Portland Eats

Why is that southern California hasn't developed funky little neighborhoods that are pedestrian friendly with great restaurants? Instead, cold climate places such as Portland and Seattle have character to spare with neighborhoods with inventive names and trendy acronyms. In "the OC" we don't refer to places by neighborhoods but simply by the city name. No "NOLO" or "Laurelwood" or "Eastside" but just Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach. Spent the weekend in Portland and they have a vibrant downtown that is reinventing itself with converted lofts, progressive cuisine, highrises and easy to navigate blocks. Went to a gorgeous, Zagat-lauded Vietnamese pho restaurant (Pho Van, noodles with lemongrass pork and eggrolls), trendy neighborhood Mediterranean bistro (Tabla, duck pate on crostini, fettucini with rabbit ragu and flank steak on chive mashed potatoes), and an up and coming Tuscan pizzeria and comfort food star (Nostrana, MUST try the corona beans with tuna appetizer and cauliflower souffle). I guess it's just too bad that it was freezing, cloudy and generally depressing at this time of the year. You can't have it all!

Tues 2/21:
$7 lunch at Greek place
$72 two pairs of jeans at Robinsons May
$4 supermarket
$0 prepared dinner

Wed 2/22:
$0 expensed lunch for 3 at Habana ($46)
$0 leftovers for dinner

Thurs 2/23:
$0 friend treated to lunch at The Clubhouse ($24, saved $11 with Entertainment card)
$0 frozen dinner

Fri 2/24:
$3 parking at John Wayne Airport
$8 breakfast for two at McDonald's at Airport
$0 dinner for four at Nostrana (a new, happening Italian place in Portland, brother in law picked up bill for $170)

Sat 2/25:
$0 homemade breakfast
$24 admission and tour of Pittock Mansion (Portland pioneer and founder of The Oregonian)
$52 lunch for four at Pho Van in the Pearl District of Portland
$0 picked up 6 pastries from Prix Patisserie (brother in law has unlimited tab for building their bar, $30)
$176 dinner for four at Tabla in Laurelhurst neighborhood of Portland (3 course prix fix)

Sun 2/26:
$0 pastries for breakfast
$30 lunch for two at Portland airport
$39 2.5 days parking at John Wayne Airport
$76 groceries (saved $23 in coupons)
$0 prepared green onion and parmesan risotto and pan fried salmon

Mon 2/27:
$7 lunch at Pho restaurant
$0 prepared dinner

Vegas, SLC, eating and shopping

The last 3 weeks in a nutshell: three day business/pleasure trip to Las Vegas, dryer broke down at rental property, business trip to Salt Lake City where I had the highest rated Mexican food in America by Zagat, hired back an ex-employee, $3k shopping spree at Robinson's May department store (going out of business to convert to Bloomingdale's, paid 40-60% off of lowest ticketed price on everything), fireworks with unreasonable homebuyer that wanted to stretch escrow until forever until we had a legal letter written and ahhhh, finally get to relax.

Saturday 1/28 through Tuesday 1/31 in Las Vegas:
$149 Monte Carlo (company picked up the two other nights)
$0 dinner at The Cafe Monte Carlo (hotel dining credit coupon
$0 Monte Carlo lunch buffet (hotel dining credit coupon)
$70 dinner at Sensi at Bellagio (Kurabota pork chops, equivalent to Kobe beef)
$0 expensed lunch at Sbarro ($8)
$6 gourmet eclairs at Wynn
$15 desserts at Paris
$0 expensed dinner for two at Lotus of Siam ($45, a hole in the wall but rated 27 by Zagat!)
$0 expensed lunch for 4 at Cheesecake Factory ($135)
lots of expensed taxi rides, airport parking and tips

Wed 2/1:
$0 emergency drawer lunch
$550 Whirlpool dryer with delivery and installation for rental property
$0 prepared dinner

Thurs 2/2:
$0 brought lunch
$105 monthly ortho
$0 leftovers for dinner

Friday 2/3:
$7 lunch at Pho
$30 Round Table Pizza delivery dinner

Sat 2/4:
$0 leftovers for lunch
$22 drycleaning
$62 Marshall's
$16 Tuesday Morning
$145 dinner for two at La Brasserie

Sun 2/5:
$0 leftovers for lunch
Flew to Salt Lake City in late afternoon
$0 expensed dinner at McDonald's ($7)

Monday 2/6:
$0 expensed lunch for two at Biaggi Italian ($39)
$22 misc stuff at a gift store
$0 expensed room service ($13)

Tues 2/7:
$0 expensed breakfast at Starbucks ($6)
$0 expensed lunch for 3 at The Red Iguana (hole in the wall Mexican food, Zagat rated 27, $42)
$0 expensed dinner at The Dodo (excellent Baked Cream Cheese with soy sauce and sesame, smoked tomato polenta with chipotle sauce, cabbage and leek soup, caramel rum coffee cake, $30)

Wed 2/8:
$0 expensed lunch at The Dodo again (pastrami on marble rye, artichoke soup, key lime pie, $20)
$30 dinner for two at China Palace (saved $10 with Entertainment Card)
$8 Zagat Guide for LA and OC 2006 on Ebay

Thursday 2/9:
$0 brought lunch
$33 books at Borders during lunch
$0 leftovers for dinner
$5 Zagat Guide Best Restaurants in America 2006 on Ebay (1/3 price as elsewhere)

Friday 2/10:
$0 colleague picked up lunch at Oki Doki
$0 leftovers for dinner

Saturday 2/11:
$5 tollroads
$10 prepared lunch
$15 dinner for two at Chipotle
$16 two movie tickets for When A Stranger Calls (saved $4 with Entertainment coupon)

Sunday 2/12:
$43 groceries (saved $52 in coupons)
$0 prepared lunch and dinner

Monday 2/13:
$0 expensed lunch with new employee
$33 groceries and dinner from Trader Joe's

Tuesday 2/14:
$7 picked up lunch for colleague (cheap Vietnamese banh mi)
$0 prepared dinner

Wednesday 2/15:
$10 lunch at Russell's Seafood Palace
$25 dinner for two at Coco's

Thurs 2/16:
$0 brought lunch
$35 carwash and wax
$0 leftovers for dinner

Fri 2/17:
$16 lunch at Le Chateau
$0 leftovers for dinner

Sat 2/18:
$15 Jack in the Box for 3
$500 cash birthday present for mom
$300 2 months interest payment to brother
$220 3 tickets for Mamma Mia
$65 kobe beef teppanyaki dinner for two at J Tokyo (saved $20 with Entertainment card)
$8 parking for show

Sun 2/19:
$0 leftovers for lunch
$21 Marshall's
$198 Costco
$0 prepared dinner

Monday 2/20:
$4 carne asada burrito at Taco Factory
$3 Goldmine Yogurt
$15 haircut
$24 dinner for two at Corner Bakery
$752 3 suits, 2 sports coats, 2 slacks
$75 picture frames, bottle opener, coffee service for 4
$490 7 placemats, 8 napkins, 2 tableclothes, 6 bath towels, cal-king comforter set
$470 wall hangings, decorative accesories
$1090 lots more dress and casual shirts, 2 sports coats, leather jacket, suede coat