Field Trip: Benessere Oils and Vinegars (plus Urban Farmer)

This last semester was long and kind of rough. After a super crazy summer semester, fall semester started and never let up. So, to relax and feel better about everything, Kirsten and I decided to go visit Benessere Oils and Vinegars, which I had first heard about months before in Portland Food and Drink. It was the perfect way for two food obsessed library students to unwind.

The store is beautiful and though small, chockablock full of amazing oils and vinegars. It's also very conveniently located, just a few blocks from Pioneer Square. We started out tasting the vinegars, very impressed by the variety of flavors.

This was one of my favorites. It was so delicious and sweet and though I didn't buy any that day, I will have to find a way to use it in the future in some fantastic dessert.

Kirst was a good sport about me taking a bunch of pictures of her trying a variety of vinegars.

You know I bought this one.

Kirst bought her parents this awesome Spanish olive oil along with a fantastic honey ginger white balsamic. Just before Christmas, I returned to buy my parents the same set. I highly recommended Benessere for yourself and for gifts!

After our tasting adventure, we decided a happy hour was in order. I'd been wanting to go to Urban Farmer for forever and was so excited to go. The ambiance is inviting and open. It's in the Nines Hotel and I always love hotel bars. There's just something so fun about them, but this one is really a step above.

Crab dip with cheese puffs, an excellent start to any happy hour.

Free slider because I checked in with FourSquare? Yes!

Kirst and I split a cheese plate and a charcuterie plate, had a couple of glasses of Riesling, and really enjoyed the beginning of our break.

Farm Wedding

Today is the one month wedding anniversary of my friends Kai and Jules. I meant to blog about it way back when it actually happened, but I think today works too. It was a beautiful wedding on Kai's family's farm in La Conner, WA (up in the Skagit Valley). It's a beautiful area and I can't wait to go up and visit again.

Besides having a beautiful ceremony that I was sobbing at the end of (I cry at all weddings, but this one really got to me), they also had fantastic food. Unfortunately for you all, I ate almost everything too quickly to photograph. There was salads a plenty (including quinoa, potato, awesome coleslaw and some stuff I didn't even know!), ridiculously fresh and amazing fruit, cod tacos, pulled pork made from their own pigs, corn (oh my god! Best corn ever!), and desserts of an amazing nature. Below is mostly desserts as I helped do some set up and then just stared at that table, but I promise you it was quite the feast and a perfect way to celebrate the marriage of two amazing people.

 This corn blew my mind!

All of these cakes were amazing, but I was particularly in love with this blueberry lemon tart, though the gingerbread cake and the chocolate one were a close second.

My friend Johanna and I were obsessed with the look of the cupcakes. She was at the wedding in the middle of her epic, twisty, round about road trip from Chicago back to our hometown of Juneau. I'm glad she made it because it was super fun talking food with her. She used to run this food blog and I'm hoping she'll go going on it again!

All in all, it was a good night and I think all of the guests were satisfied. Congratulations again Kai and Jules!

Mississippi Street Fair

This year I went to the Mississippi Street Fair on N. Mississippi Ave and it was amazing. Mississippi isn't too far from me, about 20 minutes walking, and is full of great food and cool shops. There was food, music, vendors, booze, and a ton of people, yet it didn't seem too crowded. This was such a gorgeous day and a nice welcome back to Portland for me.







And of course there was amazing food. This is pineapple-jalapeño ice cream from Fifty Licks
. Yes, pineapple and jalapeño. There were chunks of jalapeño in there, but it wasn't overwhelming. It was sweet and spicy and so perfect.

Not all of the food was fantastic though. There were a bunch of BBQ carts, but this was clearly not the greatest one.


However, this was amazing. This is a Spicy Thai peanut butter sandwich from a new cart on NW 23rd, PBJ's Grilled. It was amazing. You can't see our faces very well (because Corey was making a dorky one), but we are thoroughly enjoying this. It's challah bread (good challah. And I know my challah), orange marmalade, sriracha, fresh basil, curry, and peanut butter. Holy crap! so good! It's sweet and spicy (kind of my thing at the fair, I guess) and the peanut butter is just perfect. I can't wait to try some of the other ones, like the Betty or Cream of the Crop.

