Tastefully Overcaramelized

Ann says

In light of how stressful work been for Abe (and how boring doing nothing has been for me) we decided that we ought to take a vacation of some kind before I start working and am unable to get vacation days for at least a year (that’s how it works in nursing).  Abe, also, just really really needed some time away.  His workload has been completely unacceptable of you ask me.  And since you are reading this, you are clearly asking for it.

My friend from school, Linsday, moved to Portland to live with her soon-to-be husband.  Her new last name will be Henke, sort of pronounced “Hankey” like “Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo.”  This, of course, makes me very happy.  What does not, is that I never get to see her anymore, so it became a desire of mine to take the 4 hour train ride down to Portland to see Lindsay and get a bit of the city’s best in in one long weekend.  It was appropriately rainy and Northwesty down there and it was great to see her again.  I think Abe even had a good time, too.

We ate SO MUCH.  There was so much good food to be eaten!  The home of Stumptown Coffee Roasters it had a location very close to our hotel, the Governor.  Christopher Kimball once said on the show, “America’s Test Kitchen,” that Stumptown Coffee was his favorite in the United States, and I have been a believer ever since I had it here in Seattle.  Wonderfully smooth and round, flavorful and complex, it is without a doubt the best latte/cup-of-drip/Americano/cappuccino I ever had.  We also made a very anticipated visit to Voodoo Doughnut near the waterfront.  With doughnuts such as Maple-Bacon and the Miami Vice (pink  and blue frosting with sprinkles), cake and risen and filled doughtnuts of many amazing sorts, and some with cereal on top, it was de-fucking-licious.  I kid you not, the bacon on that doughtnut was awesome.  I also got your classic cream filled doughnut with chocolate frosting, and it was the best I ever had.

Abe says

I also recommend the thyme iced tea at Stumptown and the lemon cruller at Voodoo.

Ann says

I’ll be returning to Portland again with renewed hunger and a desire to once again tromp around Powell’s City of Books.  Linsday, I’ll see you again soon.  Portland, you are one tasty place.

Abe says

I did even have a good time. It is odd how that happens sometimes. We didn’t really…you know, plan, very much before going so we may not have hit all the foodie-critical spots, but I think we made out pretty well. In particular on Saturday night, after shenanigans earlier in the day where we got a different room from what Orbitz promised us, the concierge (front desk, really) not only got a reservation for us at Andina, but at the end of dinner we got cookies and port, compliments of the hotel. Andina didn’t even have open seats on Open Table. Sweet. I don’t know if they do that for everyone, even those without shenanigans, but it worked well for us. The cookies, alfajores, were some of the best cookies we’d ever had — something like tiny dulce de leche sandwiches. It was also critical that we, at some point, drink port in Portland.

We also made it to the Rogue Ales Public House, where they gave us free beer samples, Teardrop lounge, a very trendy bar, Serratto, Deschutes brewpub, the Classical Chinese Garden where there is a wonderful little teahouse, and Kenny & Zukes, the closest thing to a Jewish deli I’ve been to since when I was in Pittsburgh. It has also been quite some time since I’ve sat down for dinner already full.

Filed under: Restaurants, Travel by Ann on September 8, 2009. Tagged with: andina, bacon, coffee, doughnuts, maple, peruvian, portland, stumptown, voodoo doughnut.