishes. The dark meat was, of course, the winner. Even the breast was tasty when doused with the Thai chili dipping sauce. We also shared the Goong Tom Gati, a shrimp and clam curry served with sticky rice. The curry was fine, but we wished we had gone with our instincts and ordered the special Jungle Curry. With trout belly and Chanterelles, it sounded outstanding. However, the person at the counter somewhat warned us off of it saying, “It’s a 9/10 on the spicy scale.” Sometimes in Thai restaurants, that would mean inedible, but once we had tasted the other curry, we felt that we certainly could have handled it.

Our surprise winner of favorite dish of the evening was the seasonal special pea tips. Simply sauteed and served in a light curry sauce, pea tips have been an exciting discovery for me in restaurants this year. They were my favorite of this evening, as well as another spent at delicious newcomer Eem a few months ago. After this experience, I know I will be ordering them every time I see them on a menu! Have you been to Hat Yai yet? What should we order next time?

What Hot Spot should we try out next? Let us know in the comments!

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