Why?

After 14 years of LA, the things we didn't like about living here finally wore us down and we decided to move away. Our first choice was Portland, Oregon. After months of interviewing, neither of us could secure a job. We turned our sights to the next city on the list, New York. We lined up jobs and moved at the end of March 2008.

Apparently this was a bad idea. Things were not as they seemed and New York was not a good fit. We learned some good, hard lessons about life. We moved back to LA (four months later!) because the most important things were:

- be with our friends and close to our sisters
- advance our careers in a market we understand
- enjoy a low cost of living so we can save & travel

This is what makes us happy and apparently we had to move away to get our priorities straight. We still LOVE NEW YORK! We just enjoy it more as tourists...

Saturday, September 2, 2006

Portland Dining & Brewpubs

Did you know there are more than 28 breweries in town? And most places let you bring your dog if you take an outside table.

Bridgeport Brewing Co. 
Neighborhood: Pearl District
1313 NW Marshall St
Portland, OR 97209
Really great happy hour and best pretzels in town.

Amnesia Brewery
Neighborhoods: Mississippi, North Portland
832 N Beech St
Portland, OR 97227
Dog friendly. Not for a "nice dinner" but good for a casual group. Indoor / outdoor seating.

Jake’s Grill
Neighborhood: Downtown
611 SW 10th Ave
Portland, OR 97205-2725
Great happy hour. Pretty good food too. We got Pancetta wrapped rockfish, drinks, and dessert.

Bijou Cafe
Neighborhood: Downtown
132 SW 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97204

Park Kitchen
Neighborhood: Pearl District
422 NW 8th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
Hands down my favorite restaurant. Lovely ambiance, fantastic seasonal menu, great sunset views on the park, huge windows, love to sit near the kitchen and watch. Fabulous bar. Xocolatl De David served with your bill

Hot Lips Pizza
Neighborhood: Pearl District
721 Nw 9th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
Best pie outside NYC and for a fair price. Yummy & unusual soda on-tap.

Mama Mia Trattoria
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, Downtown
439 SW 2nd Ave
Portland, OR 97204
Super awesome Italian.

Mother's Bistro
Neighborhood: Downtown
212 SW Stark St.
Portland, OR 97204
Yummy breakfast and they serve Stumptown coffee as well as exotic presspot-at-your-table grinds. Don't miss their Cornflake crusted French Toast.

Saucebox
Neighborhood: Downtown
214 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
Don’t bother. This place is so completely full of itself and it's overpriced drinks and foofy food that we actually left to eat someplace else after we had our aperitif.

Por Que No
Neighborhoods: Mississippi, North Portland
3524 N Mississippi Ave
Portland, OR 97227
What a find! Loved the sauce - totally blew me away with all the ingredients. Great place to go on a hot summer night. It's a little hole in the wall that serves $2.50 tacos made with love, creme fraiche, meat, and produce from local farms. 


Everett Street Bistro
Neighborhood: Pearl District
1140 NW Everett St
Portland, OR 97209
Nice to sit in the big windows, enjoy a twilight meal, and do people watching. 


District Bar
232 NW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97209
Tiny, swanky, really crowded. Get a yummy District Martini and then go someplace else.

Tin Shed Garden Cafe
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
1438 NE Alberta St
Portland, OR 97211
Always a long line for brunch and worth the wait. Great garden setting. Super dog friendly including a separate menu for your mutt!

Blue Moon
Neighborhoods: Alphabet District, Northwest
432 NW 21st Ave
Portland, OR 97209
Really fun place to go sit outside. Okay food. 

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