Forkfly Daily Deal: 50 Plates

November 24, 2010

Forkfly Fridays-$5 Pacific Calamari during Happy Hour!

It is extremely difficult to get good American comfort food, the way your mother or grandmother makes it, from a restaurant.  Many coffee shop diners might try to pull off some sort of overly salty chicken fried steak concoction or meatloaf made from cheap ground beef, but it always lacks that “I’ve been slaving away in the kitchen for hours” taste.

50 Plates wants to bring that happy feeling back to your tummy with American classics with a contemporary twist.  They prove that you can get the classics you love at the highest quality possible without scrimping on taste.  Their menu includes well known favorites like mac & cheese, chowder, grits, ribs, fish & chips, and of course a hefty burger with fries.  Their version of mac & cheese is way fancier than anything you’ve probably ever had: rigatoni, chicken, fennel, cheddar, parmesan.  Yummy! And their fish & chips include potato crust, asparagus, bok choy, and malt vinegar, how interesting does that sound!

Like many Portland eateries, 50 Plates does what they can to be sustainable.  Chef Patrick Miller and his culinary team have made a commitment to focus on Oregon’s agricultural rhythms as they design their menus, to use organic ingredients when possible, to use meats that are naturally raised, and fish that is responsibly caught.   50 Plates appreciates the meaning of locally grown, sustainable, and humanely raised food products.

Stop on by their location in The Pearl District at 333 NW 13th Ave, and be sure to use their Forkfly deal here to get Pacific Calamari for only $5 during Happy Hour.

Forkfly Daily Deal: The Tea Zone and Camellia Lounge

November 18, 2010

Get any cocktail during Happy Hour from 4-7pm daily at the Happy Hour price!

Here are three things just right off the bat that you might not know about Tea Zone:

1.) They offer tea classes and events!

2.) They sell much more than just hot tea.  They also have specialty cold tea concoctions and yummy food!

3.) They have proved that flavored teas can be turned into some delightful cocktails!

The Tea Zone holds classes focused around the thing they love best, tea, two or three times a month.  Class topics include things like the health benefits of drinking tea, the different types, and the proper way to serve it.  Reservations are required.  Along with their classes, The Tea Zone also holds some cool events.  They will be serving Holiday Afternoon High Tea throughout the entire month of December, which includes a 1-Person Pot of Premium Tea of Your Choice and a Plate of Delicious Savories and Sweets.  Champagne & Spirits are also available, and it is all for the low price of $18.95 per a person.  Fun!

Sure The Tea Zone’s allure is their huge selection of loose teas available for purchase, but they also have several types of tea tonics, bubble tea, fruit tea blast smoothies, and tea lattes; as well as, a large food menu with vegan and gluten free items.

Their tea cocktails are a real treat!  Try a warm drink like The Aristocrat, which mixes Earl Grey Supreme, almond, milk and Tuaca, or a cold drink like the #1 Fun, which uses Black currant tea vodka, blueberry/strawberry vodka, fresh lemon, sugar syrup, hibiscus, and is served up.  And remember that during Happy Hour all of their cocktails are only $5 for Forkfliers!

The Tea Zone and Camellia Lounge is located in The Pearl District at 510 NW 11th Ave. Find their deal with Forkfly here and enjoy your tea!

Forkfly Daily Deal: The London Grill

November 15, 2010

$50 food credit for birthdays with parties of 8 or more

$5 off any lunch or $10 off any dinner entree

Buy one appetizer, get one free from the dinner menu!

The London Grill, located inside the classy Benson Hotel, is an elegant dinner destination made even more attractive by these amazing Forkfly deals. Have you ever had an upscale tableside service experience? This is the kind of restaurant where the sharply dressed servers bring a tray to your table and prepare fresh Cesar Salad, Bananas Foster, Steak Diane and other delicacies right in front of you. I remember attending a restaurant like this for the first time as a kid, and being appalled to see that sardine paste went into my Cesar salad — but I ate it anyway, and it was fresh and delicious, and more exciting for having seen it prepared in front of me by a skilled chef.

