Life Lately

In watching the blog traffic, it's very clear that you, the readers, are most interested in the more personal posts, so I thought I would try out a new post topic called "Life Lately." In these posts I will be sharing tid bits from my daily life. 

As you may know, last week Katie and I celebrated a birthday. My +1, the Mini and I used it as an opportunity to try out a new restaurant here in Portland called Tusk. They have an awesome outdoor patio, cool decor, a full bar and delicious food. 

We ate outside on the patio, and here is a photo of just a few of the dishes we enjoyed. The tomato salad was so fresh and so tasty! 

As a bit of a birthday celebration I had some girlfriends over for dinner, and the Mini helped me make an apple crisp. I pretty much make up my own recipe, but this recipe from friend and blogger Robyn of Real Food Whole Life is pretty close.

This apple peeler made peeling and coring all the apples so easy. Thanks to my friend SC for letting me borrow it. I think we might need one of our own. 

We've been without a rug for a while in the master bedroom as we moved the rug to the living room (thanks to the dog for ruining the one we had there). As a birthday present my mom and dad bought me this fantastic Draftsman Rug from Schoolhouse Electric.

I'm so happy to finally have something cushy in the space. It makes the room feel cozier and makes foam rolling a lot more comfortable. 

I've been having major mountain withdrawal since we got back from our big trip. I've been hiking/jogging a 10+ mile loop in Forest Park called the North Nasty (it has about 3,000ft vertical), but it's just not the same as being in the mountains. I have a really hard time finding friends to go on big adventures with me outside of Portland, so on Friday of last week I decided to go solo. I packed up my bag and went out to the Gorge to do the Ruckel Ridge Loop hike.

It's a 9+ mile hike up a steep ridgeline that ascends nearly 4,000ft. 

The views are beautiful!

I had a great time except I lost my favorite hat. It got caught on a low hanging tree, was pulled off m head and I watched it fall to is death down the side of a cliff. Clearly this was before that happened. 

It was a good week! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more "Life Lately" posts.

Farm Spirit

Over the weekend I had one of the most amazing dining experiences in recent memory, maybe one of my top meals ever. 

At the suggestion of a friend, my +! and I went to Farm Spirit, a vegan restaurant that offers a small plates multiple course dinner to 14 diners Wednesday through Saturday night. They also offer a wine pairing and a non-alcoholic beverage pairing. We went with the wine!  

Upon arrival we found our names on the cute wooden placards and this simple place setting. I immediately knew it was going to be a good night.  All of the diners eat at the bar that faces the kitchen/prep-space, which makes for a fun and educational experience.

In total we had 12 courses (13 including the bread), all sourced from local farms and vendors. I won't go into detail about every dish, because there are a lot of little details, and everything is worth mentioning, but that would take up a lot of space. Not only was the food pretty on the plate, but it was DELICIOUS!

Here were the first four courses.

The bottom left was probably our favorite dish of the night. It was Maitake mushrooms, smoked potato (the white), black garlic, soubise, wild spring onion and leek ash. And some tasty "potato" chips. It was incredible!

The top left is a Fennel Vinegar Kiefer that we drank before the "dessert" courses. It was fresh and delicious and unlike anything I've ever had. The sour rye bread with pureed filberts, pickled shallots and dill was also one of my favorites (top right).

Farm Spirit serves delicious, innovative and healthy food, but it's not just about the food. It really is a dining experience. The service is impeccable. If you leave your seat, they immediately replace your napkin with a fresh and clean one. The water glasses were never below half full, and the chefs are attentive, friendly and engaging. 

At the end of the evening we chose from a selection of 2 coffees (pour over) or two fresh made teas. I went with the decaf tea. And, probably my favorite part of the dinner...really the cherry on-top was the amazing "breakfast bread" they sent us home with in this cute package. Mine didn't even make it to the car, let alone to breakfast! 

No doubt my +1 and I will be making another reservation very, very soon. 

If you live in Portland I highly recommend making a reservation. I suggest going as a party of 2 since everyone sits at the bar, which isn't very conducive to group conversation.

C & C on the Move: When in Rome

I'm back on the blog! Thanks for your patience as work and travel have taken over my life. I promised a Rome food recap so here it is! Let's start with the most important thing...gelato. I had it every day I was in Rome and loved both spots - San Crispino and Don Nino.  

I had two incredible meals that are DEFINITELY worth sharing. Let's start with Cul de Sac, located near the Piazza Navona. One of Rome's oldest enoteca's (wine bars) delivers in wine and food! The lasagne was hands down the best I've ever had. And of course I ordered mozzarella and tomato salad. When in Rome, right?!

Rome also delivered the best seafood I have ever tasted - and I'm not really a seafood person. Assunta Madre was off the charts. When you walk in the restaurant you're greeted by an insane assortment of fresh fish caught that day. It's so fresh that whatever isn't eaten that night goes to the fish market for the next morning.  

