PDX Weekend Happenings for July 30-August 1

July 30, 2010

What would a Portland summer be like without its festivals?  The Rose Festival, The Blues Festival, The Food & Wine Festival, we have a party for every occasion and this weekend we have not one, not two, but three funtastic festivals to choose from.  Have fun but remember, having too good of a time is not a good excuse for why you can’t come to work on Monday!

PDX Bridge Festival

What: The PDX Bridge Festival kicked off July 23 and is now in its second weekend.  The event runs for 16 days and every day offers something new and fun!  You don’t want to miss this weekend’s Morsound concert, carnival and a showing of the film Bridge to Terabithia.

When: July 23-August 7, 2010

Where: The events all take place at different locations around Portland, so visit their website for location, prices and times.

Bones and Brew Festival

What: Portlanders never really need a reason to drink some NW brew, but if we did, supporting the Oregon Zoo would be a good one!  The festival brings together great beer, music, bbq, and welcomes adults and children, even children of the four footed kind.  Admission is only $3 and proceeds will benefit our beloved zoo.

When: July 31-August 1; 11am-9pm Saturday & 11am-5pm Sunday

Where: The Pearl District, NW 15th Ave. between Everett & Glisan.

PDX Unplugged Summer Fest 2010

What: PDX Unplugged Summer Fest is a three day long music extravaganza with over 80 bands of all types of genres playing on two different stages and it is all for FREE!

When: July 30-August 1; times vary so check out the Hawthorne’s website.

Where: The Hawthorne Theater




A Night to Remember: A Forkfly Staycation at The Benson Hotel

July 27, 2010

The Deal: Forkflyers stay for $99…including parking & taxes!  To put this in perspective, the best posted rate is $194+$26 for parking.  Additional deals at The Benson: $10 off at The London Grill w/hotel stay, $1 off Happy Hour wine or cocktails in the Palm Court, $2 off any food item in the Palm Court.

How to get it: Call The Benson at (503) 228-2000.  Visit http://forkfly.com on your mobile phone or download our iPhone app to redeem.

Last Friday I had the pleasure of staying at a Portland icon for the first time in my life.  I’m no stranger to the occasional stay in downtown, but I’d grown up hearing that The Benson was reserved for jetsetters, diplomats, and sitting presidents.

Fortunately for those of us in PDX, The Benson now accepts Forkfly!

The rooms were surprisingly modern, and incredibly well appointed.  We immediately plopped down on the Tempur-pedic bed wondering if we’d immediately fall asleep in memory foam induced bliss.  Fortunately we managed the strength to get back up and head to The London Grill, one of two restaurants in the hotel.

The London Grill was delicious beyond words, and the staff was among the friendliest and most attentive I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining with.  Restaurant manager Luis Perez has done a wonderful job of updating the menu of this Portland classic.  This truly was one of the best meals I’ve had in years.  The atmosphere in The London Grill makes this the perfect spot for a romantic evening of quiet chat while sipping from one of over 6,000 available bottles of wine.

After polishing off a great Oregon Pinot Noir, we took a long walk along the Portland waterfront, strolled lazily up Broadway and returned to our room for an amazingly restful nights’ sleep.  The perfect end to a perfect day.

Great Weekend Deals: Paragon, The Benson Hotel, 50 Plates, Wine Unwind

July 16, 2010

Forkfly’s Editors Picks:

Want the best deals around town for the weekend?  These great PDX merchants accept Forkfly!

Paragon:  Fridays only, 4-6PM, get their famous rosemary fries for only $3!  (1309 NW Hoyt St.)

- What’s not to love about Paragon?  Great service, delicious food, and one or Portland’s most enjoyable patios.  The rosemary fries?  Among the best you’ll ever have the pleasure of tasting!

The Benson Hotel:  $99 all inclusive rate (parking, taxes included)  (309 SW Broadway)

- Ah, The Benson.  Growing up I remember hearing about heads of state and the occasional rock star that would spend the weekend enjoying the kind of opulence I could only dream of.  While it’s still enjoyed by the A-list crowd, a wonderful stay is very much in reach for the rest of us!  $99?  Including parking?  Simply an amazing (and very limited time) offer.  While you’re there, enjoy their other great Forkfly offers, including specials for The Palm Court and The London Grill.  Treat a loved one, or just treat yourself.

