Making Merry Moments

Hi everyone!

I have to apologize that I have been absent from my Endless Eats blog lately! I have been working on a holiday project and I would love your participation!

It is about spreading the holiday cheer by making merry moments. This is an opportunity to pay it forward and do something special for someone - either big or small. It all counts. Take a look at the blog for some ideas!

http://themerrymoments.blogspot.com/

I can't wait to hear what you think and any ideas you have!

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes...better than muffins.

Thanks to a friend and the Two Peas & Their Pod blog, I have discovered a new favorite pumpkin recipe! To be honest, I haven't come across a pumpkin recipe that I didn't like, but this particular recipe is easy and delicious. It is a baked donut hole...with pumpkin! Technically, you could call it a muffin because you use a mini muffin pan, but it is so much more!

via two peas & their pod

The recipe calls for all the basic ingredients (most I already had in my kitchen) finished with a sweet coating of butter, cinnamon and sugar. The full recipe is here and it yields about 24-32 muffins.

One recommendation: if you plan on sharing this pumpkin goodness, I would either bake them the day you plan to share with friends or bake the night before and do the coating the next day. Otherwise, they get slightly soggy from the butter. Don't put them right in a sealed container like I did...let them cool on a wire rack.

So happy I found this great recipe! Happy fall baking!

Enjoy.

Down South to Screen Door

Nothing is better than a delicious breakfast on a Sunday morning. Actually, nothing is better than a Southern breakfast at Screen Door after running a 10k on a Sunday morning.

I have been wanting to go to Screen Door on East Burnside for months now and I finally made it! For all you Portland breakfast fanatics, I am sure you have been to this restaurant and if you haven't,  be ready for at least an hour wait. Unless you come right at 9am when they open, you will be waiting! 

Screen Door is known for their Southern cuisine, which includes the best biscuits and gravy in town and their HUGE portion of chicken and waffles. The prices are on point and you get a ton of food! Our group went with the biscuits and gravy, eggs benedict and the sausage Po-boy. Not to mention, we started with some tasty cinnamon and sugar beignets. There were some other ingredients included, but we ate them too fast for me to remember. So fresh and warm! 

I will be back time and time again. The breakfast was wonderful and they have rotating specials available too. Breakfast is only available Saturday and Sunday from 9am - 2:30pm. 

A few tips for the first timers:

 - Reservations are accepted a day prior for parties 6 or more

 - Your whole party must be in attendance before you will be seated

 - Be ready to wait 45 minutes to an hour for a table (of any size)

Check out this great spot and let me know what you think!

2337 East Burnside Street

Portland, OR

503.542.0880

Dinner: Tues-Sat 5:30pm-10pm, Sun-Mon 5:30pm-9pm

Brunch: Sat-Sun 9am-2:30pm

Heading North to Breakside Brewery

If you have been reading my blog, most of you know that I love breweries and almost any type of delicious new brew. I first came across Breakside Brewery when they appeared in last year's Holiday Ale Fest. So, naturally, when they appeared on a daily deal Web site - I bought the deal. My brother, a few friends and I made the trek out to NE Portland to find this new brewery.

The ambiance was right up my alley with large barrel based tables, dim lighting, candles on every table and chalkboards listing the daily beer selections. With a copper bar top and metal accents, I really loved every detail. It was casual but still classy.

I do have to say, I wish I would have gone hungry and not just thirsty. The food looked incredible! I was sold when one of the servers walked by with blue cheese waffle fries. If the food tastes as good as it looked, I recommend trying it out. Check out the menu here.

As for the beer, we decided to try a variety of the selections available. My favorite was probably the "Wit," which is no surprise because it is a lighter beer with flavors of orange peel and coriander. It is also a Belgium-style beer and usually you can't go wrong with a good Belgium. My brother and his friends liked the Aztec Ale, but decided it was best in small doses because it is flavored with serrano and habanero chiles. Not to mention, it is 9.4% ABV. There are a variety of seasonal and experimental beers so before you head over, check out there updated beer list.