The London Grill is a must-go any time of the year for an elegant night out, but right now is an especially great time to check it out, because of our Forkfly deals and because of their Thanksgiving special. The London Grill Traditional Thanksgiving Feast takes place from 1pm till 8pm on Thursday the 25th. The enticing menu includes appetizers, sides like garlic mashed potatoes, numerous entree options (turkey, gosling, salmon, ribs, filet mignon and more!), and a selection of pies for desert. The Thanksgiving menu has a set price for the four courses. Alternately, get your London Grill Thanksgiving meal to go with this carry-out menu.

The London Grill is an excellent place to host parties, and they have three private rooms available to accommodate parties up to 26 people. Fewer guests than that is okay too: invite at least 8 people to your birthday party at the Grill and receive $50 toward your food bill with Forkfly!  The restaurant also serves breakfast and lunch — get $5 off any lunch entree with Forkfly. And go ahead and have a glass of wine with that lunch: the wine cellar boasts over 6000 bottles. The restaurant is located inside the Benson Hotel at 309 SW Broadway St in Portland.  Whether you take them up on the Thanksgiving menu or stop by for lunch or dinner to use your Forkfly coupons, the London Grill experience will impress and satisfy you.

Written by Forkfly intern Eleanor R. Brown

Trendy Tuesday: Wine Bars

November 9, 2010

Last night the city got dark at about 5:45 pm. It was the first of many dark, wet winter days to come. When this time of year rolls around in Portland, our version of hibernation often calls for getting well acquainted with the dive bar down the street. This year, let go of your dingy watering hole and explore the trendy alternative to the ubiquitous Portland bar, the wine bar. Surely classy joints like Wine Unwind and Pour Wine Bar and Bistro will take the edge off the Seasonal Depressive Disorder the city collectively suffers from.

Wine Unwind, located in the Pearl, emphasizes comfort and an inviting atmosphere, defying the vague notion some people have of wine as elitist. This shop has a lot more going for it than just its extensive selection of European, California and Northwest wines. Every Friday the shops hosts a tasting of their favorite selections of the week, followed by live music (the website describes it as “more like a private concert”). They also host unique movie-watching experiences, where foreign films are paired with a wine from the country of the movie’s origin.

Wine Unwind has a huge selection of vino, which you can order by the glass, by the bottle, purchase to take home, or order online and have shipped to you. They also have a wine club, where you can sign up to have 2, 6 or 12 bottles shipped to you 4 times per year. The wines sent out are carefully selected for quality, matched to the season, and info on vintage and food pairings is included. Oh, and Wine Unwind offers its space for private parties without a reservation cost — you only pay for the drinks and food you and your group consume. That’s one tasty deal.

As for you east-siders, Pour Wine Bar on NE Broadway also offers selection, accessibility and value. Pour focuses more on local products — most of their bottles come from family owned small vineyards. Also, their menu is slightly more extensive than that at Wine Unwind, with a stronger emphasis on food and wine pairings. The owner Robert Voltz worked as a cook in Eugene and continues to plan and execute much of the menu at Pour. The aesthetic at Pour embraces a retro look, built around the look of the space and “a stash of Saarinen chairs left over from a 1952 cruise boat.”

Pour offers a great value on wine — check out their prices here. They do not have a retail store, but they do sell bottles to go, for $5 less than the serving price. Sundays are reserved for parties and events, and the space is available along with help in throwing a theme party or dinner.

Wine Unwind and Pour Wine Bar and Bistro offer great alternatives to your usual routine, with upbeat atmospheres and intelligent recommendations on delicious drinks. Check Forkfly for deals with these trend-setting spots.

Written by Forkfly intern Eleanor R. Brown

Green & Sustainable: The Whole Foods Story

November 4, 2010

Whole Foods does so many great things for the community and environment that it is really difficult for me not to go on-and-on about them for several pages.  They are much more than a grocery store, they are environmental stewards and local educators, and are the epitome of what Portland is all about.

Organic Products

Whole Foods offers a huge array of organic products in all of their stores. Choosing organic over a generic brand might cost a little more, but just think about this–by buying organic products you are supporting farmers and producers who believe in good health, quality foods and earth-friendly sustainable agricultural practices.  Here is the Whole Foods’ list of why you should choose organic, and the reasons clearly out weigh the cost!

