365 Things To Do In Portland, Oregon

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.

Everyone has those friends with homes that are SO put together that you wonder if people can have homes THAT nice, right?  You'll visit for an evening and leave scratching your head and asking "Where did they get those great things?  They must have a secret..."  Chances are, some of those beautiful furnishings and accessories came from Cielo Home, a modern take on the traditional antique store.  The best part - it's no secret!  It's right in the Pearl District on NW 12th Avenue between Glisan and Hoyt.

The owners, Frederick Koeleman and Matthew Boyes, work hard to provide a store with the finest in unpredictable things of all shapes and sizes.  Cielo Home can be your resource for fantastic antique furnishings, home accessories, apothecary, and tabletop.  Walking through this shop gives you the feeling that you're a few thousand miles in a European antique store, but you're right in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District!  You'll certainly want to take some time to peruse all of the great finds here, smell some candles, flip though some unique coffee table books.

Cielo Home also offers personalized interior design services, bridal registry, and consultation services.  

As the owners like to say, it's a shop that offers "enticements new and old". 

I couldn't have said it better myself!  Stop by and shop!

Cielo Home
528 NW 12th Avenue
Portland, Oregon (Pearl District)
503.445.0111

www.shopcielo.com
www.facebook.com/cielo.home

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