365 Things To Do In Portland, Oregon

If you've spent any time in the Portland area, you know that we love our wines here.  AND, just a short drive away we are lucky enough to have lots of wineries where we can pursue our wine educations... Sometimes, though, it's tough to get away from our schedules to taste a pinot or sip a chardonnay.  Thankfully, tonight in the Pearl District the Valley is coming to us!

This evening from 5-8pm in the Gerding Theater (Pearl District), several Estate wineries and restaurants from the Yamhill / Carlton area will treat Portlanders will their finest wines and foods.  For $25 (in advance, or $35 at the door), you can eat and drink to your heart's content.

The Gerding Theater is located in Portland's Pearl District at 128 NW 11th Ave
phone 503.864.2991

Event website: www.localwineevents.com

Time to venture out of the Pearl for a few posts.  There are some amazing finds over on the east side of Portland, Oregon.  One place that will fuel two addictions is Crema, a cool bakery / coffee shop over on SE 27th and Ankeny.  It's owned by a really nice guy named Brent Fortune, who is also an international barista judge.  Lesson - the coffee here is serious business.  They use beans from local roaster, Stumptown Coffee, and their baristas know exactly what they are doing.

When it comes to pastries and baked treats, you can't go wrong here either.  There was a time when i could not go without my ham and cheese croissant in the morning or a cupcake in the afternoon.  The frosting was so good, I was tempted to order a gallon drum of it.  Just for me.  Yes, it's that good.

Crema's space is clean, simple, and modern.  Concrete floors, high ceilings, and lots of glass with views out into the neighborhood.  It's a cozy place to set up shop and catch up on emails (WiFi is free) or to escape the liquid sunshine we sometimes experience in our lovely city.

Crema  coffee+bakery
2728 SE Ankeny Street
Portland, Oregon 97214
503-234-0206

www.cremabakery.com

It will become readily apparent as I continue to write that I am a big foodie.  I love eating out in Portland.  There are so many options, so many amazing chefs, and delicious stuff at all price points all over town.  As I was flipping through the latest issue of Portland Monthly Magazine this weekend, I realized that I may be adding a few pounds this month.  I turned the page to find an advertisement that read "In June, the chefs who set the foodie world abuzz say thanks.  Portland's acclaimed restaurants, from downtown and beyond, will strut their inventive stuff with select 3-course meals for a mere $25"

According to the event website, "Dining Month Portland is a month-long promotion featuring three-course dinners for $25, for the entire month of June 2010.  Approximately 50 restaurants in the city are participating.  The locations of the restaurants and their menus are listed onwww.diningmonthportland.com.  Dining Month Portland runs the entire month of June 2010 and the three-course menus are valid every day of the week."

I'll see you around town. I'm getting my elastic waisted pants ready! But it will be worth every calorie.

When I first moved back to Portland, Oregon  the first place I landed was a pretty wine bar called Vino Paradiso.  It's a low key Pearl District wine bar that is big on experience and not on attitude.  One of the owners is member of a wildly popular Portland music group - Pink Martini.  When talking about his goals for the wine bar, he told me that he wanted a place where people could learn about the wine in a comfortable environment without the snooty-ness you might expect elsewhere.

Vino Paradiso is great.  The space is bright and exhibits artwork of local artists.  An impressive glass wine room sits right in the center of the space.  Just the other day, I stopped by for one of their selected wine flights and a tray of cheese and meats. It's a great way to test your taste preferences, and for a great deal, too.  Most of their current flight selections are $11 or $12 (3 pours).

A full dinner menu is offered, in addition to some great prix fixe menus and a happy hour menu.  Their daily happy hour which runs from 4-6pm features great food at $6 and $2 off specialty cocktails and glasses of wine.  From time to time, winemakers will stop by for dinners and education events, and you can quickly transform into a well educated wine-o in no time at all!

Vino Paradiso
417 NW 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209

Chef - Paul Losch
Sommeliers: Timothy Nishimoto, Thomas Champine

Uptown Billiards is a GREAT local restaurant and billiards club that offers one of THE BEST Happy Hour dining options in all of Portland, Oregon.  Uptown's chef puts together a constantly changing 5 course happy hour meal between 4pm and 6pm for only $15!!  Plus, guests can pair each course with wine for only $10 more.  The food is fantastic, and the space is just as good.  Uptown Billiards is everything you'd expect of  a classy old world space - dark wood, dim lights, velvet drapes, and gilded mirrors.  Stop by the club and try it for yourself, you will be glad you did!!

For dinners between 6:30pm and 8:30pm, the 5 course menu runs $25 and can also be paired with wine for an additional $10.

Uptown Billiards Club
120 NW 23rd Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97210

503.226.6909