Good Coffee and Kolaches

April 2, 2019 by 2 Comments

When the much anticipated boutique hotel Woodlark Hotel downtown opened, besides the already well loved Oregon meets Texas meatcentric restaurant from Chef Doug Adams of Bullard, and the pre-Prohibition cocktail lounge of Abigail Hall as conceptualized by Jennifer Quist, the lobby also became the home to Good Coffee. Unique to this location you will find both Good Coffee and Kolaches.

Good Coffee and Kolaches in the Woodlark Hotel in downtown Portland Good Coffee and Kolaches in the Woodlark Hotel in downtown Portland

Good Coffee was recently featured as the best coffee in Oregon by Food and Wine Magazine for their 2019 list of best coffee in every state. The Good Coffee menu here includes the expected coffee drinks varying from regular filter coffee, single origin coffee, cold brew, espresso, cappuccinos, americanos and a wide variety of lattes from vanilla, maple and smoked orange, matcha, and spiced fig to almost a dozen Townshend Teas.

Good Coffee and Kolaches in the Woodlark Hotel in downtown Portland Good Coffee and Kolaches in the Woodlark Hotel in downtown Portland

If you have your coffee here rather then to go, it will be served in mugs by local ceramic artists like Margaret & Beau (the green mug you’ll see) and Mary Carroll (the pink mug). I love how these mugs feel and they have a pretty calming happy effect on me that puts me at ease. It’s yet another way the Woodlark shows how supportive it is of women by showcasing these women ceramicists. Besides Jen Quisty’s the Abigail Lounge named after women’s activist Abigail Scott Duniway and their cocktail menu of drinks with nods towards strong women leaders, Good Coffee offers The Founders Series of coffee drinks also named for women, including one called The Activist after Abigail.

Good Coffee and Kolaches in the Woodlark Hotel in downtown Portland. If you have your coffee here rather then to go, it will be served in mugs by local ceramic artists like Margaret & Beau (the green mug you'll see) and Mary Carroll (the pink mug). Good Coffee and Kolaches in the Woodlark Hotel in downtown Portland. If you have your coffee here rather then to go, it will be served in mugs by local ceramic artists like Margaret & Beau (the green mug you'll see) and Mary Carroll (the pink mug).

And now let’s talk about 75% of the draw for me for picking any coffee shop over the other – what they offer as bites to eat!

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Easy Cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails

March 26, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Have you ever wanted to just relax with a cocktail at home after a hard day – but then you don’t want to deal with the hassle of concocting it by pulling out the multiple bottles, the fresh juices, the shaker, the measuring and mixing? And then you have to start all over again after you finish that one drink when you want your next? Now you can make easy cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails, who wondered why can’t having a cocktail be as easy as opening a bottle of beer or wine – and then created 5 answers for the question.

Easy Cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails, offering premade shelf stable cocktails Easy Cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails, offering premade shelf stable cocktails

I didn’t know what to expect when I went to their tasting room on the near East Side to try their mini cocktail flight with snack pairings for an influencers event last week (I was not paid to promote them). I thought these pre-made cocktails in a bottle may lean on the sweet side, or not be very alcoholic so that I’d end up with more “mixer” then cocktail. I was impressed when I was proved wrong, I really liked the experience and the products, and that’s why I’m sharing the story with you. Their tasting room is part of Distillery Row, and part of the Portland Distillery Row passport program too. They are new to the Portland drink scene – they just opened in December 2018.

Easy Cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails, offering premade shelf stable cocktails

I didn’t know what to expect when I went to their tasting room on the near East Side to try their mini cocktail flight with snack pairings. I thought these pre-made cocktails in a bottle may lean on the sweet side, or not be very alcoholic so that I’d end up with more “mixer” then cocktail. I was impressed when I was proved wrong.

Easy Cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails, offering premade shelf stable cocktails Easy Cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails, offering premade shelf stable cocktails

Here’s what it will look like if you try one of the mini cocktail flights with pairings at the Straightaway Tasting Room. The snacks may vary from my favorite pairing, which were the hazelnuts with the Old Fashioned, to ginger popcorn with the Cosmo or more.

Easy Cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails, offering premade shelf stable cocktails. Try their mini cocktail flight paired with snacks at their Tasting Room, part of PDX's Distillery Row Easy Cocktails with Straightaway Cocktails, offering premade shelf stable cocktails. Try their mini cocktail flight paired with snacks at their Tasting Room, part of PDX's Distillery Row

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Farmhouse Kitchen Thai for Portland Dining Month

March 21, 2019 by 1 Comment

Another week in March, another Portland Dining Month stop for the amazing deal of $33 netting me 3 courses – and sometimes more! For instance, at Farmhouse Kitchen Thai for Portland Dining Month, you get a free starter soup, and the starter gives you a taste of 2 different starters available on their regular menu. Here’s a closer look.

