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 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: The Pie Spot

 

After some shopping, my daughter and I needed a treat so we looked up dessert places nearby and found The Pie Spot.  We lucked out and scored some parking in the front.  There are lots of pie choices; sweet pies, vegan pies, gluten free pies, and savory pies.  My daughter got their popular s'mores pie while I got the apple pie warmed up and a latte.  My pie was delicious, but the latte was stellar!  My daughter LOVED the s'more pies.  

The sweet pies ($4.50 each and $54 for a bakers dozen) are just the right size and no sharing is needed.  You can also add on whipped cream or ice cream.  They also sell whole pies, but with 24 hours notice.

The Pie Spot

521 NE 24th Ave

Portland, Oregon

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Visit Portland: Tea Bar

My daughter has been on a milk tea kick lately so I made it a point to find a great boba place while we visited Portland.  Fortunately, we didn't have to look very far.  Located within walking distance of our hotel in the Pearl district, we found the Tea Bar. 

The Tea Bar is a spacious café with a very clean minimalist design.  What won me over was the quality they instill in their drinks.  Their milk teas are slow brewed over 24 hours using premium organic teas, grade A tapioca pearls, and rBST-free local dairy.  We looked over the menu and my daughter decided on the peppermint boba milk tea while I had the ginger lemon tea toddy.  Both drinks can be served hot or cold.

I loved the milky taste of my daughter's milk tea and I thought the boba pearls were perfectly prepared.  I also loved my drink which not only tasted great, but was made from an immune boosting tea - perfect while travelling!  The ginger lemon tea toddy is made with organic chamomile, cold-pressed lemon juice, fresh ginger, cayenne, and raw local honey.  When served cold, the sparkling water makes it taste like soda!

Great café to enjoy your drinks while working or studying or just taking a breather like my daughter and I did together.          

www.drinkteabar.com

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Visit Portland: Top 10 Things to Do with Kids

Portland is one of my favorite cities, and one of my kids' favorite cities too.

Here are the top 10 things to do with kids in Portland (according to my kiddos, based on the things we did on our trip):

1. Visit Enchanted Forest - although technically not in Portland, it was just an hour drive to this fun amusement park!

2. Play in the snow at White River West Sno-Park - also not in Portland, but just 90 minutes away - a day at White River West Sno-Park during the winter meant hours of snow play.  And it's free!

3. Pretend, create, imagine, and play at Portland Children's Museum - the variety of things to do here kept my kids busy for hours!

4. Learn about science through play at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry - the number and variety of exhibits intrigued the kids.  Learning was so much fun!

5. Indulge in some of the best ice cream ever at Salt & Straw - really - some of the best ice cream we've ever had!

6.  See penguins, hippos, naked mole rats, and more at the Oregon Zoo - we saw so many different types of animals!

7. Visit Multnomah Falls - my oldest exclaimed "It looks like the waterfall from Radiator Springs!"

8. Eat a nice meal at Hopworks Urban Brewery then play - love that HUB has kids playspaces!

9. Eat a doughnut covered in M&M's from Voodoo Doughnut - or a doughnut covered in rice crispies and peanut butter.  Or peanut butter and chocolate chips.  Or peanut butter & OREOs.

10. See the beautiful tulips at Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm - my kids were excited to see so many colorful flowers.  There's even a windmill on site for fun photo ops!

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Visit Portland: Top 10 Things I Love About Portland

Portland is one of my favorite cities to travel to.  I've been there twice, and I'm already longing to go back.

Here are the top 10 things I love about Portland:

Brewers Poutine from Hopworks Urban Brewery

1. Food:  Portland has so many great dining venues (you can read my Top 10: Portland Eats here), and I had the best ice cream and breakfast I've ever had in Portland.  
2. Playspaces in Restaurants:  We went to a few restaurants that had kids playspaces, which meant kids could play while the adults watched them from their tables.  What a concept!
3. Pedestrian-Friendly: I love how pedestrian-friendly Portland is, considering how so many shops and restaurants around the various Portland neighborhoods require you to find street parking to walk to your destination.  They have several crosswalk and pedestrian laws, which were very evident as we walked around Portland.
4. Eco-friendly: From our hotel, to the streets, to the grocery stores, I saw so many ways Portland encourages eco-friendliness, such as through alternative transportation and recycling.
5. Nature's Beauty - From tulips to snow, rivers to waterfalls, nature's beauty can be seen within Portland or just a short drive away.
6. Attractions: There are so many different types of attractions in Portland or nearby.  Whether you want to visit the zoo, a science museum, or even an amusement park, there is an abundance of options to choose from.  
7. Breweries: Portland has over 50 breweries.  Even though I'm not a big beer drinker, that still meant great brewpub food, and I happily indulged in some great brewpub eats (while my husband drank beer).
8. Locally-made Omiyage (Souvenirs): From bath products to sweet eats, it's not hard to find locally-made omiyage to take back to friends and family (you can find my Top 10: Oregon Omiyage list here).
9. Tax-free shopping and dining:  Although we didn't do much shopping, we sure ate out a lot, and no food or beverage tax meant we saved some money whenever we dined out.
10. Bridges: Driving through Portland it's inevitable that you'll cross or at least see one of the city's many bridges.  The different types of bridges all throughout the city make them all the more interesting. 

