Category: Foodies

We love Portland.


This past Labor Day weekend, we finally made it to Portland to visit our dear friends, Rebecca & Jody (You may know Rebecca as our very talented friend who made our wedding cake topper). They have a BEAUTIFUL mid-century modern home in Portland, and were the best hosts we’ve ever had the pleasure of staying with. They had a full weekend planned for us with lots of sightseeing, and they even made us breakfast every morning! Thanks for the pumpkin pancakes and home-grown veggie scramble, you two!

We were a little concerned about the madness of Labor Day weekend travel at LAX, but we just had to grin and bear it. Vacation time off is limited, so when a “free day” comes along, we just gotta take it! However we were pleasantly surprised* – it was an absolute GHOST TOWN at 5:30pm on the Friday evening of this holiday weekend! Here’s the proof:

*Okay, maybe we were slightly freaked out by the fact that it was so empty, like What the heck is going on?, but after we got over that, the pleasantly surprised part settled in …

Portland is a pretty great place. Lots of young folks just like us, a real artistic vibe, and a general concern for things like locally grown foods and independent businesses. No McDonald’s on every corner in Portland! As soon as we got off the plane, Rebecca and Jody drove us downtown, so we could visit the famous, Voodoo Doughnuts. They are known for some pretty wacky creations (check the menu!) – including their famous Maple Bar, topped with a giant piece of bacon. We went for the kitschier variety – Ed got the Captain Crunch doughnut, and Carrie opted for the Fruit Loops. Sweetness overload!

There are so many fun foods to document about Portland, but we’ll cut to the chase and get to the pictures! Feel free to click the “Portland” link under the photos too, if you want to check out the entire album.

Some favorites:

Rebecca & Jody at a local Cafe

Ed’s heart attack on a plate – Scotch Eggs. Huh?

Portland is known for their beers – and here, they feature a Beer Float! Ed says they taste great.

Vietnamese cuisine is pretty popular in Portland, and we couldn’t be happier. This is Jody after his giant crepe arrived at the table!

Now for the pretty stuff. On Sunday, we took a full day to just drive and enjoy the gorgeous Portland Scenery. We had to admit, for two city people like us, we were pretty enamored with Oregon’s green. We’re typically not the nature-y type, but we definitely fell in love!

Beautiful views on our way up to The Gorge

One of many waterfalls, peeking through the green.

Crazy for trees!

Self-explanatory.

After all of the falls, our grand finale was to visit Timberline Lodge, a historic ski lodge at the top of Mt. Hood. The place was amazing. It’s also the lodge you see in The Shining. We didn’t see Jack Nicholson, but we did see SNOW – on the last day of August! It was pretty cool.


To wrap up our trip, we flew home 1st Class – just by pure luck! Our trip was courtesy of Delta (thank you, Frequent Flyer miles!) and on the way home, they just happened to put us in 1st class!

We admit it – we are happier in 1st class. :)

All in all, it was an amazing trip. Thank you, Rebecca & Jody for being such fantastic hosts! Check out the album for more beauty …

Portland

An Amazing Evening in Food and Wine!

Last night was an amazing experience. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a very special dinner at our dear friends, Brittany & Wade’s house. Wade is a self-taught gourmet chef – no kidding – and he prepared a SIX COURSE DINNER (his “Summer Tasting Menu”) for us. To add even more amazement, Wade’s friend, Reid (also a serious expert), paired six different wines for each course.

We cannot even relay how incredible this was! Everything from the presentation to the sophisticated flavors were just top-notch. No detail was left unattended to – Brittany has great taste and she had the table set beautifully with gorgeous placemats made of exotic feathers, pretty ribbons tying up the silverware, and cool chandelier plates. It was truly a collaborative, creative & artistic evening!



Perfect ambiance. They even printed menus!

