pdx eeeeeats

diary of my trip to portland in meals. 

didn't make it to maurice
but the ace was kind enough to bring them to me

grilled chicken - it's what's for lunch

beets at top chef alum doug adam's imperial

first of the surf n's turf - steak tartare at raven & rose

part deux: wood oven clams and prawns

behold blue star doughnuts

i had the real maple with bacon

best fried chicken biscuit and sausage fries from
pine state biscuits

prtlnd

great second time around city: portland. shar rocked portland with her bff back in 2006, and lurved it. this time around work brought me to the lovely city in the pacific northwest. this time there was no car and julie from van headed south to meet up for some good times.

ahhh land of stumptown. we hit the downtown branch.

jule's and her star wars inspired powell's tee

got these and split them with julie. friendship charms are so passe. cupcake keys are the rage.

breakie at bijou cafe

my chicken salad sammy from bunk's in mid-prep. i was hoping to order a mcnulty with a side of beadie, but it wasn't on the menu.

a kind sir from sf clued me in to this spot. got me the best coast's debut 7" and a naomi shelton 45". SCORE!

natalie merchant at occ

much belated live performance in the most unusual but fitting venue: natalie merchant at the oregon convention center for the public libraries association conference. shar was stoked when she found out that natalie was playing. i never got a chance to see her with 10,000 maniacs or even when she went solo. she's doesn't seem to tour much since becoming a mama.

i wasn't really sure why natalie was playing the pla conference, but it made sense when she went into the extensive research she put into her latest album, leave to sleep, out april 13. the album comprises of 19th and 20th century poets. some obscure and some more well-known. i also found out she opened the ted conference last month.

wooooh weeeee. she pretty much went through the entirety of the new album, which my friends is stellar. i particularly loved "the janitor boy", which sounds a lot like nickel creek's "anthony". the inspiration of the song came from a 10 year old gal named nathalia crane, who lived in sheepshead bay, brooklyn. she wrote the poem dedicated to a crush she had on a little red haired boy. shar feels you, nathalia.

i also really loved "if no one ever marries me", original poem by laurence alma-tadema. p.s. she never did marry. natalie saved the best for last coming back for a encore and touchingly, with some tears, dedicating "kind and generous" to all the public librarians in the room.