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Visit Portland: Top 10 Eats

Here are my top 10 eats from my Portland trip...I still dream about the ice cream from Salt & Straw...

1. Sea Salt Ice Cream with Caramel Ribbon from Salt & Straw - There are not enough words to describe how good this ice cream is!

2. Bacato Omelete from Gravy - Bacon, cream cheese, tomatoes, and green onions in an omelet.  YUM!

3. Brewers Poutine from Hopworks Urban Brewery - I ate so much of the poutine, I hardly ate my main entree!

4. Loaded Tots from Laurelwood Public Brewery - What could be better than tater tots topped with bacon, cheese, and green onions?  When it's at a happy hour price! 

5. Salted Caramel Pizookie from BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse - this dessert started my love for all things salted caramel.

6. Paris Texas from  Tin Shed Garden Cafe - Not something I'd normally eat - grilled polenta cakes layered with creamy garlic-lemon artichokes hearts and smothered with butter sauteed portabella mushrooms, capers, fresh basil & parmesan cheese, but my decision to try something totally unexpected was a great one.  This was my favorite dinner in Portland!

7. No Name from Voodoo Doughnut Too (top center)- A doughnut with chocolate frosting, Rice Krispies, and peanut butter. YUM!

8. Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream from Fifty Licks - Such a "simple" flavor, yet so sweet, creamy, and delicious!

9. Farmer's Hash from Besaw's -  How could a combination of eggs, rosemary potatoes, bacon, roasted garlic cloves, caramelized onions, arugula, and cheddar cheese NOT be good?

10. Frontega Chicken Panini French Baguette from Panera Bread - consisting of smoked, pulled, antibiotic-free chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, red onions, chopped basil and chipotle mayo grilled on Focaccia, the sandwich was yummy and satisfying!

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Visit Portland: Top 10 Oregon Omiyage

I love shopping for omiyage (souvenirs) while traveling, and while in Portland I bought A LOT of omiyage.

There's so much more I wish I could've bought, but my budget (and suitcase) could only allow for so much.

Here are my top 10 Oregon Omiyage picks:

1. Bluebird Bakers: Specializing in gourmet cookies, their Rich Chocolate with Salted Caramel cookies were AMAZING!
2. Seely Mint: The Seely Family grows peppermint and spearmint, and they make a lot of yummy products with their mint oils (I LOVED the Chocolate Mint Melts).
3. McTavish Shortbread: Using the highest quality ingredients, McTavish Shortbread offers a variety of products in yummy flavors as well as fun shapes.
4. Cary's of Oregon Toffee: There's just something about the combination of chocolate and toffee that is so addicting.  Their toffee comes in several different flavors, and it's obvious why the Milk Chocolate Almond is a best-seller (SO GOOD!).
5. Woodblock Chocolate: Chocolate made from bean to bar. You can almost taste the passion in each bite.
6. Indulge Caramels: I only recently started enjoying caramel, and these little bites of indulgence are a must for anyone who loves caramel.
7. Twila's English Toffee: Handmade using quality ingredients, Twila's English Toffee can be bought in single-serving 1 oz sizes or larger packages, and it's truly delicious!
8. Chedz Snacks: If you like cheesy snacks as much as I do, give Chedz a try - they're very flavorful and make a great snack for both kids and adults!
9. Stirs the Soul Chocolate: Available in intriguing flavors such as Orange Goji and Cayenne Cinnamon, Stirs the Soul offers raw chocolate bars that are bold in flavor and intensity.
10. Lillie Belle Farms Handmade Chocolates: Bon bons, bars, and even chocolate-covered bacon are just a few of the many items that Lillie Belle Farms offers - a chocolate-lover's dream!

