25 has been a killer year. Lots of work, lots of play. As I round the corner to 26, closer to 30 than 20, I can’t help but be grateful for my friends, family, Michael, my home, my health and my animals. 25 was very special. 26 is going to be even better!! Here’s a look back…
Miek and I wandered into Caiola’s this week for our Wednesday Date Night. Located on the West End, it’s a cozy, neighborhood gem boasting antique pendant lights, warm wood accents, and a bustling kitchen serving up thoughtful, inventive dishes.
It was very busy for a weeknight (next time we will make a reservation) – a testament to Portland’s strong foodie contingent.
After a root ginger beer Dark and Stormy and Miek’s usual Stoli soda, we were led through the kitchen to our table near the back patio. We decided to order a bunch of appetizers to sample the menu: a Gorgonzola sformato accompanied by a sweet-tart cherry compote and date shavings, polenta fries with a sinful cheddar-parmesan cheese sauce and red pepper and tomato fresh relish, the braised beef taquito with tempura fried peppers, mussels in a tomato broth spiked with toasted garlic and grana padano, and a caesar salad topped with fried oysters.
My best friend Brooke flew in from Brooklyn on Friday night for our annual summer sister visit. Our friendship is one of those rare and awesome ones that allows for sitting in silence together with good books, some sunshine and a glass of wine.
Miek and I bombed down to Boston yesterday to see Frank Ocean at the Paradise. Thanks to SniqueAway we got great rates on a room at The Revere, a swanky spot near Boston Common.
A spacious room with a killer cityscape view from the concrete balcony, full-size toiletries (a long-haired girl’s dream), complimentary flutes of champagne upon check-in, and a great restaurant on-site (get the braised short rib stroganoff) made for a great experience.
Now… for some brunch and window shopping along Newbury Street — Boston’s Rodeo Drive.
xo Al
As a kid, long summer days were marked by floating in the pool until the mosquitos came out, mom’s bean salad, boom boxes in windows and the ice cream truck.
Summer vacation is the best (even if grown-up vacation is just a few PTO days!)
Summer is in full swing. Been a little snap-happy with the Hipstamatic.
Every Wednesday night is date night. I like having something to look forward to as I trudge through Monday and Tuesday, and it allows Miek and me to connect mid-week over the many delicious culinary treats this city has to offer. It started out informally; we realized that for several weeks, we had been meeting for Wednesday dinners out at our favorite spots — slurping oysters loaded with horseradish and lemon, sitting elbow-to-elbow at our neighborhood spot called JPs for creative cocktails and specials, scarfing down po’ boys at Hot Suppa! or getting our fried pickles on a Silly’s. We realized we had a list of restaurants to work through, and have found that “Wednesday Date Night” is the way to do it.
Tonight we had ramen and appetizers at Pai Men Miyake, a noodle bar that specializes in fresh ramen and soba, sushi, yakitori, and sake cocktails. Miek started with their pork buns, which were steamed bun pillows filled with unctuous pork belly, pepper relish and spicy mayo. I had the pan-seared pork and cabbage dumplings. For the main event, I had the vegetable ramen; although it was a vegetarian dish, it was rich and “meaty” with a dark mushroom broth, cabbage, seaweed, tofu, spicy garlic paste and peppers. Miek had the miso ramen. We shared crispy fried Brussels sprouts kissed by fish and soy sauces – a textural delight of crispy caramelized bits and soft, salty centers. With sake cocktails in hand, we toasted to another Hump Day success and crossed another Portland restaurant off our list.
It feels like I’ve temporarily moved to Seattle. It’s been raining since Saturday. I just checked weather.com, and I THINK we will have some relief this weekend.
The rain is pretty to listen to while sleeping (when it’s dark out, anyway) and I have been able to put some miles on my rain boots. But it’s pretty dismal. Miek and I have been keeping our spirits up with good food — why hello bacon mashed potato pizza!, good movies and TV queued up on Netflix, and loads of productivity at the office.
Rattled awake by a thunderstorm this morning at 5 am, I’m back at the office after a most sublime Memorial Day Weekend.
Some of my favorite moments: dipping my toes in the Atlantic while the younger kids swam the day away, driving to the Dairy Corner with my boy in the passenger seat and his nephew, my sister and her boyfriend in the back – all singing along to the Alabama Shakes, spending time with a Westie, chihuahua, and two doodles, and making friendship bracelets on the upper deck as the sun beat down on me and the ocean lapped against the sand.
Ahhhhh, summer.
Hot Off The Dress 