Exploring Astoria, Oregon

Before I had to fly back to Boston (on Labor Day) for work, Z and I took full advantage of our holiday weekend. We kicked things off Friday afternoon, first stopping at de Garde Brewing in Tillamook, and then making the gorgeous sunset ride into Astoria (about 1.5 hours away).

Astoria is a place I've wanted to check out for a while now. Z and I love the Oregon Coast, and Astoria is saturated with history (and the house from The Goonies is there, which is extra cool).

We stayed at an Airbnb Friday night, which was located right in downtown Astoria...AKA only a short walk to the breweries we wanted to visit. Astoria's downtown is located right on the water, so everywhere we went during our short stay had lovely, ship-filled views.

Some of our most noteworthy stops in Astoria included:

The Riverwalk

The Riverwalk in Astoria stretches for over 6 miles, but we enjoyed walking just a short distance of that after our breakfast (see below). The Riverwalk was a nice way to get around the downtown area on a beautiful day - right along the water, with lovely views everywhere you look.

Fort George Brewery

Inside the Taproom.

Fort George was high on our must-visit list. The brewery has two different settings, including their Public House (with an upstairs and downstairs menu) and, right next door, their Lovell Brewery & Taproom. We had dinner upstairs in the Public House Friday night, where mason jars full of beer and delicious pizzas (and a just OK tofu banh mi) hit the spot. On Saturday afternoon, we hit up the taproom, where the beer list was more "special" (i.e., featured several brewery-only beers, which the Public House lacked). Oh, and the bartender at the taproom put fresh hops in my 3-Way IPA sample (pictured above). Winning!

Buoy Beer Company

To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of the beer I tried at Buoy (their IPA). However, their taproom floor is open to the water below - where several seals were sleeping! It was really cool to drink a pint and watch the show below us. We checked out Buoy right before it closed Friday night, but I'd be open to going back during the day time to enjoy their views of the river (and more seals, obviously).

Columbian Cafe

It looks incredibly unimpressive from the outside, but this teeny little joint pushes out some incredible breakfast dishes - with plenty of vegetarian options to boot. There are only a few booths, as well as bar stools overlooking the one chef/griddle, which is where we delightfully sat and enjoyed the show. We were lucky to go here on an unusually quiet weekend, but expect some wait time (it's worth it!) if you're not as fortunate as we were.

There are many other places to visit in Astoria, but we made the most of our short trip!

How did you spend the last long weekend of summer?

Beers, Eats, and Views - The Seattle Edition

Seattle. Is. Awesome.

You've already heard a little about our trip to Washington (here and here), but these are the remaining noteworthy stops we visited during our weekend getaway.

Columbia Center - Sky View Observatory

That photo above? That was just one of 10,000 pictures I took at the top of Columbia Center. My cousin told me about it, and I am so glad she did. No lines + affordable entry price + the tallest building in Washington = better experience and better views than the Space Needle. Winning!

The Hangar Cafe

The Hangar Cafe is a small, no-frills spot in the Georgetown area of Seattle, and we lucked out with zero wait time. (An apparent rarity here!). The abundance of sandwiches as well as savory and sweet crepes and waffles on the menu was enticing, and they have several different kinds of mimosas. Oh, and plenty of vegetarian options/substitutions to boot. I went with the Hangar Crepe ($10.75), filled with egg, Swiss, cheddar, slivered red onion, Roma tomatoes, baby spinach, and Field Roast Chipotle Sausage in place of Black Forest ham. The crepe was also drizzled with housemade poblano-basil vinaigrette and creme fraiche. 

On the side: a mason jar glass of the OG mimosa (OJ + champagne).

Pike Place Market

I mean...duh.

Pike Place Market was high on my list - mainly for the "full Seattle tourist experience" - and it was definitely worth the walk-through.

The farm stands and people-watching were fantastic (as expected), but it was also fun to check out the Pike Brewery for a quick pint

Fremont Brewing

Fremont Brewing was high on our must-visit brewery list, and it did not disappoint. Their bustling Urban Beer Garden had great views of the water + boats + sunset across the street - I could have sat out there all night. 

