Discover Portland: Leisure Public House

January 6, 2011

One of my friends was just commenting on how much she adores the St. Johns area and would love to move there.  She is in love with the area’s small pretty shops, quaint diners, and friendly atmosphere. I myself have never been, but after stumbling across the Leisure Public House in the St. Johns neighborhood I will most definitely be taking a trip to the North.

Leisure Public House is one part bar, one part pub, and is 100% the kind of place I would love to hang out at. They have a full bar, an absolutely gorgeous outdoor seating area, and a menu that is anything but ordinary–instead of a hamburger and fries, why not try their chevre salad with fresh goat cheese, or one of their gourmet pressed sandwiches?

They definitely succeed in the fun area as well. You can play some ping pong, something called bocce ball or just play some tunes on their jukebox. Then on Mondays you can show off your talents during open mic night. Tuesday try your luck at trivia night to win some cool prizes. Then wind down on Sundays with Sunday movie night–last week they showed one of my faves, Big Fish.

I really love the story of how Leisure came to be as well. Owners, Travis and Nicole, had a passion for pubs and a love of their neighborhood, and they both wanted to create a place where people could come hang out and get to know each other in a comfortable, fun setting.  You can really tell when you look at this place that they put a great deal of thought and hard work into designing it. Travis actually built  Leisure’s patio, tables, benches, planter boxes and bocce ball court, all himself!

I can’t wait to visit Leisure Public House located at 8002 N. Lombard St. Find them online here.

Discover Portland: Brow Betty

January 5, 2011

With hundreds of spa/salon options available in Portland, it is easy for consumers to be overwhelmed by choices and for salon owners to get lost in the crowd.  Brow Betty, a premiere eyebrow and waxing bar, hopes that their fun, no stress atmosphere and to the point slogan “Perfect Eyebrows in the Bat of an Eye…No Lie!”, will make them stand out from the sea of businesses for years to come.

Even though they offer other types of waxing and products, brows are of course their passion and forte. Unlike some salons where waxing is more of a secondary side business, Brow Betty does eyebrows all day every day, and they won’t let you leave until they have found the perfect arch for your face.

Surrounded by cotton candy pink walls and 50′s style wooden mirrors you just can’t help but feel upbeat and ready for beautification. The estheticians are all waxing veterans, and are all as cute as a button.  Besides eyebrows, the team also does all other types of facial waxing, body waxing and tinting.

They will also give you some great tips and tricks on how to keep your newly plucked/waxed areas looking great all the time. As someone who took off half her eyebrow last time I tried waxing it myself, I would very much appreciate that kind of advice.  You should also check out the shops highly entertaining blog here–where I found out about something called vagazzling, and yes it is what it sounds like.

Brow Betty is located at The Pointe at Bridgeport, 7114 Hazel Fern Road in Tigard.

Trendy Tuesday: A Hip Airport Hotel With a Focus on Style & Green Practices

January 4, 2011

The Marriott, Holiday Inn, Motel 6, these are the standard sleeping options that are normally nearby an airport when you visit any U.S. city.  You can expect a hard bed, minimal design, Denny’s style food, and an overall lack of comfort and entertainment. And then there is Aloft Portland Airport Hotel, basically the opposite of everything I just described.

Aloft is located at 9920 NE Cascades Parkway, and is just minutes from baggage claim at Portland International Airport. Stylish, fun, and green minded to boot, Aloft is a clear display of Portland pride and the creator’s love for the North West. This bold new airport lodging sports a loft inspired design with earth tones and geometric shapes, as well as a green building plan and an enforced eco program.

The hotel itself has a gorgeous gym, an impressive bar, a 24/7 open pantry packed full of healthy and indulgent snacks, a beautiful pool, and complimentary hotel-wide internet access. Once inside your room it gets even better, and each room has an ultra-comfortable signature bed, an over-sized showerhead, custom amenities by Bliss® Spa, and a fun, art-deco design. And you don’t have to be afraid to bring the kids along for the stay. Aloft offers for the kids a child-size air mattress and kid’s bedding, kid-friendly food options, games galore, and their splash pool.

