Portland, Or | Hateful Solar Daytime 1

June 23, 2014

Portland, Oregon was our side yesteryear side goal next New York! I kickoff knew this metropolis every bit the habitation of the Dandy Warhols, though inwards the yesteryear 5 or together with then years it's developed a reputation every bit ane of the world's most vegan-friendly cities, together with to a greater extent than of late nevertheless it's gained widespread fame through the TV present Portlandia.

On our kickoff Portland forenoon nosotros hitting the Pearl District for breakfast, tracking downward a cafe that came recommended yesteryear ane of my colleagues. Prasad is laid within a yoga studio together with is naturally sum of raw foods together with vege bowls alongside a sprinkling of dubious wellness claims. The exclusively non-vegan element I noticed inwards their carte du jour was raw honey. Notes around the cafe asking that guests abide by the practising yogis alongside ease behaviour, but the juicer is the most disturbing patron yesteryear far.

In stark contrast to his pancake bowl the previous morning, Michael took on the Lovejoy Scramble (US$9 AU$9.60) - a bowl filled alongside smokey tempeh, mustard, maple roasted carrots, dull roasted tomatoes, kale, avocado together with scallions on chocolate-brown rice. It was definitely the correct affair to do. I worked my means through the smaller, denser Rogue Oatmeal bowl (US$7 AU$7.50) - gluten-free oats mixed alongside peanut butter, cocoa nibs, kokosnoot flakes, peanuts, cinnamon together with vanilla, garnished alongside banana. With regular dashes of almond milk, maple syrup together with a footling sneaky tabular array salt this was a rattling satisfying induce to the day. I was truly impressed yesteryear Prasad's Harlow Chai (US$3.50 AU$3.70), every bit good - it's based on kokosnoot milk together with existent dark tea, non flavoured syrup.

The Pearl District is also the habitation of Powell's Books, the world's largest independent majority store. We could conduct maintain easily spent hours inwards there, gazing at the titles together with marvelling at the prices, but our luggage couldn't grip the extra weight of truly buying anything. The veg*n cooking department was large together with various together with a pleasance to browse. Here I came across the Dirt Candy Cookbook, which turned out to hold upwardly a cute graphic novel, but the recipes required ingredients together with equipment that I'll never access.

In the middle of the twenty-four hr menstruum nosotros browsed the shops, cafes together with gardens along Mississippi Ave inwards Portland's north-east. We spent a lot of our fourth dimension together with coin at Reading Frenzy, a gorgeous independent press belongings a diverseness of unique books, graphic novels, zines, prints together with a pocket-size gallery. We chatted to the friendly possessor at length, together with she kindly sent us off alongside a listing of her favourite Portland businesses to see (in add-on to the zines, posters together with badges we'd already bought). I got a boot out of this zine most ane man's complicated human relationship alongside food. (Here's a taste: "If the texture of a nutrient is the same texture every bit I'd imagine alien injure juice being, that nutrient is going to hold upwardly a pretty difficult sell for me. Puddings autumn into this category.")

Michael had us on a class to collide alongside Homegrown Smoker, a vegan BBQ nutrient cart. These guys conduct maintain an extensive selection of burger, burritos, chili together with fried things. I uncertainty y'all could produce improve than the Half Rack Rib platter nosotros shared (US$7 AU$7.50). These 'ribs' are applewood smoked tempeh basted inwards BBQ sauce, served alongside a hushpuppy, a tub of splendid remoulade sauce together with our choice of side - sludgy, salty, savoury mac-nocheese. We accompanied it alongside an Arnold Palmer (US$2 AU$2.10), the States' clever cocktail of iced tea together with lemonade.

We took it slow for the balance of the afternoon - Michael watched alongside World Cup alongside a beer patch I giggled over my nutrient zine. In the eve nosotros laid out to Los Gorditos for dinner. While at that topographic point was a Pearl District branch of this taqueria a brusque walk from our accommodation, our mate Matt convinced us that nosotros needed to see the ane on SE Division. It seemed foreign to move for such an ordinary, takeaway shop-style setting, but nosotros were rewarded alongside an expansive Mexican carte du jour alongside clearly divided 'meat' together with 'vegan' sections. These guys are stocked upwardly alongside vegan-friendly cheese together with sour cream addition a choice of tofu, soycurls together with soyrizo. 

