portland city guide: top 5 brunch spots

As Ted and I gear up to move this summer to NYC, I've been thinking a lot about the places that I will miss when we don't live in Portland anymore. I figured, why not share a few of my favorites? Not surprisingly, most lists will involve food.

Before I moved here almost six years ago, I did not fully understand the meaning of brunch. I never was too big on breakfast foods. I had not seen the light. It didn't take much time for me to catch on. Portland takes brunch seriously here. Expect a wait, and embrace it. Grab coffee nearby, and relish each moment of anticipation. 

Screen Door
It doesn't get much better than this. The chicken and waffles and the garden grits are my go-to dishes. They are large portions--perfect for sharing! Everything on the menu is indulgent and delicious. Heart coffee is down the block if you need somewhere to get cozy while you wait.

Sweedeedee
This place is so Portland it almost hurts. I love it. The breakfast sandwich (add bacon and avocado, duh!) and the corncakes are me and Ted's standbys. The Salted Honey Pie s also my favorite slice in town. Grab some coffee and walk across the street to hang out in the grass if it's nice out.

Tin Shed

A new favorite! Pretty standard fare, but done well with flair. They rotate their french toast offering, and it's always good. The best part? Their enclosed, heated patio is dog friendly! Pierre loves Tin Shed just as much as we do.

Mother's 

Classy and reliable breakfast spot, with all the usual offerings, as well as some offbeat options like Crunchy French Toast and Breakfast Nachos (best for sharing!). If they happen to have the bourbon pecan pie, I highly recommend getting a slice.

Tasty & Son's

The Steak & Eggs are the best I've had! Ted and I like to split this dish with something sweet, like the Dutch Baby or Rum Cake.

"hey babe, i'm going to spin"

When I first heard that Ted was going to "spin," I was taken aback.  I pictured him pedaling alongside really enthusiastic gym-goers. When he clarified that he meant the laundromat Spin, everything made a little more sense.  After a couple of visits, he was hooked.  And let me tell you, Ted is a man who loves his laundry, and does not take it lightly.  So if he approves, it must be great.  It was!  Last night he took me there for a laundry date, and it was clear why he is smitten.  As a design nerd, I was in heaven.  Just look at these details!  And did I mention there is a cafe/bar?  THERE IS.  Delicious sandwiches and pastries, and drinks of all kinds! We will definitely be going back for a--practical!--date again soon. Thank you, Portland for making laundry so cute.

eat here: palio dessert & espresso house

Ted brought me to Palio a couple of months ago for the first time, and I fell in love with their selection of cakes. They pair quite well with homework, I must say.  It was the first time I saw a proper case of cakes since I left London, where I very frequently would order a slice of cake with my tea.  There are few more sweet, simple things such as tea and cake.  And just look at how pretty they are!

I haven't tried any of their more savory options yet (because when a giant slice of cake is offered, it's hard to say no to that), but they passed my chai test (I am obsessed with chai) and the ambiance is calm and casual, perfect for studying or a mellow coffee date.  The location is tucked away in a very Portland neighborhood, and the first time I drove there on my own, I got a little lost.  It's like the secret garden of cake or something... and I'm okay with that.

I'm now on day 7 of the Whole 30 (where sugar is a no-no), and aside from my almost nightly dreams of pizza, I've been daydreaming about digging into one of their pretty slices of cake.

study here: cathedral coffee

A few weeks ago, Ted and I checked out some coffee places we've never tried before.  We ventured all the way to North Portland to check out Cathedral Coffee and fell in love with the open, yet cozy space.  PLUS the pastries were to die for (or at least to drive far for).  If only it was closer!  Hopefully we'll make it over there soon to get in some intense study time.  Can't wait to try more new places!

in which my friends and i are cute near water

I found these cute barrettes via ban.do and they are A+ friendship accessories.  Who said you have to leave friendship accessories behind when you leave grade school?  NOT ME.  Being true friends, both Erin and Rylee brought theirs along and on our last day together, we all wore them and Ted snapped some obnoxiously cute photos of us wearing them.  No shame.

Girl gang + duck 

Let's reflect on our time in Portland eating food, petting dogs, and loving each other. 