50 Plates:  Buy 1 lunch, get 1 free (up to $16.50 value!)  (333 NW 13th)

- Haven’t tried the incredible lunch menu at 50 Plates?  Here’s your excuse.  50 Plates is revered as one of Portland’s finest restaurants for a reason, showcasing the finest in American cuisine

Wine Unwind:  2 for 1 wine deal!  Buy 1 glass, get 1 free.  (1019 NW 11th)

- An intimate wine bar that’s still something of an undiscovered treasure, Wine Unwind is offering Forkflyers 2 pours for the price of 1.

iPhone, Mobile Web, and Android Update

July 15, 2010

We’re hoping you’re enjoying Forkfly’s new iPhone app!  Thanks to some great feedback from Forkflyers, we’re submitting version 1.2 this week with a number of stability and speed improvements.  Thanks for your continued patience as we work out some of the occasional bugs we’ve heard of.

If you’re not an iPhone user, we have good news for you!  We’ll be launching the new mobile version of our site in the next few days.  All you’ll need to do to find great savings is visit forkfly.com on your phone’s mobile browser.  The mobile experience looks virtually identical to the iPhone app version, and provides all of the same money saving content.

Are you an Android user?  A dedicated app is still very much in the works.  In the meantime we encourage you to also use the mobile version of Forkfly.com while we continue developing for your phone.

Finally, ‘where’s the content?’  Well, we’re testing our platform right now with a smaller round of merchants and adding back in our 1.0 businesses gradually.  So no worries – you’ll soon see more deals than ever on Forkfly!

Again, we’ve always appreciated the great support and feedback from Forkfly users!  Please send any app comments or requests to support@forkfly.com

Happy flying!

Try Some Peruvian Concoctions at Andina Restaurant!

July 14, 2010

There are many things that I miss about my South, Latin and Central American travels, but the biggest thing might be the food and drinks.  There is nothing quite as delicious as a daiquiri made from fresh fruit picked just hours before and aromatic spices that make your nose tingle with delight.  Even to this day, when I drink fresh coconut milk or smell carne asada grilling on a barbecue I think of the wonderful times I spent in the southern hemisphere.  I was taken back to that happy place when I entered the doors of Andina, located in The Pearl District.

Andina’s menu embodies Peruvian culture and taste.  The chefs at Andina are all Peruvian natives and have brought to the restaurant traditional culinary dishes from their home land, as well as a new style they call ‘Novoandina,’ which uses native/pre-colonial ingredients and techniques and gives them a more modern twist.

Their cocktails are also a mix of Latin American Classics and Novoandean creations.  Much like their food, their drinks heighten your ever sense:  pleasant to the palate, sight and smell.  I tried the Guanabana..Do..Doo..Do Doo Do, (the guanabana fruit is pictured below)which is made with chilled banana infused amber rum, tropical guanabana puree, vanilla almond milk and nutmeg.  A great name for a fun, nectarous concoction!  If you want to try a more traditional Peruvian drink that originated in either Peru or Chile (it is debatable), try Andina’s Pisco Sour or make your own using the recipe below!

Pisco Sour

  • 2 ounces Pisco
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 egg white
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Directions

  1. Pour Pisco, lemon juice, sugar and egg white in a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake and strain in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
  3. Pour dashes of angostura bitters on the creamy drink.

Fashion Trend of the Week: The Mini Dress

July 13, 2010

With summer finally arriving in Portland, I am excited to finally be able to wear dresses again every day.  There are tons of cute styles out there right now, like bohemian long dresses, v-neck wrap arounds and strapless tube dresses.  My favorite style though is The Mini from Mabel & Zora located in The Pearl.

The Veronica M. Kimono Mini Dress is light, flowing and I love the brightly colored flowers.  It shows off my long legs, hides my mid section problem areas and it would work well with a vibrant neck piece, like the one pictured above.  It is the type of dress you wish you could get away with wearing every day!