We did our best to bridge the options, ordering a platter of tofu-stuffed gorditas (aka flatbreads, US$7 AU$7.50) alongside rice together with beans, a soycurl taco (US$2 AU$2.10), together with soyrizo-based sopes (US$6.50 AU$6.90). We'd gladly recommend whatever of these dishes, though nosotros suspect that soycurl-stuffed gorditas mightiness hold upwardly the optimal combination of Los Gorditos' enviable options.

Portland, Or | Solar Daytime 2

June 24, 2014

I started our minute amount twenty-four hours inward Portland early, jumping on a jitney downwards to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge for a few hours of birding. It's a lovely commons - beautiful forest, a big lake together with heaps of birds. There's a slideshow below - for those playing along at home, the birds pictured are:

• Lesser goldfinch
• Song sparrow
• Bushtit
• Downy woodpecker
• A deer! (not a bird, I know)
• Cedar waxwing

Cindy together with I arranged a post-birding rendezvous at Junior's Cafe, a pop together with vegan-friendly brunch articulation simply off Hawthorne inward the South East. It's a cosy infinite amongst fashionable wallpaper, a few cute pictures together with lots of beautiful onetime fashioned framed mirrors on the wall. It's a small-ish room together with on a Tuesday forenoon things are pretty quiet, although it seems every bit though things larn busy on the weekends. The staff are charming together with friendly together with were happy to charge me upwardly amongst java patch I waited for Cindy to plow up.

The bill of fare is massive, amongst a mix of meaty, eggy together with vegan dishes - close everything has a vegan version, then there's French toast, scrambled tofu, vegan sausage, fifty-fifty spud-based brekkies (no pancakes though, strangely). I continued my adventures inward scrambled tofu, ordering the Superhero (scrambled seasoned tofu amongst tomatoes, vegan sausage, light-green onions together with spinach, served amongst toast together with spuds, US$9.50 AU$10.10). I'll say y'all this: Americans actually know their means roughly scrambled tofu - it was consistently expert wherever nosotros travelled together with Junior's was no exception. The fancy ketchup didn't wound either.

Cindy went for the vegan French toast amongst a side of fresh fruit (US$7 + US$4.50 AU$12.30). She had no regrets, but I actually idea she should convey gone amongst the amount vegan French toast repast (featuring scrambled tofu together with sausage).

We waddled off from brekkie to consider upwardly amongst the gratuitous Secrets of Portlandia walking tour inward the city. It's run past times the charming together with funny Erik Kennon together with involves a duet of entertaining hours hearing a overnice overview of the city's quirky history. Highlights include the Portlandia statue (top left) together with the world's smallest metropolis commons (bottom left).

The tour finishes correct past times Voodoo Doughnuts, but nosotros decided to concur off on the saccharide together with explore i of the big nutrient cart blocks inward the metropolis - there's something similar seventy dissimilar vendors taking upwardly the block of SW Adler from ninth to 10th. After a quick lap, nosotros settled on Los Gorditos).

The bill of fare has a complicated construction - at that spot are antipasto plates, burgers, pizzas, starters, pastas together with primary dishes. I pushed difficult for the fix bill of fare bargain (one starter, i pasta, i primary together with i dessert for US$38 AU$40.50 each), but Cindy spotted the size of the dishes on other tables together with talked me out of it. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 confession: she was totally right.

