Portland Without Kids

We were invited to a wedding in Portland and so found ourselves off for a three day weekend without the kids for the first time in 3 years.  At the top of my list was having dinner at Fore Street Restaurant.  Since I waited until the last minute to make a reservation (they were completely booked), we had to wing it and hope for a table.  The restaurant reserves 1/3 of its' tables for walk-ins but when we arrived at 6 there was a 3 hour wait, so the hostess recommended we eat at the bar.  We still had to wait an hour but we were able to sit in the lounge and enjoy a drink (or two).  The restaurant specializes in local and sustainable foods, with an emphasis on wood grilled and roasted meats and fish.  Selections change daily but a select group of favorites can always be found on the menu.

Since we knew we wouldn't be spending much time in our hotel room and we wanted walking access to downtown, we opted for the Marriott Courtyard Old Port.  We were pleasantly surprised as It has the feel of a more upscale boutique hotel:  huge walk-in showers, a bar in the lobby serving craft beers and wine, and a modern decor.  

Photo by Marriott

Our first stop the next morning was the Holy Donut.  We had first gone last summer and knew we had to return.  All of the doughnuts are made with potato flakes from Maine potatoes.  The flakes add a moistness and cakeyness that result in a delicious doughnut.  They use only natural fruit or vegetable dyes for their glazes, pure cane sugar, and all doughnuts are cooked in 100% canola oil.  There are always a few gluten free and vegan selections every morning.  Our recommended favorites are the dark chocolate sea salt and apple flavors.

We did a little shopping and stopped in Portland Dry Goods, just a few blocks down from our hotel.  The shop has a very nicely curated selection of clothing, shoes and accessories for men and women.  I coveted the Swans Island throws (I love the idea of using a throw as a wrap) and Cat Bates jewelry.

We headed to Central Provisions for brunch on Sunday morning.  It was recently voted by Bon Appetit as one of the best new restaurants of 2014.  All food is served small plate style and meant to be shared.  We again sat at the bar and really enjoyed watching as the chefs prepared the dishes.  This was our favorite meal of the weekend and we wished we hadn't eaten at Holy Donut earlier in the day as we would have liked to try more of the menu.  One thing we will definitely sample next time is the cinnamon roll which the chef would coat individually with warmed icing each time one was ordered.  

Finally, we hit up Standard Baking Company to grab a treat for the ride home.  This bakery is owned by the same people behind Fore Street and is located in the back of the building that houses the restaurant.  We had always been somewhat underwhelmed by the selection during prior visits, but I think the problem was we always arrived too late in the afternoon and all the good stuff was already gone.  This time we chose a homemade granola bar and a roasted apple hand pie and we were not disappointed! 

Wanderlust Friday

Photo by D. Hatena

Autumn in Kyoto 

Santa Fe, Part V

Eating a bad meal in Santa Fe is incredibly hard.  We ate out 2-3 times a day and had only a couple of duds.  Breakfast was usually eaten at the casita (another benefit over a hotel) but lunch and dinner were always out.  We ate a lot of Tex Mex but also found delicious pizza, salads, and one of the best burgers I've ever tasted.

Tex-Mex:

Since we landed in Albuquerque around lunchtime, my husband had already scouted out a place to stop for lunch:  Duran Central Pharmacy Restaurant.  It is only about a 10 minute drive from the airport and as the name states, it is a restaurant inside a local drugstore.  But don't let that scare you off as it still has loads of character.  

When we arrived for a late lunch, the place was populated with locals lingering over their meals.  The food was probably the best (Tex Mex) we ate and the waitress was really helpful in tailoring menu items for the kids.  

We discovered the Pantry, a delicious family-run restaurant, by accident.  It was down the street from our first choice and when that turned out to be not what we had hoped, we decided to give The Pantry a try and I'm so glad we did.  The chips and salsa was first rate as was everything else that followed.  We obviously weren't the only ones who thought highly of this place - it advanced to the semi-finals in the Burrito Bracket, a contest to identify the best burrito in the U.S. (Duran Central Pharmacy was also in this bracket but finished a distant second.)

Photo courtesy of the Pantry Restaurant

Many people (and guidebooks) recommended The Shed, but after looking at the menu it seemed like a better place for two adults enjoying a long meal and not a family of four looking for a quick bite to eat.  Luckily, the Shed has a sister restaurant, La Choza, that fit the bill perfectly.  One tip:  get here early or make a reservation.  We arrived about 30 minutes after they opened and still had to wait 45 minutes for a table.  It was well worth the wait as evidenced by the fact that we were so busy eating that I didn't even manage to take any pictures!  

I had read rave reviews about Cafe Pasqual's and we decided to check it out for breakfast one morning.  Pasqual's is located in downtown Santa Fe and was filled with a nice mix of locals and tourists enjoying a quiet breakfast.  The dining room is funky and the kids enjoyed looking around while we waited for our food to arrive.  This guy watched over us as we ate:

We had a fantastic lunch from a taco cart on the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe.  Roque's Carnitas, is owned by a very sweet man, Roque Garcia, who makes each carnita as it is ordered.  The beef is thinly sliced, cooked on the griddle with onions and peppers, and topped with homemade salsa.  It is then piled into a tortilla and wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, perfect for eating as you walk or sitting at one of the picnic tables scattered around the Plaza.  Ava had the chicken (without the peppers and onions), which was also delicious, while the non-meateater among us enjoyed the green chile cheese tamales.  Be sure and wash it down with the homemade lemonade and watermelon juice.