 

At the time of our visit, Fremont also had their Ales for ALS IPA on tap, which was a delicious, borderline juicy IPA (my favorite!). Great beer for a great cause = win-win.

Holy Mountain Brewing Co.

Holy Mountain was also fun to check out, despite the lack of air conditioning in their not-so-breezy taproom. (Heads up: Few places we visited actually had A/C, so plan accordingly if you visit Seattle during the hot summer months!). I really enjoyed the Somnium saison - wonderfully thirst-quenching on such a hot day.

Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub

Elliott Bay has a few locations in and around Seattle, but we stopped into the West Seattle location before heading back to Portland. The beer, in all honesty, isn't anything too special - and the space inside is dark, loud, and overall unimpressive - but I'd go back here 500 times for the sandwich above alone. This here is the Pan-Seared Tofu Sandwich ($10.50), piled HIGH with chile garlic-marinated tofu (cooked to perfection), tomatoes, lettuce, red onions, sliced avocado, and cilantro-garlic sauce, all sandwiched between a fantastic, toasted seed bread. Served on the side were addictive fries and housemade pickles.

For being a no-frills spot, I was really impressed with this sandwich and the thought that went into all of the food overall.

Who's seen "10 Things I Hate About You"?

Other notable breweries/beer bars to visit in Seattle: Reuben's Brews, Cloudburst Brewing, Outlander Brewery & Pub (for weirder beer flavors - like Lavender!), and Toronado.

Have you done any traveling this summer? 

Mother's Bistro | SW Portland

Happiness is...putting your name down for an hour wait for brunch, only to immediately turn around and see two first-come, first-served bar seats open up. BRUNCH WIN.

That's how lucky we got at Mother's Bistro a few Saturdays ago. (Yes, I'm way behind in blog posts).

Mother's Bistro is an adorable restaurant in downtown Portland - the chic decor includes black and gold wallpaper and charming chandeliers. At Mother's, everything is made from-scratch and the menu features dishes from mothers around the world. There's also a special menu each month that features a Mother of the Month (or “M.O.M.”)'s best dishes.

On this particular day, brunch - of course - began with Bloodys.

This Bloody was perfectly spicy and strong - just the way I like them!

We were apparently feeling extra indulgent on this Saturday morning, as we then proceeded to order the cinnamon roll, which was [basically] the size of my head.

The cinnamon roll, prepared by Mother's in-house pastry chef, was delightful. Perfectly flaky yet pillowy on the inside, bursting with gooey cinnamon, and topped with a thick, not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting. Totally worth the calories.

For my entree, I went with the Grilled Portabella Mushroom Scramble ($11.95). The dish was made with grilled portabellas that had been marinated in garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, then scrambled with eggs, fresh sautéed spinach, and asiago cheese. On the side was nicely thick, toasted wheat bread with soft butter and crispy home fries.

Despite having less room in my stomach thanks to the cinnamon bun, I managed to eat most of this. Everything was seasoned well, and I loved the bite of the asiago cheese in my scramble.

Overall, we had a fantastic brunch at Mother's. Breakfast is served from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Tuesday through Friday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekends. Be prepared for a wait on Saturday or Sunday, or keep your eye on those first-available bar seats!

Where have you had a great brunch lately? 

Tasty n Sons | North Portland

I know what you're thinking: You've lived in Portland for over 9 months, and you still haven't been to Tasty n Sons for brunch?

But after last weekend, I can now say I have. And I'm hoping to go back about 800 times.

Here's the thing: If I know that a restaurant typically has a long wait for brunch, I almost always never go (yes, even though I realize a wait means the food's probably pretty damn good). My morning hangriness is not to be trifled with, however, and a long wait usually means disaster for the Laheys. But for some reason, this past weekend, I was willing to take our chances with Tasty n Sons. I figured if the wait was longer than an hour, there's about a gazillion more restaurants we can go to instead if need be.

But luck was on our side last Saturday. The wait was only about 45 minutes (although, it ended up being even shorter), and Tasty n Sons takes your cell phone number so they can call you when your table's ready. No need to stand around and starve. So, while we waited for our table, we walked a few doors down to Tin Bucket for some early afternoon brews...naturally.

