Travel: Portland | offthebeatenpress.com

After visiting my brother, I went to Portland to stay with my Aunt and Uncle for a few days. They have a beautiful house just outside the city. The last time I was in Oregon was when I was 13, so it was nice being able to go and experience the city as an adult.My Aunt picked me up and wee split a delicious small meal at Papa Haydn which we had visited when I was there as a kid. It was as good as I remember. I made sure to save room for dinner that night though.The night I arrived we ate at Nostrana. What a meal. We had some of the last Padrón Peppers of the summer along with a heafty Florintine steak that I crushed. They also had this interesting salad titled after the restaurant. It was similar to a Caesar but made with all radicchio. Just wonderful. I want to try and make this one at home.

Of course I had to start it off with a flight of sparkly wines! I like that they did flights so you could try a variety.For dessert that night though we went to Salt & Straw! I had been waiting to try this as it was not around the last time I was in Oregon. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. If you are anywhere near one of these places you just must go! For my flavor I opted for Chocolate Gooey Brownie. The next day my Aunt and I wandered the town in the morning along 23rd. We couldn't decide on what to eat for breakfast so I maybe went and got more ice cream at Salt and Straw!Then we toured some of the Pearl District and other areas of town. I found a letterpress shop that was cute! Nobody seemed really interested in talking to me, but at least I got to smell some ink and watch them work!Of course we went to Powell's. I took some pictures of books that I need to add to my reading list and strolled through the aisles with my Aunt. Murals that reminded me of home.That afternoon, my Uncle picked us up for a tour of the wine country! We went to four different wineries so I really got a good taste, but there are so many more in the hills around Portland that I wanted to explore. The first one we stopped at was called Panther Creek. They had a red wine glass which was as big as my face and could fit a full bottle of wine!The next stop was probably my favorite. It was called Argyle. They had a Pop Flight that was all bubbly! I tend to like the fizz and the lighter wines anyway. They had a beautiful garden filled with all sorts of flowers.My Uncle took this picture of me when we were enjoying a glass outside. I was so sad when they said they couldn't ship any wines back to Virginia. Instead I bought a bottle and gave it to my little brother to enjoy in California!My Uncle though did buy me a grey Argyle vest that I could bring home. Here is a picture of me and my family in the garden.The next winery we visited was Torii Mor. The set up was very Asian inspired and relaxing. It was a little quiet though and we didn't stay too long there. The girl who did our tasting though knew my Uncle and told us about a friend who was working at another winery that afternoon. Even though you had to book appointments for tastings there, she called over and snagged us a spot! So we hopped in the car and went.Soter was gorgeous. It sat high on a hill and gave fabulous view of Dundee and the surrounding area. They were cooking inside when we arrived and the smell of spices and fresh veggies was overpowering. We ended up buying some sauce to use to cook dinner.The hills leaving.I really do love Portland. It reminds me so much of Richmond though. To me they are like sister cities split apart by the rest of the U.S. I hope I get to visit again soon.

travel: portland

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