I know there are so many more great products made in Oregon, even non-edible ones, but as you can see my personal favorites include a lot of chocolate.

What are your favorite made-in-Oregon products?

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Visit Portland: Top 10 Favorite Moments

Our trip to Portland was full of lots of great memories.

Here are my top 10 favorite moments from our trip:

1. Building a snowman at White River West Sno Park.

2. Discovering my new favorite ice cream - Sea Salt Ice Cream with Caramel Ribbon at Salt & Straw.

3. Watching my kids go down the Shoe Slide (bottom right) at Enchanted Forest a kazillion times.

4. Seeing the beautiful Multnomah Falls.

5. Seeing hundreds of colorful tulips at Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm.

6. Eating the Bacato Omelet at Gravy - my favorite meal in Portland. 

7. Eating breakfast with a view at the Jantzen Beach Bar & Grill.

8. Running around the Zany Maze at the Portland Children's Museum with my kids.

9. Watching my kids play in the Inventor's Ball Room at OSMI.

10. Enjoying a nice dinner with adults at Hopworks Urban Brewery while the kids played in the nearby playspace.

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Visit Portland: Top 10 Reasons Why I Enjoyed Staying at the Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach

There's no doubt that I would stay at the Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach in Portland, Oregon again. Here are my top 10 reasons why I enjoyed staying at the Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach.

Plush Pillow Top Beds

1. Service:  Whether I was checking in, asking the front desk a question, or requesting something from housekeeping, everyone was friendly and helpful.
2. Plush pillow top beds: I still think about the beds and how I slept VERY well at the hotel.  I woke up refreshed every morning!
3. Refrigerator and microwave in every room: We almost always have leftovers when dining out, so being able to store leftovers in a refrigerator and heat them up for another meal is convenient and money-saving.
4. Location: The hotel is conveniently located near numerous stores and restaurants, and it is very close to the I5 as well.    
5. Ample free parking: We never had a problem finding parking, even when the hotel was hosting large conferences.
6. Hotel perks with reward club membership: All you have to do is sign up for Hello Rewards (formerly the Red Lion R&R Club) and you can receive free perks!  On this visit I received free bottled water upon check-in.  A very nice perk especially after flying for 5+ hours on a plane.
7. Jantzen Beach Bar & Grill: The food and service were both great at this on-site restaurant.   
8. Views: From the balcony, the pool, or the restaurant, a beautiful view of the Columbia River was always just steps away.
9. Abundance of Amenities: Complimentary Wi-FI and airport shuttle; whirlpool; swimming pool; fitness center; tennis courts - just a few of the amenities offered at the hotel.
10. Commitment to sustainability and the environment: Eco-friendly bath amenities and recycling stations in the hotel are just a few ways the hotel shows its commitment to sustainability and the environment.

View of the Columbia River from Jantzen Beach Bar & Grill

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Visit Portland: The PDX Carpet

I had no idea how famous the PDX Carpet was until I started seeing photos on Instagram with the hashtag #PDXCarpet.

The PDX Carpet even has its own Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, and at the airport shops even sell PDX Carpet merchandise!

So of course I, along with other members of my family, had to take obligatory photos on the PDX Carpet...

The PDX Carpet is supposed to be replaced, so if you find yourself at PDX, be sure to take a photo and post and tag it!

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Visit Portland: Papa Haydn

Do you have a sweet tooth?  I do.  A whole mouth of them.  And that is why when I came to Papa Haydn for lunch, I went light on lunch (French onion soup) and heavy on the desserts.  The description of the desserts do not do those beauties justice so I suggest you go and take a look at the amazing desserts housed in the showcases before you make your selection.  

I was visiting Portland so I knew I wouldn’t be back anytime soon so we ordered 3 desserts (you know, because we are practical):   the Boccone Dolce - French meringues drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate, layered with whipped cream and seasonal fruit; the Bourbon Ball - dense chocolate cakes soaked in bourbon and glazed with dark chocolate ganache; and the Lemon Chiffon Cake - four layers of light and fluffy lemon cake filled with lemon curd crème fraîche, iced with lemon cream cheese frosting.  

The desserts were amazing.  My favorite was the lemon chiffon cake while my friend favored the French meringues.  The ambience of this chic, upscale restaurant was very nice and the service was excellent.  Definitely recommend getting your sweet fix here.    

Papa Haydn

701 NW 23rd Ave. 

Portland, OR

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