Portland Metblogs

Happy hour, the comeback!

Stacy Austin — Mon, 31 May 2010 04:56:17 +0000

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To keep with the penny-pinching theme, here is a short list of happy hours to keep you busy during the Memorial Day weekend.

Farm Café
10 SE 7th Ave
Notes: Offers fresh, local organic food and beers. $2 Hand-cut fries with house-made ketchup

Iron Horse
6034 SE Milwaukie
Notes: 3 mini tacos or 5 jalapeno poppers for $3

Moloko Plus
3967 N Mississippi
Notes: free Atari and $5 sandwich menu

Siam Society Soi Cowboy Lounge
2703 NE Alberta
Notes: Happy hour is all day. $1.95 deep fried Thai shrimp chips.

Concordia Ale House
3276 NE Killingsworth
Notes: All food items $3.75, including 2 mini burgers with chips or fries, mac & cheese, and chili cheese fries.

Cider Mill
6712 SW Capitol Hwy
Notes: $1 PBR pints. $2.95 food menu, including Leos homemade hot wings, fully loaded backed potato and sweet peppered onion rings.

Tanuki
413 NW 21st Ave
Notes: Food specials $1-5. $4 sake shot n a beer

Country Cat
7937 SE Stark
Notes: Food and drink combos $10-12. For example, on Tuesday, pork sandwich, bbq baked beans and a jigger of jack for $10.

Fourth Annual Zoo Brew

Stacy Austin — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:09:12 +0000

There are a few “kid” places I enjoy going to sans kids. For example, OMSI After Dark offers adults (21 and over) the opportunity to parade the museum kids free. Personally, I enjoy thinking about the miracle of life in the Life Science Hall, without the miracle of life obnoxiously bumping into me and screaming at every turn.

By the way, I love kids. There are just times I prefer not to interact with children not related to me.

The fourth annual Zoo Brew is around the corner. One can enjoy booze from the brew gods, enjoy the wilds of the Oregon Zoo, and listen to the local ska-rock music of the Crazy 8s.

On Friday, June 4, from 5pm until 10pm, join the animals and partipating breweries: Alameda Brewhouse, Blue Mountain Cider, BridgePort Brewing Co., Cascade Brewing, Crater Lake Root Beer, Deschutes Brewery, Double Mountain Brewery, Fish Brewing Co., Full Sail Brewing, Hopworks Urban Brewing, Klamath Basin Brewing Co., Kona Brewing Co., Lompoc Brewing Co., Oakshire Brewing, Pale Horse Brewing Co., Redhook Ale Brewery, Seven Brides Brewing, Spire Mountain Cider, Trumer Pils, and Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.

If you really want to get sloshed, take the MAX, red or blue line. Get off at Washington Park and take the elevator up.

Tickets to Zoo Brew are $25 now or $30 at the door. Tickets include a commemorative tasting glass and 10 tokens. Proceeds this year will benefit the Zoo To You education program. Tickets can be purchased online. No kids allowed.

Tips for Uncle Gus

Stacy Austin — Mon, 03 May 2010 02:28:45 +0000

I ride the MAX blue and red lines several times a day, from Pioneer Square to the SW ‘burbs. Even after years of riding with Trimet, I was incognizant to obvious tips that would make my daily trips more pleasant.

For example, I have caught the red line by accident and then been completely taken by surprise when I have had to switch trains (to blue line) to go further southwest. Whoops!.

My friend, Kim, offered these kind suggestions to me:

Take the red line to get out of the rain, heat, or cold.
Get off at Sunset because they have benches, and you are more likely to get a seat if you transfer because of all the people that get off.
If you get off at Washington Park, you are less likely to get a seat when getting back on the MAX, but it’s very cool underground when it’s hot outside.

For further reading, TriMet provides you the rules, how to, and winter weather ideas.

I found a cool site called TriMetiquette, run by local rider Christian Bullock. Some friendly, helpful observations from Mr. Amy Vanderbilt.

If you have an iPhone, be sure to download the free app for Portland bus and train times. It has helped (and amused me) a million times over.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Stacy Austin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:53:37 +0000

Remember that the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival is in Woodburn until the end of the month. Fun for friends, families, or just couples. Probably not as fun by your lonesome… but what is?

All orders of $40 or more will receive 10 free Iris Reticulata, from now through June 1st.

I recommend taking a look at your garden now, so you know what flowers you may want for next year. Remember, you plant most bulbs right before it tends to get really cold. Also, great deals to be found right now. Typically, when I buy my bulbs at the festival, I get free entry the next year.

Pictured to the left are tulips from my own garden! I bought them at the festival last year.

Food carts, we dine with thee

Stacy Austin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:42:43 +0000

Times are tough. And when the wallet is tight, people search for cheap food. Food carts are rapidly filling Portlanders’ stomachs with cheap, delicious food. Even Frugal Traveler from the NY Times agrees!

