i heart portland

the hoyt arboretum is beautiful. i can't believe i'd never been before! or that such a place exists within city limits.

1. welcome sign
2. viewpoint for the surrounding mountains
3. kat and lindsey, visiting from connecticut
4. tall trees
5. copper branches
6. the trail we took

happy new year!

my only resolution this year is to love the hell out of portland. there's been talk of drew and i moving back to new england at the end of this coming summer, so i've been drafting a portland bucket list of sorts. since i'm a creature of comfort, i tend to go back to the same restaurants, do the same activities—but i'm hoping that this bucket list will ensure that whenever i leave portland, i'll feel that i experienced it fully. i may share the list here, or i may secretly chip away at it. regardless, the sentiment behind it is to pay homage to this strange, beautiful city that has captured my heart over the last few years.

i heart portland

i got up nice and early on saturday, grabbed my friend kyle and headed to the portland bazaar. as i had anticipated, i was overwhelmed by all of the vendors—too many great ones to choose from! beam & anchor, summerland, stone & honey, olo fragrance and bridge & burn were some of my favorites this year, for sure. for shopping fuel (/breakfast), i had the most delicious 100% whole wheat chocolate chip cookie from bakeshop. and i may or may not have treated myself to a thin silver stacking ring from favor—i'd been pining for one, so i finally gave in.

i heart portland

for our anniversary dinner, we went to ned ludd, "an american craft kitchen". i'd heard wonderful things about this quintessential portland restaurant, so i knew we were in for a treat. it was the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion, as the food and service were impeccable. the decor was trendy (by portland's standards, with mason jars and succulents abound), yet elegant.

to start, we each ordered the brown butter squash soup. we also shared a salad with red cabbage, squash, apple, radish, lentils and pumpkin seeds. for my entree, i ordered the quinault river salmon with leeks, parsley and chanterelle mushrooms. everything was seasonal, fresh and insanely flavorful. i couldn't recommend this place more!

i heart portland

i'm happy to announce that i've found authentic, chewy bagels in portland! it only took two years of living here to hunt down a bagel that would satisfy me like the ones from new york. when i woke up on sunday morning, hungover, i knew the only thing that could make me feel better was my ultimate comfort food: a bagel with lox. 

we went to bowery bagels, where i ordered the multigrain bagel with caper and red onion shmear (love it), tomato and cured salmon. i ate it far too quickly, and then proceeded to order a second one immediately after. it was that good. 

i heart portland

portland is not an overwhelmingly bustling city, by any means, but i still miss the open fields and farms that surrounded me during my college years in connecticut. that's probably why spending time on sauvie island brings me so much joy and comfort, especially when pumpkin patches are involved. caramel apples, big red barns, hot cider and fall foliage on such a pastoral backdrop were enough to make me feel like i was right back home in new england.

i heart portland

remember when i told you that portland is between the beach and the mountains? well, it's also only about twenty miles away from some seriously beautiful hikes around the columbia river gorge (so basically, it's the best place ever). back when drew was holed up in our tiny studio apartment, spreading his germs everywhere, i was feeling the need get some fresh air. my friend kyle had also just moved here, so i figured taking her to angel's rest would be the perfect way to get out and spend some quality time together.

1. view #1

2. view #2

3. view #3

4. me

5. kyle, in a little fort

6. stacked rocks

i heart portland

one of my favorite aspects of portland in the summer is the abundance of street fairs. every week, it seems like a different street is celebrating its existence. we've been to the hawthorne fair, alberta fair, mississippi fair, and belmont fair, and all have been fun ways to pass a couple of hours in the sunshine. below are some pictures from the most recent one we went to (the belmont street fair).

1. art installation
2. directions
3. necklaces
4. fuck this book
5. cardboard wisdom

i heart portland

we went to see the vaux's swifts this past weekend with ashely and brett. every evening in september, at an hour before sunset, thousands of these little black birds fly overhead before settling in to the chimney at chapman elementary school to roost. we set up on the lawn with beers, sandwiches, and chips and salsa. with free entertainment and great company, it was the perfect way to spend a friday night.

1. helpful information.
2. swifts flying in to the chimney.
3. checking out a swift up close.
4. lovebirds (they're getting married in less than 2 weeks!)

see my full article at eyes + edge!

i heart portland

luc lac vietnamese kitchen has been on my (ever-growing) list of places to eat and i finally got to check it out on monday. it's a happening lunch spot for folks who work downtown and there was a line out the door to prove it. we didn't have to wait too long, due to their efficient system -- you order and pay at the counter, then wait for a table to open up.

soon enough we were seated and served our massive bowls of steaming hot pho. many vietnamese restaurants serve "vegetarian" pho, with beef broth as the base, but i am happy to report that luc lac offers an insanely flavorful vegan broth. i ate about half for lunch, took the rest with me, and enjoyed it for dinner that very same night. two (filling) meals for $7? i'm smitten.

 

i heart portland

i came across the portland homestead supply co a few weekends ago and could have easily spent the entire day in the beautifully curated store. i'm a bit domestically challenged (i know nothing about canning my own preserves or raising chickens), but they offer a wide variety of classes to help out aspiring homesteaders. i'd love to go back soon and learn how to make my own cheese!