Instead, nosotros combined a petty jewel caesar salad (romain lettuces amongst vegan caesar dressing, fried capers together with garlic toast, US$9 AU$9.60), roast corn ravioli (fresh pasta stuffed amongst roast corn together with cashew cheese served amongst basil fondue together with asparagus fava edible bean succotash, US$14 AU$14.90) together with a portobello steak amongst crispy onion rings together with housemade steak sauce served amongst roasted asparagus, radishes, fountain onions together with gilded potatoes (US$16 AU$17)

The caesar salad was fleck lettuce heavy for my tastes, but the other dishes were amazing - the pasta rich together with creamy together with laden amongst wonderful fresh veggies together with the mushroom steak marinated brilliantly together with accompanied past times to a greater extent than swell vegetables. Superb. The pizzas that came out roughly us looked incredible too, but sadly nosotros didn't larn a direct chances to drive them - I justice some other trip to Portland is inward order!

Our lack of pizza was made upwardly for past times a dessert each - a huckleberry tart (short breadstuff crust, almond frangipane together with strawberries amongst huckleberry sauce, US$8 AU$8.50), the chocolate mousse (with whiskey-coffee granita together with orangish hazelnut praline, US$8 AU$8.50) together with a scoop of the salted caramel kokosnoot H2O ice cream (US$3 AU$3.20). Both dishes were meant to come upwardly amongst kokosnoot chantilly cream, but the kitchen was out (they warned us at least) together with both would convey benefited from some kind of creamy accompaniment. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 nipper electrical charge though - they were both swell dishes.

Portobello is a wonderful eating theater - it was buzzing on the Tuesday nighttime nosotros visited together with is clearly a go-to identify for Portland vegans looking for a slightly upmarket meal. It should endure on whatever visitor's must-visit list.

Portland, Or | Twenty-Four Hr Current 3

June 25, 2014

We returned to the due north E on Wednesday, starting out amongst breakfast at one of K's favourites, Back To Eden Bakery. It wasn't hard to run across why she was so fond of it - its cute vintage look, non to refer the solely vegan together with gluten-free goods, was simply K's style. And their nutrient was splendid on anyone's terms. We shared a smoked tempeh, mozzarella together with fig scone (US$3.50 AU$3.70), an asparagus-kale cashew tart (US$6 AU$6.40) together with a lemon kokosnoot cream pie (US$6.50 AU$6.90). These wonderful morsels had me hatching plans for my ain oven, though I tin barely promise to bake equally good equally the pros at Back To Eden.

We wandered North East Alberta for a while, poking our noses into shops together with galleries, taking banknote of other cafes, bars together with restaurants nosotros wanted to endeavor later.

One of them was walking tour guide Erik. He boasted close their extensive together with imaginative flavours, amongst novel express edition options popping upwards every season. The staff were enthusiastic close what they were selling - natural, organic together with local-as-possible ingredients - together with were generous amongst the costless gustatory modality tests. I didn't discovery whatever vegan-friendly labelling, but these are folks you lot could quiz (you'd certainly travel one-half a adventure amongst the fruit flavours). Michael ordered a waffle cone of 1 of their cocktail serial specials, rhubarb together with saffron inward champagne, patch I tried a loving cup of their oddball pear together with bluish cheese icecream (US$3.95 AU$4.20 each). These were dense, smoothen custards amongst carefully rendered flavours; no wonder nosotros saw queues out the door every subsequent stroll yesteryear the shop.

And stroll nosotros did, for a patch longer, earlier getting on a autobus dorsum toward our accommodation.

We made a halt along the means at Blossoming Lotus for a belatedly lunch. This was non the hippy-dippy Asian-fusion cafe I was expecting from that name. Instead nosotros experienced refined, understated decor together with a card of thoughtfully composed salads, bowls, sandwiches together with tacos, all vegan. Michael ordered the Whiskey Ginger BBQ Sandwich together with was somehow served upwards the BBQ Bowl (US$12 AU$12.80). He didn't demur; it held tasty helpings of whiskey ginger bbq soycurls, spud salad, mac together with cheese, together with light-green apple tree slaw. I imagined the Cobb Salad (US$13 AU$13.90) would travel a small-scale selection yet was delivered an enormous platter of food, what seemed similar an entire shredded lettuce topped amongst (left to right) impressively crispy kokosnoot bacon, fresh beetroot strips, sliced cucumber, roughly underwhelming 'pecan chorizo', certainly an entire tomato, one-half an avocado together with a tub of caper ranch dressing. I did my darnedest.