Portland, you ain't so bad either.

eat here: pok pok

The wait is long, but the tablecloths are cute.  Oh, and the food is delicious.  Pok Pok is definitely on the pricier side (for such a casual place) but it's still worth it.  The hilariously happy drunk couple from out of town next to us sealed the deal.  The wings lived up to the hype, and I guess I can understand why they needed to open an entire bar down a block (Whisky Soda Lounge) to hold those waiting for a table, because BOY WAS THAT PORK BELLY AND SHOULDER CURRY GOOOOOOD.  It was a lovely way to spend our Valentine's Day evening after a lovely morning in and a rehearsal for our Once Upon a Weekend debut. See above picture for me in my usual pose--stuffing my face with food.  At least I look fancy.

eat here: bollywood theater in portland, or

So Ted did this awesome thing where he tricked me into thinking I was spending New Year's Eve alone (everyone is still at home on break).  I was enjoying my night, embracing it with some champagne in the bath, and making dinner while singing and dancing embarrassingly in the kitchen.  Ted told me that he was also making the same dinner, and we would eat together over FaceTime and ring in the new year together.  

Well, that happened, but in an even better way.  He actually showed up on my doorstep at 10:30pm!  I had convienently just finished dinner, and thankfully my eyes are bigger than my stomach, and I had enough for both of us!  These past few days have been a delightful surprise--we've been spending every day together, and I feel so grateful for his early return!  

Yesterday was spent exploring SE Division, which is an area we're not as familiar with, but love the vibe of.  We daydreamed about living in a posh apartment we can't afford, and I bought a cute duffle bag on sale at Adorn with big dreams of taking it on 329439 road trips.  We even got sentimental about London (my favorite pastime).  After meeting up with some friends for tea at Townshend's Tea, we made our way to Bollywood Theater, an Indian restaurant that Ted has been wanting to go to.  We ate some Samosas, Paneer Kita Rolls, and Pork Vindaloo and got homesick for London's Brick Lane, where we would wander the streets covered in street art drinking up the smells of Indian food while we munched on some samosas.  My favorite London food memory by far.  Take me back!  For now, the delicious flavors of Bollywood Theater will have to suffice.  

photo diary: crater lake

At the end of the summer, Ted and I went on a spontaneous road trip to Crater Lake.  Turns out, we were a little too spontaneous and ended up having to drive straight home when there were no campsites left.  Despite that, we managed to have a lovely time, stopping in Bend for some eats at the original Deschutes Brewery, taking a short hike around the rim of the stunningly beautiful blue lake, and just enjoying each other's company.  Fun story:  We stopped on the side of the road in the middle of the Deschutes National Forest around 11PM to look at the stars and our romantic moment turned quickly into a "Dammit!" moment when the car wouldn't start again because the lights drained the battery.  Thankfully AAA came and we were on our merry way back to Portland.  Not quite the adventure we planned, but we still had a lovely time--that's the great part of having a travel buddy like Ted.  I'm looking forward to going back soon for a real night of camping though!

today i am thankful for...chocolate

Tonight after our last Little Big Burger until next fall (crying forever), Ted, our friend Alex, and I went into the newly opened The Meadow, featuring a large collection of chocolate, salts, and bitters in its small space.  We passed it last weekend and it's been on my mind since, so I was delighted to stop in tonight.  It was just as lovely as I imagined it would be (sliding ladder over shelves of chocolate included).  I never wanted to leave.  But alas, we had too.  Thankfully I had two small Woodblock chocolate bars (made here in Portland!) in stow to ease the pain. I tried a bit of the Ecuador tonight and it was lovely.  I'm excited to try the Salt & Nibs as well, although I think I might save that one for finals week.  Hearing the guy describe the flavors made me want to learn more about chocolate.  It's just one of those happy things in life, you know?  Maybe my dream craft shop should have a small chocolate selection...

today i am thankful for...portland

Tonight Ted and I went to Boxer Ramen in Union Way, and although the ramen wasn't our favorite, the self-contained shopping center it was in reminded me how cool Portland is (as if I needed reminding).  We even stumbled into Danner, which was hosting a small party of hip Portlanders, complete with a "rock & roll-country" band called the something Billys and whiskey-tasting.  I'm not cool enough to live here, but maybe someday.

pumpkin patching

On our way back from the coast, Ted and I stopped in McMinnevile to grab a few pumpkins to put on the porch.  A couple weeks later, I went on a school-sponsored field trip to Sauvie Island and got one more pumpkin and a tiny pumpkin chiffon pie.  Obviously.  Now I have four pumpkins of various sizes and several tiny pumpkins.  I need more. 

in which kaylie watches too much new girl and her life becomes a sitcom

When it comes to small frustrations and inconveniences, sure, sometimes I get really upset, but most of the time, I think Well, this is kind of the worst, and super embarrassing, but it might as well be on one of the sitcoms I so lovingly binge-watch on Netflix.  Ted's and my relationship usually falls into this category--like that one time we took at least half an hour finding a parking spot at the Grand Canyon, and just as much time trying to find it when it was time to leave.  Yes, frustrating.  But c'mon, also hilarious.

