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Montelupo

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Hot Spot of the week is very cool Italian Market and
Restaurant, Montelupo! This great NE spot has a very neat business plan and something for every one of your needs. In the mornings, they have coffee and pastries, at night they have dine-in (and heated patio) delicious dinner, and throughout the day they have an excellent grab ‘n go market with wine and wonderful pantry goods. Recently, we took advantage of the heated dining tent and sampled a whole bunch of Montelupo’s dinner service and it was delish!

To start, of course, we tried a cocktail. I opted for the Daisy Chain, a bright and citrusy gin concoction that was too good not to down in about 3 minutes. To follow we ordered a bottle of prosecco, which was pleasantly crisp and complemented the rich food very well.

We wanted to try so many things on the menu that even after a lengthy ‘paring-down’ debate, we still definitely over-ordered. We were not sad about that however, as we got to have Montelupo lunch the next day! To start we went with the Dos Hermanos pull-apart bread, which is a must have in order to mop up sauces as well as eat plain with EVOO. We also got the burrata, which was delicious and fresh, served with olive, tomato aioli, and greens. We also had the arancini, stuffes with rice, bay shrimp, and cheese. Finally, we tried the roasted and carrot with sunchokes (a new favorite) accompanied by tahini and gremolata. The starters were all wonderful and also quite filling.

Even though we were practically stuffed at this point, you can’t go to an Italian restaurant and not try the pasta! We went for the pappardelle, prepared with braised pork ragu and a broccollini-basil pesto for one. For our second choice we tried the fusilli with wild mushrooms, parsnips and cream. The pastas were both well-prepared and the ingredients did not overwhelm with flavor, instead letting the noodles shine.

Too full to even think about dessert, we grabbed an extra bottle of bubbles to go from the market inside and headed home to sip and plan out our next visit. Want to check out Montelupo Italian Market? You can head right over Here.

Do you know a Hot Spot that we should checkout next? Let us know in the comments below!

Sandwich Shops

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Portland excels in many types of cuisine, from fine dining to food carts, but did you know we also have some really phenomenal sandwich shops? Whether you are grabbing a mid-day work meal or packing up a picnic to take to the woods (or coast or mountains) here are some of Portland’s best sandwich shops.

Bodega PDX

6231 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206

Open Mon-Sat 10am- 11pm, Sunday 9:30am-10pm

Check them out Here.

Devil’s Dill

1711 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214

Open Sat-Tues 12pm-11pm, Weds-Fri 12pm-1am

Take a look at those sandos Here.

EastSide Deli

4626 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215

4823 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203

Open Every Day 11am-6pm

Tasty Menu Here.

Lardo

1212 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214

1205 SW Washington St, Portland, OR 97205

4025 Mercantile Dr, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Portland Locations Open Every Day 11am-10pm

Lake Oswego Every Day 11am-9pm

Check em all out Here.

Tails and Trotters

525 NE 24th Ave, Portland, OR 97232

Open Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm

Get some Deliciousness Here.

Taste Tickler

1704 NE 14th Ave, Portland, OR 97212

Open Daily 11am-7pm.

See Some Great Sammies Here.

Which of these awesome sandwich shops will be your next stop? Let us know in the comments below! Is there a Portland’s Best List you really want to see? Let us know and we’ll make it happen!

Bellwether

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Hot Spot of the Week this week is the fantastic new Southeast spot Bellwether! We finally got a chance to check out this much-talked-about watering hole. I would say we were quite delighted with what we found!

As soon as I walked in the door, I felt transported. The dark wood, coffered ceilings, deep booths, and low light reminded me of a time and place of the past. The tasteful decor and sultry jazz added to the whole picture. It’s cozy, classic, and definitely a place you will want to bring someone special for a date night soon.

The cocktail list takes a more modern bent, combining interesting amaros and liqueurs with classic drink profiles for a fun twist. I started my evening with the No. 5, a smoky and strong blend of tequila, mezcal, Carpano Antica, and Cynar. This drink has the vibe of a Manhattan, but with the complex interplay of smoky agave and herbal notes it hits a whole other level. I followed that up with the No. 10. Gin, Camparo Bianco, Absinthe, Chartreuse, and Soda combined to make a bright and refreshing sipper. Again, the addition of the anise and herbals adds those extra layers that take it beyond the classic gin and soda.

Another aspect I appreciated greatly about Bellwether is the lovely simplicity of the wine list. It is short but well-curated, with simple labels telling you what to expect. You can feel safe in your choices of ‘Good Bubbles’ or ‘Bold Red’. Or you can get a little experimental with ‘Orange Wine for the Brave’. Either way, it removes the guesswork of whether to order this or that wine based on what you are looking for.

The visit wouldn’t have been complete without ordering a few snacks. The food menu at Bellwether is minimal but also will fulfill most needs. I grabbed a starter of the meat plate, which had salami, spicy coppa, and pork rilletes, with a variety of pickled veg and crackers on the side. The meats were Olympia Provisions (so you know they are spot on) and I really loved the pickled kohlrabi addition. For my main I went with the pan seared chicken thighs which were served with an Israeli couscous and wild mushrooms. The chicken was super juicy and tender and the couscous was bright and lemony with perfect earthiness from the mushrooms. 10/10 would eat again!

Bellwether certainly lives up to the hype they have been getting and I’m excited to head back and try all of the rest of their offerings! Check out their menu and plan your visit Here.

Where should we check out for our next Hot Spot? Let us know in the comments!

Wild Thing

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This week’s Hot Spot is brand new plant-based build-a-bowl restaurant Wild Thing! This delicious Alberta outpost is brought to us by alum from two of our PDX faves, Arden and Tusk. We could not be more excited to have a new grab-n-go option that is not only healthy, but also a nice alternative to the typical rice and bean joints.

