Not Enough Time

    As much as people love having family and friends visit them, for many it can be stressful trying to accommodate picky needs and disgruntled travelers.  Fortunately, my parents and their best friends love to eat and drink and aren’t too picky.  Which means when they came to visit recently, I had a great excuse to eat a lot of good food and try new places that have been on my to-go list. 

    My parents have been to Portland before, but it was nice to be sharing the city with them now that I know it better.  It was the first time for their friends, and I was happy to see them realize why I love it here. 

    We traveled out to the coast one day and walked on the beach as the fog slowly lifted in the afternoon to reveal Haystack Rock.  I was just on vacation with the same group and they’re kids in Florida…pretty interesting to go from the white sand and dunes of the Gulf to the turbulent surf and stunning landscape of the Oregon coast.  It is so different from what we think of as a sunny beach experience, yet the sand in our toes and the crash of the waves had the same magical powers to calm and refresh our spirits.  

    That night was the big Parents Meet The Boyfriend Dinner.  We went to Irving Street Kitchen; it’s a great casual and up-beat atmosphere for that sort of potentially stressful event.  I’m happy to say it was stress-free.  We had a fun dinner, decent food, and enjoyed each other’s company enough to grab another drink at Clyde Common afterwards.  

    Our group of 6 played at the PSU Farmer’s Market before we loaded up to go to the biggest antique show I have ever seen. We returned exhausted and hungry for an early dinner at Castagna.  I was pleased with Portland’s choice for Restaurant of the Year.  The food was excellent, the plating/presentation was stunning, but we thought the service was really lacking considering all the hype.  Nevertheless, no one else in town creates food with such precision and delicacy, and I hope it encourages other chefs to take more risks.  

     We also had an awesome dinner at Andina.  Every dish was big and bold and wonderfully different from the next.  I tasted everything at the table and really liked every bit of it.  I appreciate cuisine that makes you sit up and notice what’s going on.  

    There were also stops for perfectly made drinks at Teardrop, cupcakes at Cupcake Jones, Two Tarts cookies, food cart feasts, ice cream at Cool Moon, breakfast and scones at Bakery Bar, and all the treats at the coast and farmer’s market.  What I’m saying is…we all gained 5 pounds.  No, what I’m really saying is- I feel very lucky to live in a beautiful city so abundant with food, drink, and entertainment that one weekend is just not enough. I’m so glad my parents celebrated their 50^th birthdays by traveling to see me, and I’m already anxious for their return.