The newest project for head brewer, Ben Edmunds, is his collaboration with local chefs to make a beer that is "restaurant specific." Each brew will be featured in the brewery as well as each's chef's restaurant. I think this is such an innovative idea and a new spin on pairing food and beverages. You can read more on this collaboration here.

A little fun fact: The bartender told us, "breakside" is a term used in Ultimate Frisbee and the owners/founders are big Ultimate players. I love Portland.

Drink up and enjoy!

820 Northeast Dekum Street

Portland, OR 97211

(503) 719-6475

@breaksidebrews

Baking with berries - Berry hazelnut honey crisp

Summer is upon us and sadly we only have a few weeks left...but lucky for us Oregonians, we have a great berry season! Last year, I went berry picking at Rowell Bros. in Hillsboro, Oregon, but this year I headed to the farmlands at Crawford's Produce in Cornelius, Oregon. They have a stand at the Orenco Station Farmer's Market with all kinds of berries and other produce. So we headed out to the farm and ended up picking 12lbs of berries, including blackberries, boysenberries and blueberries!

My craving for berries came from a Blackberry hazelnut honey crisp recipe that I found in Sunset Magazine! It looked fabulous...so I found a similar recipe online and improvised (if you have read my blog before, you know I like to find multiple recipes and make my own creation).

Find the full recipe here, but below are the ingredients and my modifications:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (I used boysenberries) 
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 4 tablespoons white sugar (I used wildflower honey to sweeten instead) 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups butter

PLUS - add 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts to the mixture. YUM! 

This recipe was delicious and did not take long at all! As usual, it was easy...because I like simple and quick recipes.

It is a great dessert for a dinner party or a summer BBQ. I prepped it in the pan ahead of time and then after dinner I put it in the oven 30 minutes and it was ready to go! Have it with some homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Do you have any great berry recipes you love? I still have about 8 more pounds of berries to use :)

Allison Wonderland - food, wine & art event

So, I have to make a plug for a fabulous event at The Allison Inn & Spa, next Saturday August 6th. This is the first annual Allison Wonderland, an upscale farmer's market featuring local food, wineries and artists.

The Allison Inn & Spa has partnered with Lexus Luxury Cars to showcase a series of new events. This first event, Allison Wonderland, will kick off the series with some fine food, great wine, live music and a variety of different artistic media. It is going to take place throughout the gardens and on the walking paths around The Allison. 

Event Info

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

5:30 - 11pm

$100 per person

Take a look here to see a complete list of all the wineries, purveyors, artists and a sample menu!

R.S.V.P to the event

A New Favorite - Produce Row Cafe

Another girl's night out lead me to Produce Row Cafe in the industrial area of SE Portland. This restaurant is exactly my kind of place and I loved everything about it. It is casual and simple with a contemporary cafe feel.  We sat inside on our mismatched chair where the place was lively and fun and from what I could see, it looked like the atmosphere at the picnic tables outside was just as enjoyable.

There were quite a few beers on tap from all over the place with plenty of local choices. The bar was open with a large mirror as the backdrop. It had writing on it with a menu listing out whiskey and beer pairings. Okay, how awesome is that!

For our food choices, we ordered the pita pizza, mac n' cheese and the gyro. The menu names aren't long and glitzy but the food rocks! I made the mistake of sitting right next to the kitchen so we saw every dish go out. Everything looked delicious. Next time I am going back for one of the desserts - waffle sandwich. Yes, waffles! It comes with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, bacon, honey and cinnamon. It looked to die for! Check out the menu online here.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why I would go back:

Great prices - nothing over $12!
Fresh, fun and flavorful food
Parking was WAY easier than in NW Portland :)
Fabulous ambiance

My only critique - our food took a little longer than it should of, 25 minutes? Seemed a little long for what we ordered, but not a deal breaker for me.

Find them at SE Oak St and 2nd next to the Tazo Tea building just across the river in Portland.