We hadn't even finished our beers before Tasty n Sons called, a welcome surprise for us hungry drinkers. 

We were seated at the counter overlooking the kitchen - a fun and entertaining place to sit! To start our meal off, I ordered a cup of coffee - Tasty n Sons brews Water Avenue, one of my favorite local coffee brands.

How cute is that creamer bottle, by the way?

And, of course, no brunch would be complete without a Bloody - and Tasty n Sons makes several different kinds. I went for the traditional Tasty Mary ($9), pictured, made with vodka, tomato, Worcestershire, horseradish, lemon, Sriracha, celery salt rim, and house pickles. Z opted for the Maiken Tasty ($9), made with Aquavit, tomato, Worcestershire, horseradish, lemon, dill, and house pickles. We loved both of them, but Z's version was delightfully refreshing - a nice, subtle spin on the typical Bloody Mary.

Tasty n Sons' dishes are meant to be shared - and come out as they're ready - so we ordered a few plates for the table. First up were the Potatoes Bravas ($5 for small; $8 for large, which is what we ordered). The perfectly fried, saucy potatoes were topped with an over easy egg and a silky smooth aioli.

We also shared the Cast Iron Frittata ($10), made with spicy stewed green beans, dry jack cheese, and micro greens. We loved how thin and delicate the frittata was, while also being incredibly flavorful - between the spices used and the jack cheese, this was one delicious dish. (Side note: both the Potatoes Bravas and this frittata are listed under "Smaller" plates on Tasty n Sons' brunch menu, but they were both the perfect size for two people).

Our third and final dish was the star of the show: the Summer Muffin board ($9), which consisted of an obviously homemade English muffin, piled high with heirloom tomato, pickled beet mayonnaise, Beecher's cheddar, summer greens, and a fried egg. (The sandwich didn't come cut in half...we did that, for sharing purposes).

Um, this sandwich was epic. Every single component was incredibly fresh and flavorful, and both of us easily could have eaten five more of these if we weren't already so full. 

Tasty n Sons is open daily for brunch from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (They're also open daily for dinner starting at 5 p.m., and have happy hour in the bar from 2:30 - 5 p.m.).

Aaaaand now I want to go back.

Adventures + Eats in Bend, Oregon

Last weekend, Z and I spent a fun-filled few days in Bend, Oregon - a little over three hours south of Portland. Planning a trip there yourself sometime soon? Here are some great places to eat, plus a fun adventure to help you burn off all those food calories.

Adventure:

Hiking through Tumalo Falls. Easy 3-ish-mile hike (each way) with gorgeous scenery and a breathtaking waterfall.

Food:

Pizza: From 10 Barrel Brewing. (More on all the beers/breweries/bottle shops to visit later). We needed pizza in a bad way on Friday night, and this hit the spot.

Brunch: Chow. It's worth the 1+-hour wait (they even have live music outside, and a separate bar to order drinks from while you wait). I was a bad blogger (read: hangry) and documented nothing - and there online menu is outdated - but get the brunch dish with polenta. It's amazing. And wash it down with the garlic Bloody Mary!

Bagels: Rockin' Daves, fo sho. Pictured above is Dave's Oh Nelly ($7.25), a bagel of your choice piled high with wild salmon lox, cucumber, tomato, red onion, and dill cream cheese. We even got to meet Dave, and he's super nice - so be sure to say hello to him when you visit!

Dinner: Barrio (not pictured) came highly recommended from Dave, and it did not disappoint. Focusing on Latin-inspired tapas, everything we ate here was incredibly delicious - and had us longing for more. I highly recommend the Fried Asparagus ($11) with shaved fennel and Manchego; the Vegetarian Paella ($14 for a small; $26 for a large), which came with an out-of-this-world Caesar salad, complete with vegan (!!) Caesar dressing; and the Potato Gnocchi ($11) with mushroom confit, butternut squash, and kale. (Bonus: Barrio has some solid local beers on tap, too).

More on our Bend beer adventures - and the adorable B&B we stayed in - soon!