1)  Since I can't eat Little Big Burger for every meal (unfair, I know), I had to go grocery shopping Monday afternoon.  I was lacking patience because I hadn't eaten a full meal since the night before, so I got into Ted's car READY for some groceries.  I started the car and tried pulling out and nothing happened.  The parking brake was on, and being from mostly flat desert, I have very little experience with park brakes.  After panicking for about five minutes over not being able to get it off while two strangers picked blackberries in our driveway probably thinking I was secretly a grumpy old man waiting for them to leave, it easily snapped down.  Cue the laughing track--I know, you're laughing at me, not with me, on this one.

2)  While making dinner that night, I realized that I needed a can opener.  Everything else had been chopped up and the last thing I needed to do was prepare the chickpeas.  I couldn't find an opener anywhere.  I called Ted and texted my housemates to ask if we had one.  Finally, out of desperation, I found a swiss army knife on the kitchen table and slowly started using it.  I was about a third of the way around the can when I got a text about the opener's whereabouts.  Sure enough, it was hiding in the corner of one of our drawers.

3)  After spending time at my internship yesterday, I went home and decided to unpack some small things into Ted's room (he's home in CA) so it felt a bit more Kaylie.  I thought, I should put the record player on while I unpack!  But it was acting strange, and no sound was coming out.  So I wriggled the needle around like I had in the past, but this time it snapped.  Good thing it's replaceable.

4)  Last night on my way to Fred Meyer's (my #1 hang out, apparently) I dropped something off at someone's house.  After she answered the door, I made small talk and mid-sentence had the overwhelming sensation that some cilantro from my dinner might have lodged into my teeth, so I awkwardly started to talk with my mouth closed as much as possible.  As I walked away, I checked.  It turned out to be onion, but the damage was already done.  I'm awkward.

5)  Walking into Freddy's, I smiled at a mom who had an adorable daughter in Pooh Bear overalls (my childhood in a nutshell) and she sighs and says "Jesus Christ..." under her breath.  I'm hoping I had nothing to do with her distraught...

Perhaps she foresaw what was going to happen next and pitied me.  I had gone for the sole purpose to purchase something personal (ya know, girl stuff), and it didn't phase me at all that I might run into someone embarrassing, because I thought, "Who am I going to run into?  My crush?!"  Just as I laughed at the thought, I saw one of my housemates walking towards me.  Of course.  Although it wouldn't have been the end of the world if I had bumped into him, it certainly wasn't my first choice, so I scurried to the self check out.

The good thing is that despite my sometimes awkward and embarrassing existence as an "adult" (emphasis on the quotes), days like today remind me that I'm at least a somewhat fully functioning human being.  Sure, I slept in, but... I got up, got dressed, picked some blackberries outside, made myself brunch, cleaned the kitchen and tile (while watching Doctor Who, obviously), did some yoga and stretching, ordered most of my school books, watched Ruby Sparks, made myself a dinner that included a large salad (I'm trying really hard, guys), taught myself a new hairstyle, made the sound decision to not cut my hair into bangs, took a shower, and now I'm sitting here writing this.  Life is awkward and embarrassing, but good.

finding the one

Today marked my first day back in Portland.  Last night I got in, smiled a lot driving around in the sun, and enjoyed a burger and truffle fries at my beloved Little Big Burger.

Guys... I think I'm in love.  I've been many places this summer (like, geez, it's been a crazy summer) and I've found some serious space in my heart for Colorado and Texas, but boy.  Once you've met the one, you've met the one.  As stressful and emotional it can be living away from home for college, I'm so happy I chose to come to Oregon.  Maybe it's the fact that I grew up in the desert and Portland is the complete opposite, a lush, green wonderland, or the fact that everyone here is a character, from the enthusiastic food cart owners, multitude of dog owners, and tea goers with not only a sloth in baby girl clothes, but also an entire sloth colony, to the couple in front of me at the Fred Meyer deli today interrogating the poor workers about nitrates and all-natural meat.

