PDX in full effex!

So, if you're a regular reader then you may recall that I went on a trip to Portland a couple of weeks ago. The purpose of the trip was to get out of Vancouver and celebrate my ten year anniversary with my partner in crime, the guy who floats my boat, my one and only...Sean.

We stayed at the Ace Hotel, an idea that was inspired by Erin's recent visit and recommendation. It was a welcome sight after the 3 hour wait at the border and the long drive down to Portland in the off-and-on rain. I had been somewhat concerned that its hipness would be too much for me, but it wasn't. The staff were pleasant. The lobby was warm and beautiful. People were always on the couches drinking Stumptown brew and reading or using laptops. The decor was charming: lots of wood, lots of books, dark grey walls and murals here and there.

As far as I could tell all of the rooms are different and unique. Ours was papered with pages from the sports section of an Italian newspaper. There were even a few pics of Wayne Rooney for Sean. There was a lovely Ace bedspread, delicious smelling shower gel and shampoo and a cute clawfoot tub.

We were in Portland from Saturday until the following Tuesday, but since we got in relatively late on Saturday night we really only had three days to enjoy this wonderful city. Having visited a few times already Sean and I had some spots we wanted to revisit, mainly spots that served food. But we tried a few new places too, like Kenny and Zukes for gianormous pastrami sandwiches.

I had the dinner special, The Three Course Meal, which was only half a sandwich and it was still way too much for me. I took the desert to go since we were going to see a movie at the Living Room Theaters across from the hotel.

Sean and I both LOVED the Living Room Theaters. So cozy and such a great concept. Small cinemas that show mostly independent movies, serve yummy food and beverages and have comfy seats. We saw one of the documentaries I missed at this year's film festival, Chris and Don: A Love Story. It was a very sweet film and perfect for two smitten anniversary celebrating nerds.

Other places where we enjoyed food...

The original Original Pancake House:

Cha! Cha! Cha! Mexican restaurant on NW Glisan:

Behold, my tamarind margarita! :

Bijou, Cafe:

Saint Cupcake:

And lovely desserts from the Whole Foods down the street from the hotel:

On our last morning in Portland I had the most amazing, mouth-wateringly delicious brioche I have ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. I picked it up at the Stumptown next door to the Ace. Upon returning home I did some sleuthing and found out that they get their baked goods from a wholesale bakery in Portland called Nuvrei. Seriously, if you ever have the chance to eat the mixed berry brioche at Stumptown DO IT. Delish! Needless to say, by the time we arrived back home on Tuesday night I was ready for saw raw veggies and fruit. We indulged, but we earned it! Not only was it our anniversary, but I just finished my Masters. Woo-hoo! Food overload!

Other than eating we walked around downtown quite a bit and visited Powell's twice. We also made our way to North Portland to stop into Mississippi Records, as well as to the Northeast to look at a punk record store and over to the Southeast and Hawthorne to visit one of the sattelite branches of Powell's as well as Jackpot for more record shopping. One of my most treasured finds was a pristine copy of a Malvina Reynolds record for $30 at 2nd Street Records downtown. I also picked up a cute, yellow, super-deluxe record crate for carrying around my albums when I DJ (they are seriously half the price in the States than they are up here, it's insane).

Portland is a great city for walking around. There are lots of little neighborhoods with a ton of great shops and restaurants. The buildings are old and beautiful. For a city it manages to remain quaint, but bustling. I like it. It was a nice escape for both of us.