Mabel & Zora is located at 748 NW 11th Ave in Portland, Oregon.

PDX Weekend Happenings for July 10-11, 2010

July 9, 2010

There are some out of this world events happening this weekend in and around Portland.  Events that will shock you, mystify you and maybe even take you boldly where no man/woman has gone before.  This is Forkfly’s weekend happenings for July 10-11.

Trek in the Park

WHAT: The small theater group in Portland, OR called Atomic Arts is performing their second season/episode of Trek in the Park — a live action recreation of a classic Star Trek episode from start to finish. The group launched Trek last summer with weekend performances of the bizarre episode ‘Amok Time’, and was widely enjoyed! Local band Fast Computers provides the live soundtrack, including a great rendition of the theme song to get things off to a spacey start.  All of my friends and I are going opening weekend, so hope to see you all there!  This event is free to all ages.

WHERE: Woodlawn Park, corner of Claremont & Oneonta in NE Portland.

WHEN: July 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31 & Aug. 1

TIME: 5pm

OMSI Teen Night

WHAT: Teen night is a FREE evening of music, games and SCIENCE, and all without your parental units.  Ages 13-18 are invited to come view the new Einstein exhibit, Samson the T. Rex and have fun on the Segway rides.  Sounds pretty awesome to me!

WHERE: OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave

WHEN: Saturday, July 10

TIME: 7pm-8pm

Turkey Rama 2010

WHAT: This is the 50th anniversary of Turkey Rama, which is an annual summer celebration that observes the historical importance of the once-thriving turkey business in the surrounding county.  This year’s festivities include the World’s Largest Turkey BBQ, a street fair and a Turkey Trot 8k run/walk.  No cost for entry.

WHERE: McMinnville, Downtown & E. Wortman Park

WHEN: July 9, 11am-10pm; July 10, 8am-11pm

I’m just wondering if there will be any turkeys left for Thanksgiving after this weekend!

Gluten-Free for 60 Days!

Awhile back on our blog we posted a piece about the gluten-free phenomenon.  After reading about the signs of Celiac disease (fatigue, stomach aches, cloudy thinking, etc.), I started to wonder if I too could benefit from a gluten-free diet.  I decided to seek out the help of Dr. Laila Nematbakhsh at Asula Chiropractic & Wellness Center.  Dr. Laila can do a complete gluten sensitivity and full nutritional test for you to determine the best healthy eating plan designed for your individual body.  After answering several pages of questions and taking the necessary tests, Dr. Laila recommended that I try going gluten, soy and dairy free for 60 days.  Within that 60 days we would monitor how I felt and if I saw any improvements in my health and mental wellness.  After the 60 days we would bring back the gluten, soy and milk in increments to pinpoint which foods might be causing the problems.  My goal after the 60 days is to feel more alert, energetic, have less stomach pain and a clearer head.

I think my biggest worry of course with this diet was eating out.  I was surprised and then overjoyed to find out that many of my favorite places to eat have a gluten-free menu or gluten-free items.  Theo’s, located at 121 NW 5th Ave, is a great place to get a yummy gluten-free burger or sandwich, and your meal even comes with some tasty g-f barbecue Popchips.  Seres Restaurant and Bar, located at 1105 NW Lovejoy St, has a full g-f menu complete with appetizers, entrees and sides.  

One of the biggest temptations for me eating out is the bread they serve before dinner.  I normally would devour half the basket before the server even came over to get our order.  Now I have to watch sadly as my date munches on bread, while I sit trying not to drool.  But at  Andina, located at 1314 NW Glisan, they have solved the premeal problem for Celiacs.  You can ask the waiter for a plate of delicious lightly fried yucas.  Yucas taste like a combination of a plantain and a potato and are widely used in South American dishes.  The yuca snack is served with a side of gluten free salsa, and believe me once you try these you won’t be thinking about bread any longer!

