Visit Oregon: The Jetty Fishery

While on the Oregon Coast, Google Mapping a place to eat, The Jetty Fishery was a search result.

Turns out, it was an entire experience!

Yes, people go to The Jetty Fishery to eat crab, oysters, and other seafoods, but it's a popular place for families and friends to spend a day crabbing or a weekend in their RV Park.

You can get fresh crab to eat, and you can pay for butter and lemon in the little market on site, which is also where people go to pay for their crabbing package rentals (you can rent a boat, life jackets, crab traps, and more).

It was pretty neat to watch families go out crabbing, and watch the seagulls scavenging all the leftover crab (which are purposely thrown into the water as advised by the staff).

You can sit at the bonfire and watch the crabbers or gaze at the pelicans.  

It was super chilly along the coast, but it only added to the experience.

Definitely checkout The Jetty Fishery for a taste of Oregon Coastal life!


The Jetty Fishery

27550 US-101

Rockaway Beach, OR 97136

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Visit Portland: Lilia Comedor

Lilia Comedor offers Mexican dishes utilizing Pacific Northwest ingredients.  

The menu is very small - just 8 dishes including dessert, but it changes daily as they emphasize freshness and hyperlocalness.  We tried the Chef's Counter tasting menu (we added on one dish).

Chayote Tatemado

The first course was complex in taste.  I enjoyed the smoky, grilled chayotes and the sweet, yet tart kiwi berries.

Wild Shrimp Ceviche Rojo

The Wild Shrimp Ceviche Rojo was pretty spicy, and I loved the accompanying fried crackers.  The shrimp was overacidulated, however, which resulted in very tough and chewy shrimp.

Chilaquille Relleno Entomatada

I loved the Chilaquille Relleno Entomatada (an add-on dish).  This dish was pretty spicy as well, but the smoky chorizo, olive oil powder, and the gigante bean filling all contributed to a really delicious dish.  

Broccoli Barbacoa

I really liked the masa dumplings that were served with the broccoli.  I thought the broccoli was tender with a nice smokiness.

Sablefish a la Brasa

Sablefish is what we locally call butterfish, and I love butterfish.  This was my favorite dish of the night.  The fish was so mild and flaky, and perfectly cooked.  The red jalapeno guacachile added a lovely dimension to the entire dish, but I could've eaten the fish just by itself.  It was that good.  

Strawberry Creamsicle

All the elements of this dessert - the whipped panna cotta, verjus strawberry, and meringue really came together to create a delightful Strawberry Creamsicle.  

Pan de Elote

The corn bread was dense and moist, topped with a roasted blueberry sauce, corn crumble, and accompanied by a charred corn ice cream.  I really liked this dessert.  

Overall it was a nice dining experience!

Lilia Comedor
3159 S Moody Ave

Portland, OR 97239

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Visit Oregon: Tillamook Creamery

Since we were going to the Oregon Coast, I made a request to stop at the Tillamook Creamery for ice cream.  It ended up being a fun and educational experience!

The Tillamook Creamery is a huge tourist attraction which shares the history of Tillamook Creamery and their popular cheeses and ice creams.

There, you can not only indulge in ice cream and cheesy dishes in their dining hall, but you can sample some cheese, buy cheese and ice cream in their market, as well as do a self-guided tour of the cheese-making process.

I tried the Tomato Soup with Cheese Curds, Grilled Cheese, and Mac and Cheese.

Talk about a trio of comfort foods!  I never had Tomato Soup with cheese curds before, but I liked it.  The Grilled Cheese was nothing out of the ordinary, but paired perfectly with the soup, and I liked the Mac & Cheese - very creamy and cheesy!

The line for ice cream was surprisingly long even though we arrived just after opening.  I got the Limited Edition Campfire Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream.  It ended up being a marshmallow-based ice cream so it was too sweet for my taste, but I enjoyed the abundance of chopped pb cups.

Cheeseburger

If you live nearby or have a cooler with you to transport, you can buy ice cream and cheeses.

They offer samples upstairs to taste.

For a fee, you can get a more thorough experience with specialty cheese tastings and an interactive ice cream experience. 

Upstairs is also where you can view the cheese-making process.  

Try and get there early before the crowds!

Tillamook Creamery
4165 N Hwy 101

Tillamook, OR 97141

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Visit Portland: Samo's Bistro

We were looking for a place to eat nearby the office we had a meeting at, and a Google Maps search brought us to Samo's Bistro.  

Samo's Bistro is a restaurant / grocery store offering both Greek and American eats.

I wasn't really hungry so I just ordered Zucchini Fries, which were good, although a bit underseasoned.

I couldn't resist the display of treats, however, so I also ended up getting a Chocolate Cake.

It was moist and chocolaty - just what my sweet tooth was craving.  

My friend had the Falafel Sandwich, which he thought was pretty tasty, although not as crispy on the outside as he would have preferred.

Falafel Sandwich

Samo's Bistro
7215 NE Prescott St

Portland, OR 97218

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Visit Portland: Cafe Rowan

I love brunch, and I was excited to try Portland brunch spot Cafe Rowan.

I am #TeamSavory when it comes to brunch, so I ordered the The Rowan.

The Rowan

The Rowan consisted of a fried egg, pepper bacon, smoked cheddar, and housemade blueberry jam.   

I didn't know how I would feel about the blueberry jam on a savory sandwich, but I liked the contrasting touch of sweetness.  It was a great, satisfying sandwich!  

Bananas Foster French Toast

There is only one sweet on the menu, and I wasn't planning on ordering the Bananas Foster French Toast until I saw the server walk it to another table. 

It was really delicious. The brioche was nice and soft. I thought the miso flavor was faint in the miso caramel sauce, but I really loved the bananas and the cinnamon sugar walnut crumble.

I'm not a coffee drinker so the coffee maple syrup was too strong for my liking, but overall it was so yummy.

The Morty

My friend had The Morty - a special of the day. 

If you love brunch as much as I do, give Cafe Rowan a try! 

Cafe Rowan

4437 SE Cesar Estrada Chavez Blvd

Portland, OR 97202

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Visit Oregon: Buttercup Ice Creams and Chowders

In the tiny city of Nehalem, about 90 minutes from Portland, is Buttercup Ice Creams and Chowders.  This shop specializes in two foods on opposite ends of the spectrum, but in the same category of comfort foods.

While waiting for our chowder, we saw lots of regulars (one of even gave us chowder recs) in addition to visitors, with equal amounts of guests ordering their homemade ice cream and chowders.

PB&J Ice Cream

The Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream was one of the best I've had in a long time - and probably ever.  It was so creamy, with a delightful peanut butter taste that was not overwhelming, with ribbons of jelly throughout.  Every time I look at the photo I wish I had some to eat! 

NW Clam Chowder

They offer four types of chowders.  We got the NW Clam Chowder, which consisted of clams, bacon, cream, dill, garlic, lemon, Nehalem Bay seasoning, sherry, Yukon Gold potatoes, celery, onions, grilled prepped peppers, and tomato butter.   You can opt to add cod, prawns, or calamari for an additional fee (we added cod). 

It was full of fish and veggies, and I thought the flavors were very balanced.  Although I prefer thicker, creamier chowders, this chowder sure hit the spot on such a chilly and rainy day.  

If you find yourself in the city of Nehalem, stop in at Buttercup Ice Creams and Chowders!

Buttercup Ice Creams and Chowders
35915 N Hwy 101

Nehalem, OR 97131

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