We took roughly other slowly afternoon (a fleck of a Portland pattern) together with returned to NE Alberta for a dinner reservation at Natural Selection. As you lot powerfulness imagine, this is a eating theatre focused on seasonal plant-based ingredients together with they tend towards European styles of preparation. It's cosy yet upbeat, together with non likewise formal. The kitchen offers 2 alternative dishes across each of 4 courses, at to the lowest degree 1 of which is vegan together with gluten-free; amongst 2 of us at the tabular array nosotros were able to sample all 8 plates (at US$45 AU$48pp).

They started us off amongst a little but complex amuse bouche of beetroot together with pear cubes together with watermelon radish inward a vinaigrette, garnished amongst shallots together with beetroot soil.

For the offset course, in that place was a velvetty asparagus, leek together with spud soup garnished amongst parsnip, chives together with lemon oil. It was simply barely outdone yesteryear a dish of chestnut pasta amongst rapini, garlic, chilli, raisins together with parmesan - I loved their low-cal manus on the dressing together with generous travel of fresh greens, proving that pasta tin travel low-cal together with summery.

Next, salads. The left plate combined butter lettuce together with apricots amongst pickled strawberries, snap peas together with pistachio cream. On the correct nosotros had a to a greater extent than astringent mix of lettuces together with icicle radish amongst orange, dried fig, fennel together with fried olives.

The principal dishes were warmer together with heftier, though they yet had their fine dining flourishes. Michael preferred the wild rice together with beetroot (pictured left) amongst mushrooms, cider, fennel together with a thick parsnip puree. I was to a greater extent than taken yesteryear the peas together with carrots, though the confit carrots were tough to larn a knife through - a fleck of mint actually lifted the pea puree.

A little serve of lemon ginger cinnamon granita perked me upwards no end. Given how good these ingredients piece of occupation inward pairs, I shouldn't conduct maintain been so surprised that they were a peachy trio.

The lychee gelee dessert (pictured right) was ever going to travel a hard sell for me, but roughly strawberries ready it right. (While I'm non afraid of basil inward a dessert, the granita together with deep-fried foliage hither didn't assist me out.) The cherry together with cornmeal upside downwards cake (pictured left) was to a greater extent than predictably our style, served amongst a stunning orangish together with balsamic icecream.

This was a practiced repast inward a splendid restaurant; I was glad to swallow such a diverseness of fresh produce. Not all of the fancy accents together with nth ingredients enhanced my enjoyment but in that place were a pair of memorable moments - the chestnut pasta, lemon granita together with orangish icecream amidst them.

Portland, Or | 24-Hour Interval 4

June 26, 2014

Th started alongside about other trip to the S E suburbs for breakfast at Junior's Cafe - classic U.S. diner nutrient done generally vegetarian or vegan (there's meat on the menu, but nearly everything has a tempeh/tofu version).

We carve upward ii dishes: the HOG pile - grilled tofu, mushrooms in addition to onions scrambled alongside spinach, served over herb in addition to onion breadstuff in addition to all swimming inward gravy (US$8.50 AU$9.10) in addition to the sugariness corn in addition to greenish chilli white patato cakes were covered inward roasted corn in addition to fresh avocado, adding about colouring cloth to the grilled tempeh (US$8.50 AU$9.10). It was a ludicrous amount of nutrient again, but nosotros managed to run our means through it all - the herb breadstuff in addition to gravy combo was especially winning (if completely unhealthy).

Stuffed alongside food, nosotros explored SE Hawthorne for a dyad of hours, browsing the op-shops, volume shops in addition to gift shops in addition to weighing upward luggage infinite vs the excitement of vacation spending. Eventually nosotros worked upward plenty hunger to justify our trip to 1 of Portland's oddest must-do tourist experiences: Voodoo Doughnuts. We took Erik's advice in addition to went to their minute store (NE Davis) to avoid the massive queues of the downtown branch - the queue was definitely shorter, but the store was withal rammed alongside people the whole fourth dimension nosotros were there.