Wild Thing’s concept is pretty simple, but done in an elevated way. You start with options for the base, tri-color quinoa, brown rice, or mixed greens, or even a combo. Then you have many options of fun vegetable toppings to choose from. One of my favorite things about Wild Thing is that they made the flavors really diverse – sumac, turmeric, urfa chili – but also made sure that you can easily mix and match and have all of the flavors complement each other.

On our recent visit I went with smoky paprika cauliflower, sumac cabbage, lemony brussel sprouts, roasted delicata squash, and sesame broccoli. Then you get to add some crunch and I definitely went crispy garlic. The sauces are wonderful as well, with options like hazelnut romesco or tahini miso. Again, all of the flavors meld so well! If you want to bulk your bowl up a smidge you can also do add-ons, of which I highly recommend the lentil tempeh ‘chicken’ salad. I am generally not a big fan of tempeh, and this scoop was a game-changer!

Wild Thing also has their own branded cans of wine, a light chilled red and a crisp white, plus kombucha, cold brew, and other tasty options. Open Weds- Sat 11-7 with a happy hour from 3-5. Check them out next time you are looking for a delicious and hearty bowl in NE Portland! Visit virtually Here.

Where should we check out for our next Hot Spot? Let us know in the comments!

Game Shops

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Fall is just around the corner and what is cozier than gathering around the table with friends and family for a board game night? The hobby of board gaming has been around for ages, but has had an even bigger resurgence in the last decade. Luckily, Portland has some amazing game shops where you can buy, rent, or play different board games and find your new favorites! Here are our favorite Portland area game shops.

Cloud Cap Games

1226 SE Lexington St, Portland, OR 97202

Open Daily 11 am- 7pm

Check them out Here

Guardian Games

345 SE Taylor St, Portland, OR 97214

Monday-Saturday 10 am- 10 pm

Sunday 12 pm- 7 pm

Check them out Here.

The Portland Game Store

 922 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217

Sunday, Monday, Thursday 11 am- 7 pm

Tuesday, Wednesday 11 am- 9 pm

Friday, Saturday 11 am – 10 pm

Check them out Here.

Rainy Day Games

18105 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy, Aloha, OR 97003

Monday-Friday 11 am- 8 pm

Saturday 10 am – 7 pm

Sunday 12 pm – 6 pm

Check them out Here.

Red Castle Games

7160 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206

Daily 11 am – 8 pm

Check them out Here.

Make sure to stop by one or all of these great game shops the next time you want to pick something up for family night, a fun gift, or just to stop in and make some new friends at the table! Did we miss your favorite Portland area game shop? Let us know in the comments! And for other great spots to shop in Portland, check out our other lists Here.

Lolo Pass

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This week’s Hot Spot is the perfect rooftop bar to wrap up your summer fun – Lolo Pass! While Lolo Pass is essentially a hip Euro-style hostel, they also have a very cool rooftop space for you to sip, snack, and take in the city views.

We headed over to Lolo Pass this week on a hot sunny day to see how it stacks up. The answer? Excellent! We started with some drinks – the Brut Rose and the Gemini SZN. Brut Rose is always a favorite for summertime sipping, but as far as I’m concerned, the Gemini SZN truly stole the show. Basically an Aperol spritz but with the lovely addition of Combier Pamplemousse, I could drink these all day long.

After finishing our first round of beverages, we ordered some tasty snacks. The fried artichokes were very crispy and served with lemon and a nice aioli. The term ‘fries’ on the menu was rather misleading, as what actually came out was so much more. They were like fluffy fried potato cubes, with shaved Parmesan, fried capers, and an anchovy aioli for dipping. ‘Fries’ did not come close to doing them justice. Next, we tried the Toast. Again, a simple word that falls short of the deliciousness we received. This Toast came with a generous spread of creamy goat cheese, topped with a rainbow of tangy beets, a few kale chips and a dusting of some mysterious and magical green powder. I don’t even really like beets. These beets changed my mind.

We will definitely be heading back up to that lovely and casual rooftop spot at Lolo Pass. We can’t wait to see all of the great things they do and try everything else on both of their menus! You can check out Lolo Pass Here.

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

Deadshot

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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!

June 2021

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The latest market update is out for June of 2021. Inventory is starting to creep back up and the buying frenzy is starting to calm down. This is really good news for buyers that are still in the market. We are seeing homes get a couple of offers instead of 20 and houses selling for 100K over list price are becoming increasingly rare. If you are a seller, there is still a good market out there and plenty of buyers, it just isn’t the feeding frenzy it was back in March. If you want to get into the details, continue on below!

The first things we notice is the average sales price. We haven’t quite hit 600k as our average to live in Portland proper, but we will by next month. This is over a 20% increase from last year and a 2% increase from just last month. I know we say this a lot, but if you are on the fence about buying, get off of it. Things are going to continue to climb and gain equity, so waiting is only making it harder to buy.

The other big stat that jumps out is the amount that things are selling over the list price. Earlier I mentioned that things were starting to cool off. That is true though this number doesn’t show it. The thing to remember is that 13% average is from homes that went pending in May and closed in June. May was one of our busiest months. Things have settled back down between 8-10% over as of recently.

The other bit of good news for buyers is that listings are finally starting to climb up above the closed sales. Things are still selling quickly, but at least everyone has multiple options when they are deciding what to buy. If you are a seller, make sure you are situating yourself with the right listing agent, the right price, and the right marketing so you can stand out among the crowd.

If you want to chat about specifics whether it is buying or selling, we are happy to do so! Just call or email us and we would love to talk with you about your unique situation! You can also look for homes HERE if you are ready to get started.