And even though there is plenty to see and do right within the walls of the hotel, the establishment urges visitors to get out and enjoy our fantastic city, boasting about our “urban energy, cool culture, edgy art galleries, unique boutiques, and tons of outdoor activities.”  You might expect rates to be high at a place like this, but they start out as low as $99 and have a lot of great offers you can take advantage of.

This is a fun, innovative and stylish airport lodging that is like nothing I have ever experienced before.  It is a welcome addition to our fare city!

You Gotta Try This!: Sugar Mamas’ Hearty Breakfasts & Delicious Baked Goods

December 23, 2010

Growing up I was extremely lucky to have adoptive grandparents who lived right next door to us and would have my family over for Sunday breakfast on a consistent basis.  They loved filling their house with children who adored them, and we loved being spoiled by them!  My grandmother would make biscuits and sausage gravy, cinnamon rolls, and hashbrowns.  My own mother was more of a bran muffin and granola for breakfast type of person, so getting such a huge breakfast like the one my grandmother would make was a special treat for us.  I haven’t had the pleasure of eating breakfast at Sugar Mamas’ Cafe yet, but I imagine the experience is just as delicious and heart warming as mine growing up.

Sugar Mamas’ Cafe, located at 579 SW 13th Ave & SW Alder, is the creation of two adorable sisters, Michelle and Zelda, who love cooking and the joy that their food brings to their customers. Known for their big breakfasts, Sugar Mamas doesn’t scrimp on size or taste, so bring your appetite.  Breakfast is served all day long with yummy options like the Power Cakes Mama’s Cakes with dried cranberries, coconut, banana & REAL maple syrup; their authentic corned beef hash; biscuits and gravy just like how my grandmother made them; and even a meatloaf breakfast served with hashbrowns and eggs.

But Sugar Mamas isn’t just about breakfast, they also serve lunch and scrumptious baked goods. For lunch try their meatloaf sandwich, tomato soup made from scratch, or a tasty grilled sandwich.  For anytime of day, you must try a German Chocolate Brownie, their famous Carmel Pecan Sticky Buns, and their homemade Snickerdoodles just in time for Christmas!

Sugar Mamas is open Mon-Fri 7am to 3pm and Sat-Sun 8am to 1pm. Want to get them delivered to your home or office? Portland Pedal Power has got you covered, just order here and they will deliver it to you by bike!

Discover Portland: Distillery Row

December 22, 2010

Portlanders love to buy their clothes from local designers, are loyal to their favorite neighborhood cafe, and boast about having some of the best wineries in the NW, so why not take it one step further gang and try out some fantastic locally made liquor too!

I am so excited to have discovered Distillery Row.  Situated in SE Portland, Distillery Row is a handful of small distilleries who make handcrafted, locally distilled spirits available for the first time since prohibition. How great is that! There are 5 distilleries on Distillery Row–Deco Distilling, House Spirits, Integrity Spirits, New Deal Distillery, Stone Barn Brandyworks–and they make everything from vodkas and gins, rums and whiskeys, to more specialized spirits such as absinthe, aquavit, and flavored liqueurs.

Deco Distilling, located at 1311 SE 9th Avenue, makes one of my favorite rums of all time the Deco Ginger Rum. It is great with some Cola, Sprite, or some warm cider. All of their rums are made from natural ingredients. The ginger flavored rum in particular has no added sugar, which I love because then you can mix it to your desired taste.

House Spirits, located at 2025 SE 7th Avenue, makes everything from vodka, gin, whiskey and aquavit.  Sporadically House Spirits also releases a small batch of limited-edition spirit in their Apothecary Line available only in their tasting room. Their goal is to pour into every creation the taste and flavor of the Northwest. “We have great respect for our distilling elders and incorporate old world philosophy into our products for the savvy new world palate.”

Integrity Spirits, located at 909 SE Yamhill Street, sells vodka, gin and a specialty absinthe. Their concoctions are more of an art form than a drink, which makes since why their labels are designed with as much care, love and attention as their spirits. I am extremely enticed by their Hazelnut Vodka and 12 Bridges Gin.  The 12 Bridges Gin is aptly named for the number of bridges in Portland, and for the 12 botanicals in its recipe, like Hungarian Juniper Berries, cucumber and peppery ginger.