I am only into my second week going gluten free, and I will be blogging more about my findings in the weeks to come.  Please join me on this journey and be sure to leave a comment, suggestion, and if you have any questions about going g-f or to schedule a nutritional test call the fantastic staff at Asula Chiropractic & Wellness Center located at 1828 NW Overton in The Pearl District!  Tell them Forkfly sent you and look for their deals on our new Iphone app.

Meet Our Forkfly Mascot and Office Dog–Rosie!

July 8, 2010

Here at Forkfly we are a very close team.  Many hours have been spent together throwing around ideas, celebrating our milestones, and pulling our hair out in frustration when we hit some boulders in the road (well except for in Chad’s case he’s our office baldy).  Through all the good and bad though we have always had a constant joy in the office and that is our Forkfly mascot/office dog Rosie.  Paul got Rosie from a friend about a year ago.  It was just a coincidence that Rosie oddly resembles the Forkfly icon, but it is very fitting considering she has become one of the family to everyone here at the office.

We all know that Rosie loves being a part of Forkfly, but here are some things you might not know about Rosie.

1.) What breed is Rosie?: Many people mistake her for a strange pug mix, or even a pot bellied pig, but our gorgeous little Rosie is a French Bulldog.

2.) How old is Rosie?: She is a little over a year, and is all puppy!

3.) What are her favorite places to go?: The food carts down on 5th and Stark, any dog park, and of course to Forkfly merchant shops.  She loves the food carts because people are always dropping yummy scraps for her to gobble up, and she loves stopping by Forkfly merchant shops because they are always so nice to her and shower her with attention.

3.) What are her favorite things to do?: Play tug of war, wade around in the water, run around with other dogs, be on your lap, go for a walk around the Forkfly office, and camping.

4.) What is she scared of?: Not much scares Rosie.  She loves big dogs, people and cats.  The only things that seems to cause her distress are the vacuum cleaner and having no food.

5.) What is her favorite part about Forkfly?: Rosie loves going around and meeting new Forkfly merchants, as well as impressing us all with her ability to sit and sleep for several hours at a time.  Plus, Rosie loves getting a good deal just as much as any gal :)

You can often find Rosie waddling around the Forkfly headquarters, chewing on a toy and nudging us to pet her.  Stop by and say Hi.  She loves visitors and revels in the attention.  She will also be featured in a new blog “Roaming with Rosie” where she will help me check out Forkfly merchant shops and of course get her picture taken.  We are also working on a special Rosie cam that will allow all her fans to check in on Rosie from here at our office.  And if you are the creative type, we are also looking for someone who could knit or make a cool Forkfly shirt for Rosie!

Forkfly’s new iPhone app is live!

(Not an iPhone user?  We promise we’re working on versions for your phone right now!)

Finally!  Forkfly’s new version is now live in the app store!  So what’s new?

(Please note that we’re still adding merchants from 1.0 daily.  It’s a manual process, so please keep checking back!)


Results Page: First you’ll notice a completely new interface.  All of our merchant listings now include a thumbnail view so you can easily spot them in the future.  Access merchant info directly or tap ‘Map View.”


Map View: Want to see what’s around you?  This view allows you to zoom in, move across town, or just browse whatever you like.  Tapping on a pin brings up a link to that merchant’s Forkfly profile.

Profile Page: Tapping on the merchant’s logo brings up more photos.  Tapping the map pulls up a full screen version and allows you point to point directions.

You’ll notice there are three tabs:  Profile, About, and Deals.

Profile:  This gives you the basics.  Tap the phone number to make a call to the business.  The “Web” buttons include direct links to the merchant’s Facebook, Twitter, and web page.

About:  A description of the merchant, written by the business owner.

Deals:  Our favorite part!  See below…

Merchants can now create up to four offers, including very special one time use deals!

Coupon Screen: To use a Forkfly offer, double tap the coupon.  You’ll have two hours to use it.  Ongoing offers will ‘reset’ the next day (in other words, you can use it again), while one time deals will show ‘redeemed.’

Care to share?  Tap the Facebook icon on the coupon to spread the word!

We have updates in the works and we appreciate your support and feedback!

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