I was proud of myself for trying some things I wouldn't normally eat. My favorite dish was pasta with shrimps that had just the right amount of spice (not the most daring, but so delicious). 

And, of course, dessert. The presentation was nothing short of awesome. Chestnut and walnut ice cream presented in the actual nut shells. 

If you're headed to Rome, I'd definitely hit up these four spots. I know I'd go back in a heartbeat. 

C&C in Portland:Verde Cocina

It's no secret that I enjoy eating healthy food and so does the Mini Fashionista, and my +1 for that matter. Lucky for us, Portland has a wide variety of healthy restaurants to choose from. Some of our favorites include Laughing Planet, Prasad, Porque No and Green Leaf Juicing Company. 

One of our newest favorite places is called Verde Cocina. They've had two locations in the city for a while now, but just recently opened a new location only three miles from our house. We've eaten there three times since they opened just about a month ago, and we are sure to go again soon.

Verde Cocina serves Northwest farm-to-fork ingredients with Mexican flair, and it's healthy and delicious. One of my MOST favorite things is the quality of the kids' menu. If only every restaurant was this healthy, fresh and balanced. No french fries and chicken fingers in sight.

Here's a look at the Mini Fashionista's dinner last week:fresh veggies, corn tortilla quesadilla, fruit, and white bean garbanzo mash. 

They serve beer and wine, have an outdoor patio and the food is great. If you are in Portland and haven't eaten at Verde Cocina yet, I highly recommend it.

C & C on the Move: NYC Girls Weekend

You know when you're in a funk? Come on, we've all been there. My most recent bout ended this weekend (thank the lord). A little pick-me-up arrived in the form of a girls weekend in New York. On Friday my D.C. friend Hilary and I hopped on the train bound for the big city to visit our friend Danielle for a few days of food, fitness, and good old-fashioned fun with friends. We booked a room at the Duane Street Hotel in Tribeca, close to Danielle's apartment. After a quick workout at the nearby Equinox (the hotel has passes), we headed for a crazy delicious dinner at Locanda Verde (you may remember I ate there last fall with my mom and sister). This is one place you don't want to pass up the bread basket...and don't worry, we didn't. 

When you eat like we do, it's important to balance it out with exercise. Danielle is a Soul Cycle devotee and took us to our first class in Noho. Talk about a sweat fest. 

After a little stroll around the neighborhood with our La Columbe coffee (I just realized they have one in DC!) it was back to get ready for brunch. 

Danielle rolled out the red carpet for us, dishing up all of New York's finest. We brunched at Rosemary's in the Village - an Italian enoteca and trattoria. It was a beautiful New York morning and perfect for al fresco dining. Did I mention how good the food was? 

But we couldn't sit idle too long! Off to Brooklyn we went to check out Smorgusburg, a "flea food market" in Williamsburg. 

The choices were endless. And although we didn't eat anything, it was a feast for the eyes. I definitely did some advance work for another trip back during Jets football season. Dr. B will love it. 

Somehow we did find room for ice cream from Ample Hills Creamery. A friend that lives in Brooklyn recently posted a picture of her son with a cone of "chocolate milk and cookies" and I knew this was on  the food "to do" list. It was worth every calorie burned that morning at Soul Cycle. I also got mint chocolate flake, and while good, it was no match for the chocolate.

From there we went back across the Brooklyn Bridge to Ground Zero. I really wanted to see the 9-11 Memorial and Freedom Tower up close. It was incredibly somber. Next trip I need to visit the museum, which people say is really incredible. We also made a quick stop at Century 21 where I scored a $995 pair of Calvin Klein trousers for $49.00 (yes, you read that right). 

A quick shower and we were ready to eat again. Danielle had another delectable meal in store for us at Raoul's in Soho. You know a restaurant is good when it has survived in NY since the early 70s. It felt like Paris in New York (minus the New Yorkers), and the food did not disappoint. My favorite dish of the night was a steamed artichoke filled with pickled vegetables, a side of quinoa, and Raoul's famous dressing. I don't know what was in it, but I get why it's famous. 

And if we hadn't eaten enough, we made one last stop at Ferrara Bakery and Cafe, a fifth-generation owned business, for dessert in little Italy. I also had to pick up some cannolis for Dr. B (his favorite). 

But it didn't end there. The next morning, we had to go big, before we had to go home. We ended the weekend with breakfast at Bubby's. This might have been my favorite spot of the weekend - and here's why. We don't have any good breakfast spots in D.C. I know that's a bold statement, but in my mind it's true. Bubby's is the perfect breakfast place. The coffee was good (and strong), the menu options were endless, and the atmosphere was just what you'd want for your Sunday. Even our waiter Sam was charming. 

Thanks girls for kicking me out of my funk. I had the best time playing in New York. Can't wait for our next trip.