Overall, it was a great time and I'm looking forward to next year where I can try crazy new foods and enjoy a celebration of my almost-neighborhood.

Widmer Brewery Tour

The Friday before Aaron's birthday (I know, I'm behind. Grad school.) we went to the Widmer Brewery because a) it was almost Aaron's birthday, b) we both love the heck outta Widmer, and c) it's right down the street. Oh yeah, and d) it's free!

And it was awesome! We got the usual rundown of how beer is made and the "please taste from lightest to darkest" speech, but all of that stuff is fascinating. I also discovered that despite my previous proclamations that I don't really like IPAs, I really dug Broken Halo. Like, a lot. Like way more than I ever thought I would.

After learning lots about beer, we crossed the street and went into the brewery itself, where we got to see huge silos of grain, so much beer, and many, many things made out of metal that turn grains, yeast, and water into delicious magic. Plus, we got to smell hops. It was a fantastic time.

See, giant silos of grain

Aaron and the mash tun

Aaron's hand and hops

My hand and more different hops.

One of these was the spicy hops, which smelled amazing. I wish I could remember which was which, but that's what happens when you take a while to post.

Barrels and barrels of delicious Widmer Bros. beer

This is when the tour got even better! Not only did we get to learn a lot about beer in general (like why IPAs exist in the first place), but then, at the end, our guide says thanks for coming and oh yeah, you get a free pint glass and key chain bottle opener. Yeah. We were stoked.

Cutest picture of Aaron ever. Aww!

After the tour, totally excited by our swag, we decided to go drink some more beer at their restaurant, the Gasthaus. And it happened to be happy hour! Yes! Aaron's drinking Drop Top Amber Ale and I'm having their special blueberry honey mead. Oh yeah, it was good. And then we had a pretzel, Aaron bought a growler of hefeweizen, and we walked home, tipsy and happy.

If you live here and haven't done it yet, go! If you don't live here, come visit and then go. They have tours every Friday at 3 pm and every Saturday at 11 am and 12:30 pm. Call ahead to reserve a spot and that's it. Check out their site for more info.

Bob's Red Mill Factory Tour

This past week, I got to do something amazing with my friend Brittany. I got to tour the factory of Bob's Red Mill. Yes, that fabulous purveyor of whole grains (including steel cut oats!) is stationed in Milwaukie, Oregon, which is not very far from me. I learned a whole lot about whole grains, saw some interesting equipment, and, oh yeah, met Bob! Yeah, Bob! He was coming through with some Scottish people as Bob's Red Mill recently won the Golden Spurtle (first place) in the World Porridge Making Contest (read more about it here). They wanted to see the factory and we got to see Bob. He came over to our tour group just as Brittany and I were squealing. It's so strange to meet someone whose face you've seen time and again on your flour bags. Anyway, it was a great day.

The following are all pictures taken by Brittany, except the one with her and Bob, obviously.


The tour is about to begin!


Quartz millstone


Here comes Bob!


Brittany and Bob


Packing my favorite steel cut oats


Far too excited about my free sample of muesli and free bowl scraper


Out front (and staring into the sun)

To Market, To Market

This is an I love you to Portland. I love the farmer's markets here. They are so full of amazing produce and weird things you wouldn't have thought of ahead of time. I really enjoy looking at all the colors and shapes and think about how much hard work, time, and effort went into such tasty, tasty food. I think having parents who farm probably helps me in this regard.





Anyway, I went with Aaron last week (and I went again yesterday, but I'll be getting to that in a different post) and even though it was a bit cloudy and slightly cold, the place was packed and people were smiling. We sampled quite a bit (ILY Rogue Creamery) and picked up some produce. Something that is very important to me is not only supporting naturally grown/organic food, but also local farmers. I like that my food doesn't need to travel a zillion miles to get to me. It tastes better, fresher, and it's just good times.



I also picked up some starts from a farm in Forest Grove. They are currently living on my back porch area and (mostly) seem to be having a good time. We shall see.

Anyway, I love your farmer's market and I love you Portland.