REASONS TO BUY ORGANIC

  • Organic farming meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.
  • Growing organically supports a biologically diverse, healthy environment.
  • Organic farming practices help protect our water resources.
  • Organic agriculture increases the land’s productivity.
  • Organic production limits toxic and long-lasting chemicals in our environment.
  • Buying organic supports small, independent family farms.
  • Organic farmers are less reliant on non-renewable fossil fuels.
  • Organic products meet stringent USDA standards.
  • Buying organic is a direct investment in the long-term future of our planet.
  • Organic farmers preserve diversity of plant species.
  • Organic food tastes great.

Environmental Practices

Whole Foods have been trying to make green choices since the opening of their first store.  They were the first major retailer to offset 100% of our energy use with wind energy credits.  They have also made huge steps in reducing, reusing and recycling whenever possible: they compost their waste and it is given to local community gardens, they have implemented the use of power monitors and other technology to reduce their energy consumption, they use reusable and biodegradable plates in their dining area, and do tons of other little things every day.  The most exciting part about  this company is their use of wind power, solar panels, and green building techniques.  I just wish every large company would take the same steps Whole Foods has in creating a sustainably minded business!  Their efforts show me that they care more about being responsible citizens than profits, and that is a company I can get behind.

Giving Back

Whole Foods gives back to their community in many different ways.  One way is they give a minimum of 5% of their profits every year to a wide variety of community and non-profit organizations.  Another thing they do for the community is provide up to $10 million in low-interest loans to small, local producers through their Whole Foods Market’s Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP).  Loans range from $1,000 to $100,000 and can be for things like purchasing more animals, investing in new equipment or converting to organic production. We minimize the fees, interest rates and paperwork that can often get in the way of a small local farm or business taking the next step to expand its operations.  That is huge for the community!

Forkfly is proud to offer deals from Whole Foods online at m.forkfly.com and through our Iphone application.

Weekend Happenings: October 30-31

October 29, 2010

Halloween weekend has arrived! Although Sunday is not always the best party night, I’m pleased with the opportunity to celebrate all weekend long and I’m pretty sure I can bring myself to stay up a little later Sunday. (What am I saying, this is Portland, we know how to party on a Sunday.) Anyway, for our Weekend Happenings we’ve included some Forkfly Merchant events for your holiday pleasure!

Portland Walking Tours: The Beyond Bizarre Ghost Tour

What: The Portland Walking Tours offers this event every weekend, but Friday and Saturday will be especially appropriate nights to experience the haunted edifices of our fair city. The tour uses real ghost hunting equipment to capture paranormal activity.

When: On Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30, tours take place for all ages at 7 pm and for those 18 and over at 10 pm.

Where: Buy tickets here and meet your guide outside Old Town Pizza.

Pearl Animal Hospital Hawl-Loween

What: A Halloween party with snacks, drinks and a pet costume contest!

When: Saturday October 30, 2 pm to 4 pm. Costume contest judging begins at 3 pm.

Where: The Pearl Animal Hospital, 1250 NW 10th Ave.

Annual Pearl District Halloween Hunt Prize Giveaway

What: A scavenger hunt that takes you to many Pearl District businesses, including some Forkfly merchants, to hunt for activities and treats. Get your Halloween Hunt Map stamped at 5 businesses to win a prize!

Event Details: Forkfly affiliates Asula Chiropractic, Oblation Papers, Salt Grotto, Whole Foods and Yo Yo Yogi are participating.

When: Saturday October 30 from 12-4 pm.

Where: Begin at any participating business!

Sixth Annual Tour of Untimely Departures at Lone Fir Cemetery

What: Tour the gorgeous Lone Fir Cemetery to visit residents at their resting places and hear their stories, plus learn about the history of the cemetery.

Event Details: Tickets $10 per adult or $15 for a family with kids under 12. Buy tickets here.

When: Sunday, October 31, 6 pm to 9 pm.

Where: The Lone Fir Cemetery, entrance at SE 26th off Stark.

Costume Party then Vampire Trivia at East Burn

What: On Saturday, attend a Halloween party with a $500 prize for the winner of the costume contest. On Sunday, try your hand at Vampire Trivia.