Non Tex-Mex:

Do you ever eat somewhere on vacation and think why can't I have a restaurant like this in my town?  Vinaigrette was one of those places for us.  We loved it so much we ate there twice, which is unusual for us when we are on vacation.  The menu offers 15+ different salads and many of the ingredients are grown on the owner's farm in Nambe, 20 minutes north of Santa Fe.  While there is not a kids menu, there is mac and cheese (which is served with sliced veggies and apples) and at least two soups which change daily.   I still dream about the Nutty Pear-fessor...

One night we were tired of Tex-Mex  so we opted for pizza at Il Vicino.  The pizzas are the perfect size for 2 people to split with a salad on the side or a hearty meal for one.  There is indoor and outdoor seating and we took advantage of the beautiful weather to eat outside in the courtyard.  Even though it was a weeknight, the restaurant filled up quickly so I would advise getting here early.  

We ended our time in Santa Fe not with a taco or burrito but with a burger.  We had tried to go the Shake Foundation at least twice prior to this but finally had success on our last day.  It is very similar in feel to the Shake Shack as they serve only burgers, fries and shakes and while I can't speak to the shakes the burgers are every bit as good (maybe even better) than those at the Shake Shack.  It is made from a mixture of sirloin and brisket and served on a buttered bun.   They also offer turkey burgers, portobello burgers and a fried oyster sandwich which was perfect for our crew as two of us are not big fans of the traditional hamburger!  

Santa Fe, Part IV

The highlight of the kids' trip was the river rafting trip we took on the Rio Grande.  The trip takes you through a section of the river with class I - class III rapids and is so much fun.  Ava was unsure of the whole idea until she rode her first rapid and then she was a convert.  Our guide was the nicest guy and was very good with the kids, especially Ava.  I think he sensed her nervousness and was always looking for ways to get her involved and increase her confidence.  

There are many rafting tour operators in the area but Santa Fe Rafting was the only one who could accommodate our last minute reservation.  They are also one of the only rafting companies still in Santa Fe proper so you park at their office and they transport you by van to the river, pointing out sites and providing interesting facts along the way.  

Unfortunately the waterproof disposable camera we purchased did not take very good photos so I don't have anything to share from our time on the river.  Our guide told us after the fact that the rafting company sold plastic cases that essentially make your standard digital camera waterproof so that is a note for next time!  The trip down the river included beautiful scenery, a chance to get out for a swim (the kids loved jumping in the water off the front of the raft), an otter sighting and an Anasazi petroglyph.  

At the end of the trip the guides provided snacks and lemonade.  Then it was a quick change out of our wet clothes and a sleepy ride back to our car.

Santa Fe, Part III

Another day we combined a hike at Ghost Ranch with a drive up to Taos.  Ghost Ranch is most commonly associated with Georgia O'Keeffe as her home is in the nearby town of Abiquiu and she frequently painted landscapes in the area.  Reservations to tour her home and garden must be made well in advance but I didn't even bother trying as I wasn't sure it was something the kids would or could appreciate.  

Instead we went out to Ghost Ranch for a hike to Chimney Rock.   There are also various guided hikes available as well as trail rides, archery lessons and river rafting.  Many movies have been filmed on the site such as City Slickers (the log cabin seen on the drive in is the only remaining structure built for the movie), Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and Cowboys and Aliens.  There is a hike offered which visits the sites used in the filming of these movies but it wasn't offered the day we were there.  

Chimney Rock is a 3-mile up and back with breathtaking scenery.  They even have markers along the trail alerting you to a particularly "photo-worthy" vista.  

Check in at the orientation center and pay a small day visitor fee.  You can even borrow a walking stick for your hike, which I gratefully took advantage of.  The hike is moderate with some steep inclines and drop-offs but Ava handled it with little problem.  Again we got an early start and had the entire area almost entirely to ourselves except for a lone crow.

After a quick snack break and a change of clothes at the orientation center, we set off for Taos. It is about a two-hour drive from Ghost Ranch to Taos but the ride goes quickly with so many beautiful things to look at outside.  We arrived in Taos hungry and eager for lunch.  We wandered into Michael's Kitchen on the advice of many guide books and were so glad we did!  The place is nothing fancy but I ate one of the best omelets I've ever had and the kids enjoyed having pancakes for lunch.  The waitresses were very nice and super sweet to the kids.  

We tried to visit the Taos Pueblo but true to the warnings in the guidebook that it can and may be closed at any time, we were waved away at the entrance.  We resorted to Plan B and drove about 20 minutes north of Taos to the little town of Arroyo Seco.  

Arroyo Seco has a great cafe that serves delicious ice cream (try the piñon caramel) and lots of little galleries and cool shops.  Our favorite was Arroyo Seco Mercantile.  This store had something for everyone including toys, antiques and the most beautiful collection of turquoise jewelry.  

We headed back through Taos and stumbled upon the coolest toy store.  Twirl has a great selection of toys for all ages but the most amazing part is when you step into the courtyard in the back of the store.

Ava squealed with delight when she spied this and they both spent the last 30 minutes before the store closed climbing up and through this kid-sized obstacle course.  There was also a little splash pool to play in as well as a sand pit and giant musical instruments but they were too busy to notice.  We chatted with the owner who had a daughter the same age as Jack.  She and her husband have been slowly creating this play space over the last couple of years and offer it to the community as a free drop-in space.  In addition, the shop offers all sorts of weekly classes for the newborn to pre-school set as well as "Crafty Saturdays" for all ages.