Beast Wishes

To celebrate my 29th (Yes, I'm old) birthday this year I opted to do something decadent.  In order to send off year 28 and welcome year 29 in style, I decided to eat at Beast restaurant, Portland's sheik, hip, French dinner spot in Northeast Portland.  The chef is a Portland celebrity named Naomi Pomeroy who was recently on Top Chef.  Unfortunately she didn't win, but is still a winner our books! 

As I'm rapidly becoming a Portland "Foodie" I read about Beast all the time and had to see what all the chatter was about.  I found out that all the chatter is about the 6-course, prix fixed menu with wine pairings... Oh yeah and substitutions are politely declined.

All the seatings are done at one time so everyone is served each course at the same time.  The experience of communal eating made for great conversation with strangers and you even had a view of all the platings they did throughout the evening.

First Course: Carrot Veloute = Soup!

Second Course: Charcuterie and Pate Plate = Ground Meat and Liver with Crackers

Palette Cleanser = Kind of weird ice cream

Third Course: Loin Roast = Perfectly Cooked Steak and Mushrooms 

Fourth Course: Gem Lettuce with Sardine Salad

Fifth Course: The Cheese Plate = (Enough said.)

Sixth Course: Sost Meringue and Birthday Wish

It was definitely a birthday ($ check $) to remember. 

716 SE 34th Ave, Portland OR 97214

We finally did it!  We moved!  Although Todd and I will always look back with great love and affection at our tiny studio at 3130 SE Yamhill- we could live in a studio no longer.  When we finally realized no amount of love can ever be contained in such a small place and still grow, Todd and I stumbled upon a great 2-bedroom (2-story!) apartment, bit the bullet, made a hasty decision and signed a month-to-month lease.  As our move came upon us too quickly we unfortunately had to move out DURING work weeks which left us packing, moving and unpacking all AFTER work for two weeks!  It was not one of my favorite moves, but definitely worth the hard work!  As you can see we are settling in nicely!  Check out our before and after shots...

Our tiny kitchen!  We have grown to love it.

Our lovely living room!  Before and after we got it a little organized.

Todd hard at work making a mess...but he cleans up nice!

    

For awhile Norm was just left where ever we could find room for him!  

Soon after, he got to move into his very own room UPSTAIRS!!  

Norm keeps our guests company and enjoys the rising heat from the apartment to keep warm at night.

And finally the thing that makes our new little apartment all the lovelier...

Our very own deck! 

Camping + Craters + Beer = Memorial Day

In order to take advantage of the delightful 3-day Memorial weekend, we decided to venture some places we've never been before to continue exploring Oregon.  We headed out to Southeast Oregon and visited the enchanting Tamolitch Blue Pool, the refreshing Belknap Hot Springs, the volcanic Newberry Crater National Park and then onto the boozy Bend Ale Trail!  Check the map here.  It was a ROCKin' good time.  Felt nice to get out of Portland and enjoy some of the gorgeous landscapes! 

To get to the elusive Blue Pool you had to hike about 2 miles to get to it.  

Over the river...

And through the woods...

To the Blue Pool we go!

Our little, wet campsite at Belknap.  

Arrived to Newberry Crater Park to find it had snowed the night before!  

One thing about the Pacific Northwest- you can guarantee less than lovely May weather.  

If it's not raining, its snowing...or otherwise just NOT being sunny.  

A panoramic of the Lava Cast Forest. 

Some parts of the forest were still very alive...

Spelunking at the volcanic Boyd Cave outside Bend.  

We took the more "adventurous" route, suggested by one of the guides and avoided some large crowds to explore on our own.  

Even though it was pitch black inside...

There were still some pretty full moons!

The sunset in Bend.

 Sitting outside the Les Schwab Amphitheater listening to the Beck concert! 

The long drive home- whizzing by Smith Rock National Park.  

Home of the mountain climber!  

Lytle of this, Lytle of that!

Portland was treated to a real gift recently when one of my favorite musicians, Jason Lytle (of Granddaddy), spent the entire week doing a residency at Al's Den in the Crystal Ballroom (for free!) This sort of comeback piano punk experiment was an intimate rambling event that showed off Jason's understated but amazing musical genius for concocting epic space punk operas (!!!). I made it out to Al's Den 4 nights that week, after work and dragon boats as he waltzed his way through an epic collection of his new solo work, stripped down covers, and of course, almost all my favorite Grandaddy songs.  His uneasiness on the small stage gave the performances the sense that he was still trying to decide if he could handle the pressures being back in the spotlight.

You could see and hear the cause for the 2006 break up of Grandaddy in his anxious and nervous banter on stage.  After the split, Jason moved to Montana and lived and wrote far from civilization. These shows marked the first time he was playing live in a long time and also on the heals of the announcement that the reunited Grandaddy was going to be playing a short series of shows. Beyond the greater emotional issues, it was his earnest and serious compositions that the packed house crowds responded to. I think the shows were really a way for his fans to give him a big hug and thank him for making the music that we all really connected with.

Here are some of those favorite songs, give them a listen:

And a little interview to give you some sense of the man behind the music.