Voodoo has somehow perish a phenomenon - the stores are opened upward 24 hours a twenty-four hours in addition to are constantly busy, alongside streams of people gorging themselves or loading upward boxes of doughnuts to receive got domicile every bit souvenirs (we spotted a few of their striking pinkish boxes at the airdrome every bit nosotros flew out). They made their cry selling crazy concoctions - doughnuts glazed alongside NyQuil or flavoured alongside Pepto-Bismol and dotted alongside Tums. The FDA eventually set a halt to the pharmaceutical doughnuts, but the store was already famous in addition to they've continued to thrive yesteryear offering a baffling array of doughnuts to select from - there's toppings similar cap'n crunch, bacon, in addition to Oreos every bit good every bit to a greater extent than conventional options, loads of vegan doughnuts in addition to their signature voodoo doll doughnut, a chocolate coated piffling guy alongside a pretzel for stabbing in addition to a body total of gooey raspberry jam. We ordered a froot loop doughnut in addition to a vegan pumpkin doughnut alongside chocolate frosting to actually encompass the experience. It was fun, but I'm non certain I actually empathise the allure beyond the novelty value. 

After a sugar-induced afternoon breakdown nosotros headed northward 1 time to a greater extent than to banking concern stand upward for out Back to Eden in addition to Salt in addition to Straw). The innovation was twofold: starting fourth dimension the eventide at the much-vaunted vegan pub The Bye in addition to Bye in addition to therefore wander the streets in addition to banking concern stand upward for out the party. Heartbreakingly though, The Bye in addition to Bye had picked Th nighttime to closed for 'maintenance', leaving me cranky in addition to hungry in addition to without a existent plan. After a flake of aimless wandering in addition to a few near-misses at nutrient carts (the hit of mac in addition to cheeses at The Cheese Cart nearly lured us in), I remembered reading about glowing reviews of The Bollywood Theater in addition to nosotros went to banking concern stand upward for it out.

With crowds of people inward the neighbourhood for Last Th at that spot was, unsurprisingly, a business of people streaming out the door. We joined it pessimistically, exclusively to marvel at how speedily the eatery was managing to shuffle people in, receive got their orders, teach them seated in addition to charge them upward alongside food. We were eating inside one-half an hr I'd guess.

And nosotros were eating well! The focus of the carte is Indian street food, therefore there's lots of piffling snacky dishes to select from. Cindy went alongside ii small-scale dishes - the incredible gobi manchurian (fried cauliflower florets alongside lemon, curry leaves in addition to a sweet/sour/spicy sauce, US$6.50 AU$7) in addition to a paneer kati curlicue (paneer, pickled onion in addition to chutney rolled inward paratha, US$6.50 AU$9.10). She's withal dreaming well-nigh that bread. I couldn't resist a big plate in addition to ordered the egg masala thali - boiled eggs inward a spicy love apple tree in addition to yoghurt curry, alongside saffron rice, sambar, dal, raita, greenish chutney in addition to paratha (US$12 AU$12.90). It was a ludicrously sized feast of amazing flavours. Our meals had us wishing nosotros could sample to a greater extent than of the carte (the spicy white patato dumpling burger in addition to the samosas both called out to me), but nosotros couldn't create it. We didn't swallow really vegan friendly meals hither in addition to the carte doesn't furnish whatever clear labelling, but the mesh assures me that there's a special vegan carte at the counter in addition to that the options are plentiful in addition to tasty. 

After wandering through the street political party about to a greater extent than - intermission dancing, dodgy stalls, about cute piffling fine art galleries - nosotros constitute our means to dessert via about other trip to Salt in addition to Straw but a vivid vegan alternative, enhanced yesteryear fantabulous toppings.

Fully sated in addition to alongside darkness approaching nosotros made our means dorsum to the coach halt for home. The street political party ends really abruptly at 9:30 when the street is reopened to traffic, but the Prince tribute deed kicking out the jams inward the foodcart pod kept us rocking until it was fourth dimension to depart.