New Deal Distillery, located at 1311 SE 9th Avenue, is all about vodka. They carry four different styles of vodka, including the award winning Hot Monkey Pepper-Flavored Vodka and the one I am dying to try the Basil-Flavored Vodka. They also make a special brand of organic liqueurs called LOFT Organic Liqueurs. These are made from as-local-as-possible organic fruits and botanicals available.With flavors as diverse as Lavender Cello, Spicy Ginger Cello, and Lemongrass Cello.

Stone Barn Brandyworks, located at 3315 SE 19th, Suite B, produces yummy craft distilled, regional fruit brandies and spirits. Check out just a few of their amazing sounding drinks, like their pear and apple brandy, coffee and quince liqueurs, and an unoaked rye whiskey. I first tried one of their liqueurs at the fabulous Gilt Club and it was absolutely delicious!

I highly recommend you make a visit to Distillery Row.  I just hope Santa is reading this and makes a special delivery to my house this year!

Trendy Tuesday: Local Designs & Unique Handmade Pieces at Frock

December 21, 2010

Mix some vintage styles with some Burning Man inspired fashion and you have Frock–a unique boutique that sells independent designs and small runs of rare, one-of-a-kind pieces, and handmade items. As local as it gets, Frock is committed to the local, living economy with a product mix consisting of 90% locally designed and produced items supplemented with 10% regional, independent, and other goods.

It doesn’t matter your age or sex because Frock has something cool for everyone. They have a plethora of items and it was really hard for me to choose my favorites, but here they are!  For women, I would recommend the Stumptown Tee, Peacock Tank Top, Red Floral Applique Tunic, a belt buckle by Namaste, the bike earrings by Handmade Julz, and the What’s Your Poison necklace.

For kids, I love the Octopus Onesie, the Hotdog Hi Five Tee, and the Cat Eye Sunglasses. How cute are these little models by the way!

For the men out there, check out the Cock Tee, Oregon Undies, Lucha Mask Socks and The Hole In One Sweater Cap.

Frock is located at 1439 NE Alberta St. in Portland, Oregon.  Enjoy your holiday shopping (hint, hint) !

You Gotta Try This!: A Japanese Pub in Portland

December 8, 2010

Maybe I don’t go out enough, but I had never heard of Japanese Pubs before running across Yakuza.  In Japan they call them an izakaya, which is a type of Japanese drinking establishment that also serves food to accompany the drinks.  There are a good amount of sushi restaurants in Portland, but what intrigued me about Yakuza is the fact that they call themselves a Japanese pub and that they apparently won Portland Monthly Magazine’s “Best Burger of 2009.” Tell me that doesn’t peak your interest!

Yakuza of course has some seriously tasty house rolls and sashimi, like their Sashimi Trio, which includes, tuna, yellowtail, and salmon, and their Pear Jalapeno roll, which is a mix of yellowtail, pear, avocado and jalapeno. But you will also find some unique dishes you might not expect at a Japanese establishment, like chilled crab, kobe tartar and of course their award winning Yakuza burger.

Just as enticing as the food is Yakuza’s unique cocktail creations and their huge selection of sake.  Try a Beet Martini, the Wasabi, or a Carrot Cosmo, or one of 15 different sakes, like the Momokawa Organic Nigori Sake, which is rich and creamy and has hints of coconut.

Located in the Concordia Neighborhood at 5411 NE 30th Ave, Yakuza is truly a unique Portland gem.  To make reservations book online here.

Trendy Tuesday: The Urban Cowgirl

December 7, 2010

Uma Thurman in “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” brought a home-on-the-prairie-meets-casual-New-York-chique style to her character.  The cowgirl hat mixed with her rawhide jacket and striped cotton shirt was the perfect combination of new and old style.  Based on the current collections available at Free People, many designers apparently agree.

Slip dresses, fur vests, long flowing skirts and denim jackets line the walls of  the clothing boutique Free People, located at 817 NW 23rd Ave.  It is a look they call “Easy Rider” and the clothing really embodies the freedom and edginess connected with that name.  Some of my favorite pieces available right now are The Easy Rider Dress, Levis Denim Vest, and the Chiffon & Lace Slip.

But it is Free People’s gorgeous western inspired jewelry and accessory collection appropriately titled “the Old West” that really turns any outfit into a cowgirl masterpiece.  The collection contains a lot of leather, fringe, jade, copper and feather pieces, like the ones shown below.

