After a tasty, tasty meal and a good night's sleep, T. and I had a full day on Friday. First up, Voodoo Doughnuts (where "The Magic is in the Hole"). I had a bacon maple bar and a buttermilk bar (both very tasty). They also perform weddings, but I just had coffee with my doughnuts. I was amused by the doughnut mobile.
After the doughnuts, we took a quick trip out to see the Columbia River Gorge and some waterfalls. Nature really is pretty.
After the nature, T. went off to work for a couple of hours and I wandered around downtown Portland, mostly Pioneer Square. I'd planned to sample the legendary food carts, but was still surprisingly full form the doughnuts. I did take advantage of one, the Spella Cafe, where the sorbetta del giorno was banana strawberry. I was skeptical (I often dislike banana flavored things), but the sample was delicious, so I had a scoop before making my way over to
From doughnuts to nature to books to...karaoke!
Total Eclipse of the Heart
T. belts one out
After the karaoke, we had dinner at Deschutes, one of Portland's many brew pubs. I had an elk burger (tasty) and T. and I shared a beer sample tray, which gave us a chance to try 6 beers for the price of one.
Loved - Sinfully Delicious DSA (a Belgian strong dark ale, sort of Chimay-like)
Really Liked - Miss Spelt Hefeweizen and Obsidian Stout
Liked - Fat Cap Cream Ale
Was unimpressed by - Twilight APA
Did not like - Blackweiss (a dark wheat ale)
Many of T's friends came, and it was a fun night. After dinner, we headed to one of T's friends' new apartment (a swank downtown pad w/a nice view) for desserts and more conversation. It was a late night, lots of fun, a good taste of Portland!
After a busy Friday, T. got up early to do some last-minute moving errands, and then we headed to brunch at Screen Door. The line for the first seating was down the block, so it was good that we went early. I had a brisket hash, which was tasty, but too greasy (and came cold). And we shared an order of the praline bacon, which was really good. I thought I'd taken a picture of it, but must have been too busy eating to photo-document! If I find myself in Portland again, I'd go back to Screen Door and try the golden yeasted waffle (T. had one and it looked delicious) or the chicken and waffles, which just about everyone was ordering. Although I think it will be hard for any chicken and waffles to live up to the standard M. and I set when we made our own!
Full of brunch (and a wee bit sleepy from the night before), we packed up and headed out of town. On the way out, I stole a piece of a plant form T.'s yard - the leaves intrigued me (and made me think of Gremlins, Stripe in particular - weird, I know). I'm hoping it'll grow roots, and maybe, eventually, some of those strange, stripey leaves.
I managed to forget the one thing I was supposed to remember - an adapter to play my iPod in the car - but we made do with my computer. It was a pretty short drive, 4 hours, to Ashland. The unnaturally sunny weather I'd brought with me to Portland did not follow us, and we got rained on us as we arrived for our show at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We'd chosen a production of Pride and Prejudice. There were good things about the show (Elizabeth, Wickham, Mrs. Bennett, some of the staging choices), but Darcy was not one of them. It's hard for P&P to succeed if Darcy's not up to snuff; this one played Darcy with a smirk that became giddiness (and weird arm things that T. found very distracting), when he should obviously be a scowl that becomes dignified joy, both bubbling over and restrained. Mr. Collins was also too much, out of keeping with the production around him. I didn't care for Lydia's delivery, but liked Messrs. Bennett and Bingley fine.
A wonderful excuse, then, to rewatch the two versions I own.
After breakfast (at which I had a piece of bacon, just to make The Bacon Tour official), today was all driving, and we arrived back in SF in the afternoon.
A great trip overall - it was great to spend time just hanging out with T.! I also enjoyed my brief introduction to the Pacific Northwest, and a reminder that I really should find ways to see more live theater. And take more road trips, because how else can I see things like this:
Loved - Sinfully Delicious DSA (a Belgian strong dark ale, sort of Chimay-like)
Really Liked - Miss Spelt Hefeweizen and Obsidian Stout
Liked - Fat Cap Cream Ale
Was unimpressed by - Twilight APA
Did not like - Blackweiss (a dark wheat ale)
Many of T's friends came, and it was a fun night. After dinner, we headed to one of T's friends' new apartment (a swank downtown pad w/a nice view) for desserts and more conversation. It was a late night, lots of fun, a good taste of Portland!
After a busy Friday, T. got up early to do some last-minute moving errands, and then we headed to brunch at Screen Door. The line for the first seating was down the block, so it was good that we went early. I had a brisket hash, which was tasty, but too greasy (and came cold). And we shared an order of the praline bacon, which was really good. I thought I'd taken a picture of it, but must have been too busy eating to photo-document! If I find myself in Portland again, I'd go back to Screen Door and try the golden yeasted waffle (T. had one and it looked delicious) or the chicken and waffles, which just about everyone was ordering. Although I think it will be hard for any chicken and waffles to live up to the standard M. and I set when we made our own!
Full of brunch (and a wee bit sleepy from the night before), we packed up and headed out of town. On the way out, I stole a piece of a plant form T.'s yard - the leaves intrigued me (and made me think of Gremlins, Stripe in particular - weird, I know). I'm hoping it'll grow roots, and maybe, eventually, some of those strange, stripey leaves.
I managed to forget the one thing I was supposed to remember - an adapter to play my iPod in the car - but we made do with my computer. It was a pretty short drive, 4 hours, to Ashland. The unnaturally sunny weather I'd brought with me to Portland did not follow us, and we got rained on us as we arrived for our show at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We'd chosen a production of Pride and Prejudice. There were good things about the show (Elizabeth, Wickham, Mrs. Bennett, some of the staging choices), but Darcy was not one of them. It's hard for P&P to succeed if Darcy's not up to snuff; this one played Darcy with a smirk that became giddiness (and weird arm things that T. found very distracting), when he should obviously be a scowl that becomes dignified joy, both bubbling over and restrained. Mr. Collins was also too much, out of keeping with the production around him. I didn't care for Lydia's delivery, but liked Messrs. Bennett and Bingley fine.
A wonderful excuse, then, to rewatch the two versions I own.
After breakfast (at which I had a piece of bacon, just to make The Bacon Tour official), today was all driving, and we arrived back in SF in the afternoon.
A great trip overall - it was great to spend time just hanging out with T.! I also enjoyed my brief introduction to the Pacific Northwest, and a reminder that I really should find ways to see more live theater. And take more road trips, because how else can I see things like this:
Mt. Shasta
Nature for the win.
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