Or this entry should be titled, “how I gained 1 delicious pound per day in Portland.” On let me count the ways. Despite staying in Ryan’s parent’s gigantic house, for most of the time there, my exercise consisted of walking around Powells or going up stairs to get a snuggie to curl up on the couch with. I guess I could have played tennis, but most of the time it was sprinkling or snowing.
Ryan’s mother, Sharon, took us to New Year’s lunch at the Allison. It was a beautiful rustic spa/hotel, with low buildings with solar panels, all wood and very elegant. It was very… Portland, Oregon. I find their architecture so completely distinct. Ryan even claims that Brooklyn is slowly trying to resemble downtown Portland. Still, even the ritzy hotels look very green, down to earth, and woodsy.
They had an amazing drink menu, filled with rare liquors, flights, and tons of wine for tastings, glasses, and bottles. Ryan and I both opted for the white wine flight. The food was pretty. Sharon lunched here previously with her friends and and had a delicious gourmet ham sandwich tasting menu. This time, the consensus was the food was very well prepared (the lamb was cooked to perfection and the crab had the perfect texture), but the taste was bland. The tasting menu was a crab stew, which I thought was hearty and delicious, crab cakes, and a radicchio salad. The desert was decadent and I enjoyed the little cup of hot chocolate the most.