First course: Mozzarella Caprese
Heirloom Tomatoes with fresh Buffalo Mozzarella & organic Basil.
Paired with Roderer Estate Brut Rose

Unfortunately, we completely spaced and did not get a picture of this course. :(

Second Course: Gazpacho Cucumber Colonnades and Bruschetta

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup topped with Basil Cream.
Paired with 2006 Anselmi Soave “San Vincento”

Check out that presentation!

Third Course: Lil’ Caesar

Baby Romaine, Anchovy Fillet and Aged-Parmesan-Reggiano Crisp
Paired with 2005 Cuvee “La Jouline” Sancerre

Wade’s such a pro that the beautifully crafted Parmesan crisp on top is even handmade!

Fourth Course: Halibut and Crab Turett

Halibut, Snow Crab claw, Roasted Fennel with Red Bell Pepper Sauce over Quinoa.
Paired with 2006 Francois Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire “Les Tuffeaux”

This was INCREDIBLE. Carrie’s favorite dish of the night (although it was difficult to choose!). The Snow Crab claw on top was awesome, and that wonderful handmade Red Pepper sauce was all made by Wade, from scratch!

Fifth Course: Olive Oil Poached Salmon with Citrus

Citrus-marinated Salmon with Confit of Navel Oranges, Caviar and Pea Shoot Coulis.
Paired with 2005 Georges Dubeuf Fleurie Beaujolias

Also phenomenal. Wade gets his sushi-grade fish fresh at the Sunday Farmers Market at the Long Beach Marina. This salmon melted in your mouth. We regret not taking a photo after he personally served his handmade pea shoot coulis around it. The colors in this dish were beautiful – the bold color of the salmon, bright citrus beneath and a green pea sauce made it fantastic to look at.

Sixth Course: Peach Sorbet

Served in halved Orange
Paired with 2003 Royal Tokaji.

Perfect way to end the evening!

We were extremely happy guests!

Our wonderful and talented hosts.
Thank you-Thank you-Thank you, Brittany & Wade!!!

Reid and Hilary – Reid was the genius behind the INCREDIBLE wine pairing. We are inspired and hope to learn much more from him.

Mmmm…mmm…Canter’s.

It’s been way too long since we’ve been to Canter’s Deli on Fairfax, but when Carrie’s mom requested lunch there for a post-Mother’s Day celebration, we were all over it. Happy belated Mother’s Day, Mom!



Fun Canter’s facts:

  • Over 4,900 lbs of Pastrami are sold per month.
  • There are 1,500 gallons of Chicken Soup made per week.
  • 4,000 Knishes are baked per week.
  • Seating capacity is 465 people.
  • Canter’s Delicatessen is 14,000 sq ft, making it one of the largest delicatessens in the country.


An homage to Canters, one of our favorite time warps:




San Diego Stylin’ – sadly comes to an end.

To wrap up our San Diego experience, we decided to grab some lunch at Bondi, an interesting and artful Austrailian restaurant. We were intrigued, as you don’t often hear about “Australian cuisine.” We discovered that it’s not all that different from our American palates, it’s just simply prepared food that’s done extremely well.


Of course, the fact that it boasted a contemporary setting wasn’t bad either. They have these super cool bamboo Pods” that you can enjoy drinks and appetizers in. We were all over it.



After our drink, we decided to move to a table so we could better enjoy what was coming from the kitchen. Check out the presentation! This is Carrie’s grilled chicken breast with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus.

We decided there could’ve been no better way to wrap up such a stylish trip!


San Diego Stylin’, part two

Besides checking out cool modern boutique hotels, we also really enjoy scoping out fantastic restaurants. We knew San Diego wouldn’t disappoint. Tonight, we visited The Red Pearl Kitchen for some delicious asian fusion. From the dim sum to the shrimp-bacon-garlic fried rice – we left the establishment properly satisfied and super-styled.



After dinner, we needed to check out The Confidential, where we had the most delicious martinis ever – and that’s saying a lot coming from the two of us. The place was very easy on the eyes, and surprisingly, very friendly.



Now we’re back at The Keating …


So much to do tonight!