Portland, Or | Twenty-Four Hours 5

June 27, 2014

The dry soil of Oregon is renowned for its natural beauty together with nosotros were keen to exit together with encounter it. The best nosotros could teach by given our circumstances together with the conditions was a half-day tour along the Columbia River, where nosotros were rewarded amongst a twain of gorgeous waterfalls, lots of thick greenery, together with a twain of aeroplane sightings (see slideshow above).

Our conduct Josh recommended eating at the we in ane lawsuit made at home.) I enjoyed it really much, though I struggled to teach through the pickle, murphy salad together with carrot sticks on the side.

We did a lilliputian final wandering inward the afternoon together with began our level at Ground Kontrol, a bar together with classic games arcade where Michael had his pick of Street Fighter, Ninja Turtles together with Terminator ii pinball. I didn't accept whatever personal nostalgia for these games, but I dabbled inward a lilliputian Ms. Pacman together with enjoyed the subtitled anime celluloid projecting close the bar. They had a neat carte du jour of snacks similar hot dogs together with frito pie with a vegan choice for 90% of their items. Portland is actually only likewise cool.

We held off on the game-time snacks since nosotros had a dinner reservation at Departure. This bar serves modern Asian nutrient amongst rooftop views inward a setting nosotros weren't quite hip to, sleek together with white amongst interminable chill grooves together with really young, only professional person staff. We observed inward awe a tabular array of improbably immature together with slender girls amongst faux tans together with volumes of meticulously curled pilus equally they took selfies for an sixty minutes (and sat silently amongst their cocktails communing amongst their phones for a 2d hour).

This didn't detract likewise much from the fine food. Departure has separate vegan together with gluten-free menus that each run to to a greater extent than than a dozen sharable plates. While nosotros took stock of our options, I sipped a Green Hornet cocktail (US$10 AU$10.70), a low-cal sparkling mix amongst white rum, yuzu, coriander together with a lime wedge.

After ordering, our dishes arrived chop-chop inward no item order. The chili tofu (US$12 AU$12.80) had a neat sweet-and-spicy braise, together with had been stir-fried amongst hearts of palm, greenish onions, whole dried chillis together with some candied walnuts that I made certain to clear from the bottom of the bowl. The Asian pear together with apple tree salad (US$9 AU$9.60) included to a greater extent than hearts of palm amid the sparse fruit slices addition candied tamarind, roasted macadamias together with whole mint leaves.

The gingered mushrooms (US$13 AU$13.90) were Michael's favourite, delicately layered over sweetness together with sour rhubarb amongst fresh watercress together with ramps.

A dab of spicy miso actually made the sweetness murphy tempura sushi rolls (US$8 AU$8.60) - Michael claimed the wasabi patch I swooped on the accompanying pickled ginger. The steamed buns (US$7 AU$7.50) could barely roll themselves only about their char-flavoured tempeh slabs, together with nosotros ate nearly of the accompanying 'slaw together with fresh herbs amongst our fingers.

The dessert carte du jour was impressive together with nosotros couldn't grip on a dish to share. (We should've, because the portions were large together with our available tummy infinite was small.) Michael championed the (non-vegan) nighttime chocolate wasabi bar amongst yuzu sorbet, yuzu jam together with candied peanuts (pictured left, US$9 AU$9.60), patch I had to travail the vegan Departure banana carve upward (pictured right, US$9 AU$9.60). It involved 3 enormous tempura banana fritters, miso butterscotch, a nighttime cherry compote, together with a coconut-based peanut brittle icecream. I had to leave of absence the final fritter, but yous amend believe I ate that icecream.

As nosotros walked dorsum to our Portland accommodation ane final time, nosotros were drawn to a crowd gathered on a street corner. They'd congregated only about a busking band, amongst a joyous, athletic horn department that got much of the crowd dancing. It was the sort of spontaneous, welcoming street scene that I'll retrieve Portland for, mayhap fifty-fifty longer than their magnificent veg*n food.