Event Details: $5 cover for the party Saturday; trivia is free and requires teams of 5 or fewer. Both events are 21+.

When: The party on Saturday, October 30 doesn’t have a start time; things will probably be happening around 9 pm. On Sunday, October 31 trivia begins at 6 pm.

Where: East Burn, 1800 E. Burnside.

Drink Mix–Seasonal Cocktails

October 28, 2010

I love seasonal cocktails as much as I love seasonal lattes, which is a whole lot!  There is something so comforting and delicious about adding nutmeg, cinnamon, and/or eggnog to any drink recipe.  With Halloween and Christmas soon approaching us more restaurants and bars have began creating their own special seasonal drinks, or are putting their own spin on the classics.  I am sure there are many great places to choose from when it comes to seasonal cocktails, but the Winter cocktails at Seres Restaurant & Bar sounded too amazing for me to pass up, so I made my way down to The Pearl District to try one of these sweet liquid treats.

Seres is now featuring on their drink menu The Grasshopper, Ginger Snap, Pumpkin Patch, and my favorite cure for thecommon cold–The Spiced Hot Toddy.  I am a big fan of ginger bread, ginger ale, etc., so I just had to try the “Ginger Snap.”  This yummy cocktail is made of Yazi Vodka, Stoli Vanilla, Captain Morgans, cream, cinnamon and nutmeg.  It is a cold frothy drink, and the cinnamon sprinkle on top mixed with the white cream mixture creates a pleasant display.

I expected the drink to be a lot sweeter than it actually is, which is good and bad.  I am not the biggest fan of super sugary fufu drinks, so I didn’t mind the cocktail being on the plainer side, but in this case I think it actually needed to be a bit sweeter.  All of the right ingredients were here, but it just didn’t come together to give me that holiday cheer.  There are variations of this drink that include eggnog, and I think that was the one ingredient missing in Seres’ Ginger Snap.  I can’t wait to go back though and try the rest of their Winter cocktails, and the best part is that if you use Forkfly you can get Happy Hour prices all night long at Seres!

To make your own Ginger Snap I would recommend this recipe.

Gingersnap Egg Nog Martini

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz Canton Ginger Liqueur
  • 1/2 oz Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
  • 1/2 oz Disaronno
  • 2 ounces Egg Nog
  • 1 pinch Cinnamon Sugar
  • 1 ea Ginger SnapCookie garnish

Directions:

In a mixing glass combine all ingredients then add ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed in cinnamon sugar. Garnish with a ginger snap cookie or touille.

Portland Walking Tours

October 21, 2010

We’re always having to remind people that Forkfly offers way more than restaurant, retail and spa discounts. Services affiliated with Forkfly run the gamut from counseling to veterinary care to lodging. Today we’re featuring another surprising and fun Forkfly activity.

Sure, it’s getting a little chilly out, but what better season than autumn to stroll around Portland and take in the changing leaves, along with some local history? The Best of Portland Walking Tour offers an award-winning guided tour of inner SW and NW, ending at the waterfront. The tour is ostensibly for visitors, but locals can learn a lot — and I don’t know about you, but I’m always down to talk about why and how much I love Portland.

The Best of Portland Tour covers some things we natives take for granted, like the bronze drinking fountains and our 11 bridges, in historical depth that will enrich their presence in your everyday life.

It’s not a walking tour just because the sights are more accessible on foot; The Best of Portland Tour emphasizes the progressive lifestyle of our city, including the alternative transportation many Portlanders employ, like walking, biking and TriMet. The fact that Portland allows for such alternatives contributes to its livability, another topic explored on the tour. Portland is often praised for its skillful urban planning and design, an element you will see in action as you take in the city from a new perspective.

Let Portland Walking Tours spice up your October!

Portland Walking Tours offers other themed outings as well, including the very seasonally applicable Beyond Bizarre Ghost Tour. On the Ghost Tour you participate in a paranormal investigation of purportedly haunted Portland sites. This combined historical walk/reality TV-style ghost investigation exercise is a perfect alternative to the tired haunted house circuit in these weeks leading up to Halloween.

