Goooooood AM cutie pie!
Today I’d like to discuss a little land not so far away.
Yup. You read that right.
Not sure how many of you are familiar with the ever-so-funny tv series Portlandia, if not, please check out an episode or two. You won’t be disappointed. ANYWAYS, it is based around the fact people living in Portland, Oregon are throwing their lives wayyy back to the 90’s and relishing in bad haircuts, CDs, bicycles and ‘whatever goes’ fashion.
I’d never really heard about Portland until several weeks ago, turns out a lot of people have visited and ALOT of people have loved it. The weather is temperate, the people are pleasant and the fashion is anything goes…
Let’s throw it back people. Grab your Western felt hat cause we’re gunna explore Portlandia today.
Ultra Savvy Guide to Portland, Oregon:
*** Disclaimer: spark{le} takes no legal responsibility for you quitting your job and moving to Portlandia…;)***
Eat
Salt and Straw $
UHMM.. went here twice…. Seriously the BEST ice cream you’ve ever had. With flavours like Pear & Blue Cheese, Honey Balsamic Strawberry with Black Pepper, Cinnamon Snickerdoodle and Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache, how could you go wrong? AND yes, with my dairy-free lifestyle I was able to indulge in the rich, thrilling swirl of Coconut cream with Petunia’s Salted Caramel Bar. I know. Don’t even get me started. It is legit 12/10, which is rare in my books.
Stepping Stone Café $
Stumbled upon this little café tucked away in the North West District. I decided to give it a shot and was blown away. Apparently, Stepping Stone Café was featured on Man VS. Food awhile ago for their ‘Mancakes’. Lets just say the Mancake was worth it. I mean don’t eat the ENTIRE serving but get one and take home leftovers. It’s a mere $3.50 OR as a substitution for hash browns to your meal. And they also have a ‘Pumpkin Spice Mancake’ for the fall season….. {I know.. UGH okay I tried that one too don’t judge me}.
Santeria $
Inexpensive and OH SO good Mexican food. Get the chicken burrito and split it with your BFF or whoever you’re with. Also, guac is extra but worth it {sigh, I know, so last season}.
Clyde Common $$$
Located in Pearl District, this trendy spot is the sh$*.. Honestly, so good. The food is unreal. We tried the smoked clams, meatballs and charcuterie. Each of them were incredible. The drinks were off the chain. Honest, we made it about 5 mins to end of Happy Hour but the bartender’s creations were still beyond anything I’ve tried before.
Side note: Happy Hour is Portland’s jam. Between 3-6pm is when the town gets a little woozy. It’s where young people go to retire {ultra sweet}.
Sip
Bailey’s Taproom $
Along with Clyde and Common, Bailey’s Taproom was great for drinks. They have every kind of beer on tap. BASICALLY, there is a flat screen, {yes}, advertising which number each tap is on. They input the request and out of the tap pours your drink of choice. I’m not a huge beer drinker, however, they also provide “mini” pints of 8 oz so that you can try the beer of choice for around $3 bucks each. {PERFECT}. Definitely add it to the itinerary.
Hair of the Dog $
Post Bailey’s Taproom we decided to head across the river to Hair of the Dog.. We had the best time. Brisket, Short rib, mini beers on beers on beers. The drinks were cold and diverse making the mini size a treat to order. Perfect low key bar somewhere in-between the pub/fancier restaurants out there.
Stay
North West District $ {Airbnb}
Having never been to Portland, I stayed in the North West District. UN. REAL. Seriously ladies stay there. Think of Kensington in Calgary or Yaletown in Vancouver. Quaint, ultra fab boutique neighbourhood with great drinks, coffee, shopping and of course food. I went on a jog each morning finding new treasures. It is also a quick bus ride to Downtown/Pearl District for the major shopping/essentials.
Shop…. {Tax. Free.}
Pearl District/Downtown $$
Hot. Spot. This is the heart of Portlandia ladies. It’s where the people come to spend dat cash. Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Macy’s, Sephora, every major department store you’d want to check out in the states. PLUS tax free. Can I get a hell yeah? {hellllllllll yeeeeeaaahhhhh}
North West District $/$$
TOTALLY dependent. Either you walk into a vintage-inexpensive-hole-in-the-wall OR a mainstream pricey store. Each are worth it in their own way. During one of my morning jogs I ran by Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma. If I hadn’t looked like a sweaty mess I would have gone in. Further down the street was a ton of local boutiques with great style {think Oak & Fort, Loft 82, etc}. LOVE.
xxoo Drea Marie