For these and other great styles head on down to Free People’s shop in Portland, or find them online here.

Discover Portland: Hall of Records

December 6, 2010

From native, life-long Portlanders to those transplants who have only been here six months, everyone living here knows what makes Portland a unique and special place. We are a community of people who love where we live and can talk to you forever about why it’s so great. Hall of Records, a vinyl shop/cafe/bar, recognizes the tendency of Portlanders to feel pride and loyalty for their favorite independent local shop or bar. On their blog, the Hall of Records owners write, “Justin and I really wanted to create something unique that Portland could be proud of. The kind of place where you take your out of town guests and in a sense show off something that is as unique as Portland.”

Hall of Records certainly offers a unique experience by bringing together elements that aren’t usually found within one establishment. As the name of the shop suggests, they sell vinyl records — always a good plan in our city of music buffs and collectors. Listening stations are available to preview any of their very reasonably priced collection of 1,200 records.

They also have a cafe offering coffee, hearty snacks and sandwiches. Skillfully chosen wine and beer lists round out the menu. Hall of Records offers music, coffee, beer, and plenty of food options for both the carnivore and the vegetarian.What more can a Portlander ask for?

In addition to the obvious awesomeness of Hall of Record’s mash-up business plan and merchandise, they’ve got even more going for them as a Portland-specific attraction. Every night at 8 pm DJs rock the Hall of Records — and  Open Table Fridays allow budding DJs (and anyone who want to give it a spin) to play for 30 minute sets. We all have a karaoke/open-mic-loving extroverted friend, and a chance like this  has great appeal for those among us who like to perform.

Hall of Records is a locally and independently owned business and the owners frequently interact with their customers on Facebook, on their blog and in the store. The most recent blog post tells of a last-minute wedding reception where owners Katie and Justin prepared the food and DJed for the impromptu party. Independent ownership allows for this kind of flexibility, and Portlanders love a shop that values community and interaction. This is a city of regulars, and Hall of Records is in great shape to accrue a horde of devoted patrons.

Hall of Records is located at 3342 SE Belmont (love Belmont!  Another point in its favor!). They were recently written up in Portland Monthly — but it’s time to stop reading about Hall of Records and go check it out yourself.

You Gotta Try This!: Savory Australian Pies @ Pacific Pie Co

December 2, 2010

Tis the season for pie, and I know I’m not the only one who enjoyed a slightly excessive amount of pecan and pumpkin pie last week. However, our North American holiday pies don’t usually cover the whole continuum of potential pie fillings: we tend to stay on the sweet side. To broaden your horizons, you gotta try Pacific Pie Co.

Pacific Pie Co specializes in Australian-style savory pies, pasties and sausage rolls. These pies are sandwich-sized, not full-pie-sized, so they’re perfect for an individual meal. The savory pies come in beef, chicken, lamb, and vegetarian varieties. Lamb is a traditional Aussie ingredient in savory pies. Pacific Pie Co gets their lamb from an organic, sustainable and humane farm in Canby, Oregon.

In fact, all ingredients in PPC pies are from local Oregon and Southern Washington sources. The meat used has been raised humanely and organically, without antibiotics or hormones, and grass-fed. As a vegetarian, even I don’t object to meat eating under these conditions: small scale, sustainable, organic farming is not detrimental to the environment or the animals like conventional farming is.

Pacific Pie Co also makes vegetarian pasties (pronounced pah-sties, not pay-sties!), which sound amazing to me. Spinach, feta and tomato in a flakey, warm crust? Yes, please! They also have a cheese and veggie pastie, and did I mention that most of these menu items are $5 or $6? I’ve paid a lot more than that for a much lower quality lunch.

They also serve sausage rolls, seasonal sweet pies, salad and soup. All these delicious items from a company with a mission statement of community, sustainability and ethical stewardship of animals makes for a strongly endorsed You Gotta Try This!

Pacific Pie Co is located at 609 SE Ankeny St, Suite C, and they can be found Saturdays at the Beaverton Farmer’s Market and Sundays at the Milwaukie Farmer’s Market. Click here for their website, and find their page with a Forkfly deal for a free coffee or tea here.

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