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First, I would highly recommend you make a reservation. It is definitely not a secret that the Portland Dining Month offering from Farmhouse Kitchen Thai offers a lot of variety with its 6 entrees to choose from. It is also a shrewd dollar value since those entrees are usually in the mid $20 range. So expect a packed house during peak times – if you try to walk in, you may have to wait an hour or so.

Second, you should expect that the service is going to be very functional, and forgive them for that. They are trying to serve everyone they can who comes to their door, which necessitates a lot of turnover at the tables. Sitting at a table towards the back of the house is a lot more calm then the boisterous tables at the front.

If you want to avoid the crowds, consider coming at slightly off times. I came at 8:15 pm and was never rushed out – in fact we got so caught up in conversation we were literally the last to leave the now closed restaurant as they prepared for staff meal. I saw another guest smartly order the Portland Dining Month menu but also order additional dishes to take home – I wish I had done that, even though all my meals for the next 2 days are already accounted for…

Ok, let’s get down to business. Although for the first course the official Portland Dining Month Travel Portland site lists that there are 5 options for the starter, when you get to the restaurant you actually have the choice of 3 combos. Each combo gives you tastes of TWO starters available on the menu. Each is plated individually and then put on a tray to make that duo for you, so I wonder if they would customize the duo for you on request. The default duos they offer are

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A Dinner at Mister Jiu’s

March 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

When I was in the Bay Area in February, I had a chance to visit Mister Jiu’s during Chinese New Year – which this year is the Year of the Pig. In celebration of the Lunar New Year holiday, they offered some special items, but I also enjoyed some of their classic famous dishes. If you haven’t heard of Mister Jiu’s, it is a restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown owned by young couple Brandon Jew and Anna Lee. They have put a spin on classic Cantonese but with modern California sensibilities and ingredients (many made in house) for a next generation Chinese American take. Mister Jiu’s was rated the #3 Best New Restaurant in America 2017 by Bon Appetit and is a One Michelin Star restaurant.
Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco
Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco

Mister Jiu’s takes reservations, but if there are none available on Resy you can try to hope for an empty seat at the bar in the front, which will serve the full menu for walk-ins. We had reservations, but because of some traffic shenanigans (the Richmond-San Rafael bridge was closed in both directions for a while because of falling concrete) we drove directly to Chinatown from the airport instead of dropping off our luggage first. When Mister Jiu’s opened their doors at 5pm, we were early for our reservation so enjoyed a beverage at the bar.

The selection is great – F found a beer he was interested in, and they even offered 1/3 bottle carafes of wine besides the usual by the glass options. I had this cocktail called Year of the Pig with vodka, lotus, almond, white vermouth, passion fruit, egg. Although this cocktail didn’t qualify, other ones on the menu were available in punch bowl size for 3-5 or 6-8 people!
Some of the drinks available at my February 2019 visit at Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco Year of the Pig cocktail with vodka, lotus, almond, white vermouth, passion fruit, egg at Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco

The Mister Jiu’s interior finds a balance between nods to traditional and also clean modernity while feeling warm.
Bar at Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, San Francisco

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Portland Dining Month at Tapalaya PDX

March 14, 2019 by Leave a Comment

For my next Portland Dining Month 2019 recap after my visit to Kachinka, this time I am sharing the goodness of my visit for Portland Dining Month at Tapalaya PDX. Tapalaya is one of my top picks among all the restaurants offering dining deals during this month of March with its unique viewpoint of Cajun Creole Vietnamese food that she grew up with in New Orleans. For my other Portland Dining Month picks see my full list here.

Portland Dining Month at Tapalaya PDX for March 2019 Portland Dining Month at Tapalaya PDX for March 2019

For those of you who prefer the savory over the sweet, you are in luck- the 3 courses for $33 at Tapalaya are all savory, with 2 options for each course.

My first recommendation is to please make a reservation via OpenTable at the Portland Dining Month Travel Portland website. That is because by doing so, OpenTable will support the Oregon Food Bank. That means you will be doing good just by making a reservation!

Another recommendation is if you can, come on Tuesday like I did to enjoy the live music they offer. However, they background music they play even on the other days is lively and classic New Orleans, so understandable if you need to come on what works with your schedule. The Reggie Houston Trio that has been playing on Tuesdays for years will take you back to NOLA even if you have never been!
Live Music at Tapalaya PDX on Tuesday: Reggie Houston Trio

Just FYI, they have live music on Tuesday evenings even if it is not Portland Dining Month. You can also find live music during their brunch service on the weekends.

Not onto the Portland Dining Month menu at Tapalaya. For starters, you have the choice of Creole Caesar with radicchio, parmesan, crispy cornbread crumbs, Caesar dressing or the Crawfish Etouffee Nachos with cheddar, cotija, green onions, cilantro, Anh Luu’s 5-spice wonton chips
Portland Dining Month at Tapalaya PDX, course 1 of Creole Caesar with Radicchio, parmesan, crispy cornbread crumbs, fried capers, Caesar dressing Portland Dining Month at Tapalaya PDX, course 1 of Crawfish Etouffee Nachos with cheddar, cotija, green onions, cilantro, Anh Luu's 5-spice wonton chips

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