I know the ambiance isn’t for everyone, but I love food carts. I love greedily devouring the food on the sidewalk or running indoors to enjoy my food in peace. I always feel like Gollum from Lord of the Rings, creepily screeching, “My precious…” whilst protecting my fresh, hot edibles from rain, wind, and sleet.

I wanted to share some of my favorites with you, hoping you would share some of your favorites with me. I can’t list them all, but with your help, maybe I can. You may argue that some of them are not food carts, but merely food served outdoors. To me, it’s potato, potahto.

My Quick Delicious Five

Built To Grill
SW 3rd and Washington
(no website) (twitter)

No Fish Go Fish
SW 5th and Yamhill
(website) (twitter)

Grilled Cheese Grill
NE Alberta & 11th
(website) (twitter)

Brunchbox
SW 5th Ave & Stark
(website) (twitter)

Nong’s Khao Man Gai
SW 10th & Alder St.
(website) (twitter)

Great Sites Or Articles To Get Your Visual Fix

No April Fools at K & Z

Stacy Austin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:24:29 +0000

One day special at Kenny and Zuke’s. It’s called the DDD reuben and it may cause a self induced cardiac arrest. This triple-decker is described by them:

In the middle is the standard reuben with 9-10 ozs of house-made pastrami, two slices of swiss, russian, and kraut. On top and bottom is another reuben, each with about 4 ozs of pastrami, and two slices of swiss cheese. That’s over a pound of pastrami, 1/4 lb of swiss cheese, and a whole bunch of creamy russian all grilled together into a delicious mess. And as if that wasn’t a cholesterol bomb waiting to explode in your heart, we went ahead and battered and deep-fried it.

Not sure if my little heart can handle it, but it’s only here for one day so maybe it should.

Rainy Days

Stacy Austin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:52:35 +0000

If you’ve been present this week, you know that it’s been raining. Like, soak your sneakers and turn your umbrella inside out –if you actually carry one– kind of rain. Don’t be discouraged, my fair-weather friend. I will share with you a quick list of what I will be partaking in this week.

Tulip fest – You don’t need to wait for April showers or May flowers to enjoy tulips and other bulbed carnations right now. Runs through April 25th. From Portland, I recommend cutting through Canby instead of Woodburn.
Drink coffee. Some quick recommendations: Rimskys, Cacao, Caffe Pallino, Cellar Door Coffee, Albina Press, Extracto, World Cup Coffee & Tea, etc.
Go to OMSI, especially After Dark, when it’s adults only.
Browse and read at Powells or the library.
I prefer a dank pub on a rainy day for my beer drinking. Some quick ideas: Thirsty Lion Pub, Basement Pub, Chapel Pub, etc.
If you’re dragging your feet, browsing the internet, read a fun Oregon blog. Find a new one on ignOregon or Oregon Blogs. A few I read are: Jack Bog, PDX Experience, On A Road, Get Rich Slowly, Blue Oregon, and Utterly Boring.

There is tons more to do. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments. And remember: Keep your socks dry!

Art Shmart

Stacy Austin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:23:50 +0000

Enjoy free art today! The Portland Art Museum offers free admission on the fourth Friday of every month from 5-8 p.m.

You can enjoy portraits galore, along with other permanent exhibits.

Even if you think you’re not an appreciator of the arts, just go, because it may make you smarter… and did I mention that it’s free?

Spring Break Zoo Madness

Stacy Austin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:50:33 +0000

Since all the kiddies were out of school on spring break, I thought, why not visit the zoo? Oregon Zoo’s Spring Break Party runs through April 2nd. The zoo schedule brings you lions, penguins, polar bears, ocelots and elephants.

Tips You Should Know:

Parking is atrocious (and costs $2). Yes, you can park further away and use the shuttle, but the MAX is so convenient; just take the Washington Park exit and elevator up.
The parking shuttle (if you use it) and the zoo are not stroller or wheelchair friendly.
Another benefit of riding the MAX: you get a $1.50 off admission at the gate.
Children aged two and under are admitted free of charge.
On the second Tuesday of every month you can visit the zoo for the discounted price of $2 per person; better than the usual $10.50 per adult and $7.50 per youth, right?
Portland Perks has a 20% off admission coupon.
Kids love ZooKeys. They cost $2.50 and you can use the same one each time you visit. Listen to zoo facts in English or Spanish.
And, as always: wear good walking shoes, dress in layers, and bring water and snacks.

Recent Zoo Photos:

Free Cone Day!

Stacy Austin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:14:55 +0000

At noon, you can grab a free cone of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream today. Four locations in the area to serve you.

Ben & Jerry’s Hawthorne
1428 S.E. 36th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214

Ben & Jerry’s Uptown Center
39 NW 23rd Place
Portland, OR 97210

Ben & Jerry’s Portland Pearl District
301 NW 10th Street
Portland, OR 97209

Ben & Jerry’s Yamhill
524 SW Yamhill
Portland, OR 97204