Another tour, which takes adventurers down into the Shanghai Tunnels under Old Town, is dubbed the Underground Portland Tour. Most of the walk takes place above ground, with “underground” referring to the exploration of Portland’s shady and criminal history.

Where you have friends or family coming in from out of town and you want to show off your awesome city, or you want to learn more about Portland by yourself, with a date or your kids, the Portland Walking Tours are the way to go. Check out the other tours available too, like the “Chocolate Decadence” tour and the Culinary Tour. Find tickets and times here, and use the mobile Forkfly site for 10% off the Best of Portland Tour price!

Written by Forkfly intern Eleanor Brown

Trendy Tuesday!: The Green Approach to Business

October 19, 2010

As slow as the progress might be, one can’t deny that businesses have made some much needed steps in the green direction over the past few years.  More and more consumers are bringing their own bag when shopping, many grocery stores have stopped offering plastic bags, companies are replacing their outdated light bulbs and appliances with energy saving ones, and even though all of this is commendable, it is businesses like Oblation Papers & Press that are helping keep Portland ranked the number one greenest city in America.

Oblation Papers, located in The Pearl District, say that they, “Have been attracted to the benefits and practicality of recycling since they opened in 1989.”   Oblation includes a letterpress print shop, urban paper mill, retail store, flat printing and a wholesale product line.  Every day they take unwanted paper products, convert them back into pulp, and make it into fresh, new paper.

Twenty years later they are still making paper and following recycling principals. Their concerns for conservation affect everything they do, including their design process. Their fiber source is now 100% cotton, acid-free, and recovered from the garment industry. They supply a machine-made envelope option with their printed work that is made from 100% post consumer waste.  To reduce waste,  they have a line of wedding invitations with only a single envelope and RSVP postcard. Their digital design department provides several environmentally friendly paper options, and prints using solid ink technology, which generates approximately 90% less waste than typical color printers. They also use soy inks and citrus solvents.

But the most impressive part about this company is that they are proud supporters of wind energy, and use this sustainable power option to run their business!  Way to go guys you are truly an inspiration to businesses everywhere!  Support green companies like Oblation right here on Forkfly, and get $5 off a purchase of $25 or more from Oblation through the end of this month.

Yo Yo Yogi

October 18, 2010

One of the uncomfortable things about attending a fitness class, especially at a new studio for the first time, is feeling self-conscious about your body, your fitness level, or your choice of activity. At Yo Yo Yogi you won’t sweat it until you hit the mat, because the studio strives to attract people of all ages, fitness levels and genders and wipe away any preconceptions about who can or should practice yoga.

Yo Yo Yogi began after an adventurous couple fell in love with yoga and toured 100 yoga studios in 100 days. They decided to open their own studio with an emphasis on the healing and meditative power of yoga and an all-inclusive philosophy, encouraging those not of the “skinny bendy pretzel variety” to give yoga a spin.

The names of their yoga classes reflect the happy, open attitude with which the studio operates.  For beginners they have a Yoga Virgins class meant to ease absolutely anyone into the basic concepts of yoga – “young or old, thick or thin,” the description reads. “No attitude, no mirrors”! I feel reassured and more confident already. Vinyasa Flow classes like Breakfast of Champions and Go with the Flow focus on breathing and poses that fit together with inhales and exhales. The upper-level Takin’ Flight class, a Vinyasa class, focuses on the breath and body connection, strength and flexibility. Power OM classes involve holding poses slowly and powerfully, and Adult Nap Time is a restorative class with pillows, comfortable postures, and “hands-on adjustments inspired by Thai massage.” And there’s also Yogaaaaah!, a class all about stretching and flexibility.

Yo Yo Yogi is affiliated with Street Yoga, a program that provides yoga classes to homeless and at-risk youth. Yo Yo Yogi clearly wants to make the world a better place, and they succeed by being inclusive, charitable and empowering. What more can one ask from a yoga studio?

Yo Yo Yogi has some sweet deals going on with Forkfly right now until the end of the month. Use Forkfly to receive a Free Yoga Session upon your first visit to the studio. Yo Yo Yogi is located in the Pearl at 1306 NW Hoyt St, Suite 101 and online here.

Written by Forkfly intern Eleanor Brown

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