My Current Obsessions II

We are on day two of 85+ degrees and sunshine here in Portland. After a "winter" of straight rain, all of this heat and sun has me excited for allofthethings. Which means it's only fitting to do another round of My Current Obsessions!

Happy Hour

We don't have this magnificent creation back home in Massachusetts (at least, there are no deals on alcohol back there). Here in Portland, however, happy hour is just about everywhere, and let me tell you - it's a dangerous thing now that the sun and warm weather are consistently here. There really is nothing better than ending a work day in the sunshine, on a patio, drinking a $2.50 beer. (Sorry, waistline).

Stitch Fix
Ok, Stitch Fix has always been an obsession of mine since i discovered it about a year or so ago. I've never been one to like shopping for myself when it comes to clothes, so I love how Stitch Fix does all of the work for me. Stitch Fix also sends me clothes I'd never think to try on in the store, and I typically love three or four out of the five things they send me every few months! It really is a great service. (Not familiar with Stitch Fix? Check out what it's all about here).

Brunch

This is nothing new for those who know me, but ever since moving to Portland, I've become even more obsessed with this leisurely weekend meal. We've had some great brunches in Portland so far, but we love making it at home sometimes, too. There's just something about waking up later than usual, being able to drink before noon, and diving into a plate of eggs/home fries/toast/etc. before enjoying a work-free day that I just love.

Sunday Night TV

Source: http://kotaku.com/

I am forever grateful that the majority of my favorite shows air on Sunday evening. When Sunday night comes around, all I want to do is curl up on the couch, pop open a delicious beer, and do nothing but watch TV. And this time of year, our Sunday night line-up is hoppin'. House of Lies just started last week, and Game of Thrones as well as Silicon Valley both return this Sunday. Talk about ending the weekend on a high note!

What are you currently obsessed with? 

Brunch at Meriwether's Restaurant

Meriwether's Restaurant, located right in our 'hood in Northwest Portland, is a hidden-to-us gem that we recently stumbled upon a few weeks ago. Located off the beaten path in the NW Industrial area, Meriwether's sits quietly on some history: the restaurant is situated on the site of Portland's 1905 World's Fair, the Lewis and Clark Exposition. Besides paint and some landscaping, provided by current owners John and Renee Orlando (who bought the building in 2003), the exterior has remained relatively unchanged since the late 1920's.

Oh, and they operate their own 5-acre vegetable farm just 20 miles from the restaurant. Their menu even includes a list of produce, beans, and grains the kitchen is harvesting from the farm that week.

Meriwether's serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, and Z and I decided to check out their brunch menu last weekend. It was a beautiful Sunday morning - the sun was even out! - so we took the leisurely stroll from our apartment to the restaurant. Upon arriving, I immediately loved the large Lewis and Clark photograph across the wall behind the host stand. It is an impressive display of the site's storied past.

We were seated to a table shortly thereafter on the bar/lounge side of the restaurant (across the building, there's a more formal-looking dining room as well). Our server was actually also the sole bartender that morning, despite the busy brunch crowd, but she somehow kept our service fairly quick, yet not rushed.

I'm typically a Bloody Mary gal, but Meriwether's brunch cocktail menu was varied, and everything sounded delicious. I ultimately opted for the Grand Mimosa ($10) made with Grand Marnier, hand-squeezed orange juice, and Domaine St. Michelle Brut, served over ice. it was incredibly refreshing and wonderfully bubbly (and boozy).

Meriwether's brunch food menu is also chock-full of interesting yet traditional options, with plenty of their farm's bounty evident in each dish. After much deliberation, I went with the Vegetarian Benedict ($14), with cauliflower and mushroom ragu, pine nuts, and hollandaise.

Served with a side of delightfully crispy and well-seasoned herb potatoes, this was one delicious dish. I loved how the hollandaise was super creamy yet light, and the crunchy texture from the pine nuts added a little something extra to each bite. Like most of Meriwether's brunch menu, this dish was a delightful take on a traditional breakfast dish.

Overall, we really enjoyed our first meal at Meriwether's. I'm eager to check out their lunch and dinner (and happy hour!) menus soon!

Are you a hollandaise fan? It sometimes skeeves me out, but I loved Meriwether's hollandaise!