I love how much people care here, even if it sometimes verges on ridiculousness.   I love that people take pride in doing things themselves.  I love how close and accessible everything is by public transit.  I love that we have an entire block devoted to an independent bookstore.  I love that food and drink is an art form here, as it should be, and attracts Disneyland-worthly lines out the door.  I love how southern food (arguably my favor type of food) is a thing here, for no apparent reason (other than, duh, it's delicious).  I love that having a chicken coop is totally normal.  I love that there is more pressure to be weirder than to be more normal.  I love that there are beards and bizarre facial hair everywhere, as embarrassingly self-aware it sometimes may be.  Speaking of hair, I love that if I forget to shave my legs, girls won't notice or care.  Gee, they might give me a high five exposing their own wildly hairy armpits (For the record, I'm less okay with this).  I love how worked up people get when it gets over 80 degrees, and how the sun's rare appearance makes people dress like summer when it's still in the mid 50s.  I love that someone near my school owns a peacock named Honk that likes to visit campus.  I love that my school is walking distance from a state park and community farm.  I love the cherry blossoms in the spring and the blackberries outside the house right now.  I love that city and nature are intertwined seamlessly here.  And even though I'm often intimidated by how outdoorsy everyone is in comparison to me, I love that it inspires me to be more adventurous and push myself to do more than just enjoy nature from the sidelines reading or knitting under a tree (although this will always be my first instinct and first love).

Or maybe it's just all these Christmas trees, constantly reminding me of my favorite time of the year.

In all seriousness though, I couldn't be happier with a city.  I feel very lucky to live here part time, even when right now it's with three guys in a rickety old Frankenhouse that we call The Burrow but creaks enough to be called the Shrieking Shack.  I already miss my family, friends, Izzy, and Ted, but it's good to be back.

photo diary: leaky con day 3

The last day (that I got to attend), I was Molly Weasley.  This is probably one of the most comfortable outfits I have ever worn.  So comfortable that I almost fell asleep against a wall multiple times while waiting in line for Starkid seats.  Conventions are tiring, guys.  Also, people are nice there,  because even after my embarrassing sleepy antics, I still made a friend in line.  Anyway, I knitted the bag with the needles I have in my hair.  It had to be done.  

My FAVORITE THING EVER happened that morning.  It was a panel with the graphic design team MinaLima that worked on the Harry Potter films.  Let me just say, this was 100% Kaylie bliss.  My love of Harry Potter and typography combined for a two hour panel?  BLISS.  And now the internet knows the extent of my nerdom.  I'm okay with this.  The above photo is one of MANY I took.  I was so tickled by their hilarious filler text.  They had to fill entire Daily Prophets, Quibblers, Ministry of Magic pamphlets, and BOOKS with headlines and graphics even if they were never seen on camera.  Incredible.  It was so intriguing seeing all their design inspiration too.  I was SO HAPPY.

For the first time ever, I did the whole autograph thing!  It was fun, I was awkward, and now my Leaky Con bag has fancy signatures on it!

I tried to suggest Tea Chai Te to Laura Spencer when she gave me this adorable ribbon, but I probably just muttered something under my breath...  No, it wasn't THAT bad.  She was really sweet though.  Everything went so fast, but I'm fairly certain that one of the girls complimented my hair, and a couple people liked my costume.  Who knows, man.  I'm new at this.  I was flustered.

After finally getting into the mainstage after nearly falling asleep in the line, we got seats for Starkid.  But first, there was a dance off which a baby Voldemort won, and some record-breaking mustache-wearing.

It was determined by Kenzie and Ted that I looked rather like a rabbit while wearing a mustache.

STARKID STARKID STARKID.

It was beautiful.

The last event of the day (and last overall for me) was the charity ball (or as I would like to call it, THE YULE BALL).  It was pretty brilliant, because it was basically nerd prom.  Picture a dance where you know that even though everyone is dancing to dumb radio dance music, they all share a mutual love of nerdy things such as Harry Potter.  It's a pretty wonderful feeling, let me tell you.  Ted rocked his Gryffindor bowtie, and I wore my Ravenclaw necklace.  The best.

I'm so happy I got to experience Leaky Con in Portland this summer.  It was a magical experience.  It really makes you proud to be a nerd when you see so many different people bonding over something they love.  It was also nice to be able to see so many people visiting Portland and actually feeling like a local.  Of course the rain stopped for the convention that we were inside for all hours of every day.  Oh well.  I'll be back there in a few weeks (to start living in The Burrow--yes, we're a Harry Potter friendly household), and hopefully the weather will be sunny and cool, unlike here in Arizona, which is sunny and hot, hot, hot.