Luke checks out a piece by Kristen Miller at PDX Gallery.
My son Luke, last seen here dressed as a bear cub, recently took a first step toward becoming a different animal altogether: a culture vulture, thanks to a trip to PDX Gallery. There, we saw art by our friends Cynthia Lahti — whose latest work is a cool series of ceramic sculptures — and Kristen Miller, who adorns tissue-thin fruit wrappers with beads and delicate stitching.
The gallery’s Pearl District location makes it easy to combine gallery-hopping with shopping, eating and general leg-stretching.
Our afternoon included stops at REI (for cozy socks) and the Pearl Bakery(for coffee and a croissant). Alas, Luke’s nap time called, so we weren’t able to visit Powell’s. But we’ll be back soon. Luke’s a budding bookworm, too.
I am just giving fair warning after seeing this sign on my way to work. It’s true. Arguably the best bagel in town is finally coming to Northeast Portland as Kettleman Bagel Company opens its fourth location on Northeast Broadway and 22nd Avenue this month. Located right on my way to work, this means I can indulge in a NY-style boiled bagel without even changing my route. Translation: no time lost on the drive time. What is sure to set me back, however, is the daily lineup of bagel lovers putting in their morning orders for toasted everythings with cream cheese or egg and bacon breakfast sandwiches or even early lunch orders for Boars Head ham with provolone and fresh veggies.
Cheers to Kettleman’s. We in northeast thank you, and here is a promise to bring a dozen to the office from time to time. Kettleman Bagel Company can also be found in northwest, southeast and downtown Portland.
When you’re driving up to a mountain, seeing its bright peak pop up in the distance is one of the most exhilarating feelings. Anticipating what you’ll find there is part of the fun, because a winter-white landscape can be so refreshing to the body and spirit during the grayest part of the year. Whether you are someone who feels the need for speed — downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling or sledding – or prefer the peace of quiet forest trails and cozy lodges, Mount Hood has a world of fun waiting only about an hour and a half from Portland. (more…)
The Portland Farmers Market season begins on March 19.
The cooler months are a great time to dig out your ski gear, grab your favorite coffee mug and head to Portland. Now, the adventure is even more affordable with the Expedia Winter Sale, which lets you save up to 30 percent off your Portland hotel stay.
More than two dozen hotels are on sale from now until the end of February, for travel by March 31. There’s also extra incentive to sample what TIME magazine calls “America’s new food Eden,” compliments of $20 dining certificate valid at tasty restaurants RingSide Steakhouse and Portland Prime.
Looking for an excuse to visit? If the hotel savings, dining certificate and year-round tax-free shopping weren’t enough, Portland is filled with events and festivals during the winter season. (more…)
What is Tet? Tet is celebrated in Vietnam and also known as the Lunar New Year.
Happy Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year falls between the end of January and early February; this year it’s on Feb. 3 and marks the beginning of the Year of the Cat (Vietnam) or Year of the Rabbit (China). Tet is like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, Mother’s and Father’s days, and your birthday all rolled into one fabulous holiday. It’s a holiday for family gatherings and to ?n T?t, literally meaning “Tet eating” — food is an important part of the celebration, symbolizing good fortune in the new year.
One festival that my two boys look forward to around this time of year is Tet in Portland. Everyone loves a lion dance and li xi (red money envelopes). According to tradition, if you feed the lion with your li xi it will bring good luck all year. While feeding the lion, the boys like to pretend that their arms are being bitten off and think it’s cute. This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Oregon Convention Center with food vendors, music, cultural performances and the Miss Ao Dai Pageant. (more…)
Seattle writer Claire Dederer, guest-blogging this week for Powell’s, expresses her love for our city’s “strange atmosphere of industrious leisure” and casts the Seattle/Portland dynamic in new terms: “Up here in Seattle, we… well, we hate you. We hate you for being cooler than us, and for having better restaurants.”
Ahh, but what would Cliff Poncier say?
For an earlier (and slightly different) expression of one Seattleite’s enthusiasm for Portland, here’s a clip — featuring Matt Dillon and the gents from Pearl Jam — from Cameron Crowe’s 1992 film Singles.
I am a man of many talents, if only in my own mind, but one talent I’ve never claimed is a penchant for shopping. Unless it’s a grocery store or they sell electronics, my shopping window lasts about 10 minutes. Max.
So while I hardly consider myself a sultan of shopping, I can still recognize shops that my girlfriend and other women in my life would think are cool. Enter Lodekka. (more…)