Produce Row -  204 SE Oak St 
M - F: 11am to 2am
Sat - Sun: 10am to 2am

Happy Hours
Mon - Sat: 4pm to 7pm (we love 7pm hh!)
Mon - Sun: 11pm to 2am

Happy Hour at Ringside Steakhouse

via Ringside Web site

After reading lots of reviews about their happy hour online, it was time to head to Ringside Steakhouse in uptown Portland. Ringside is a fine dining steakhouse that has been around since the 1940's and is a favorite to many Portland natives.

We arrived at 9:30pm, right when happy hour started, and I am glad we showed up when we did. The bar filled up quickly, even on a Sunday night. It was very cozy with small tables and dim lighting, but people were in and out quickly.

We ordered a couple grilled caesar salads, steak bites and calamari to start. I wanted a little something more, so our waitress recommended the crab cake. It was delicious and truly the best crab cake I have ever had. Great recommendation! Check out the happy hour menu to see all their choices, prices range from $2.25 to $4.75. Next time, I am going for the onion rings, they looked tasty!

This particular location went under a recent remodel and reopened in March. Our waitress recommended a bottle of wine from their new 10,000 underground wine cellar. We went with the 2009 Eola Hills Pinot Gris and we were very pleased.

Overall a fantastic experience and below are some reasons why I will go back:

Complimentary valet parking
Great happy hours prices
Exceptional service
Open 7 days a week

Happy hours: Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - close, Sunday: 4pm - 5:30pm & 9:30 - close

Ringside Steakhouse, 2165 W. Burnside, Portland 97210

Wish I Were Here Wednesday

Playing along with Olivia from For Me, for Wish I Were Here Wednesday. The weather was beautiful here today and it made me wish I could be dining outside at a beautiful country venue. Someday I will go here...Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.

"The Barn" via

Eugene's Finest - Uly's Taco Shack

So, it wouldn't be fair unless I wrote about the one and only campus taco stand in Eugene, Oregon. Uly's is parked conveniently between two of the most active campus bars at The University of Oregon. The menu is easy...tacos and more tacos, for only $2 each. It is fair to say I have had my share of these tacos, sometimes at dinner hour and other times at 2:00am. There is generally a long line of students waiting for a carnitas, steak or chicken taco on Friday and Saturday nights.

Line at Uly's on a Friday

You can order the tacos individually or as a Trifecta - one each with a different kind of meat. It is funny because after midnight and a few Long Island Iced Teas, people insist on ordering the $6 Trifecta because it is the best deal. Interesting since the single tacos are $2 and the 3 taco Trifecta is $6. Yes, you can do the math.

But, no matter what time of the day, these tacos rock! They are loaded with a meat of your choice, cheese, sour cream, onions, cilantro and a tasty sauce. These tacos would give the Mexican food carts in Portland a run for their money.

Next time you are in Eugene cheering on the Ducks, check out Uly's!

Here is a link to their Facebook page. Enjoy!

50 Beer Taps at Green Dragon in SE

Whenever I feel like trying new beer or exploring another side of town, I head over to Green Dragon in SE Portland. A friend introduced me to this brewpub last year and it is awesome because they have about 50 rotating beer taps and you will always find something new on their menu. By now, most of you probably know I have a love for new microbrews, so this place is right up my alley.

 

The atmosphere is low-key and casual with a shuffle board table and plenty of board games. The beer list is not fancy and is printed on an 8 ½ x 11 white piece of paper but this wrinkly piece of paper is tolerable if you are getting new beer choices everyday. They have a chalkboard on their back wall listing all the beers “on deck” encouraging all their beer drinkers to return for a taste of the new upcoming flavors. If you are lucky, they may even tap one early for you. 

 Unfortunately, I would not rant and rave about the service. It is just okay. If you are sitting at a table in the brewpub, you will have limited service. Someone will come when your glass is empty and if you order food, they will drop it off and leave. The food is decent, but it is not what brings people to this establishment. But, if you are sitting at the bar, you will have great interaction with the bartender. Most of them are knowledgeable about the beer and can offer you suggestions if you are overwhelmed.

So, if you decide to visit Green Dragon, remember:

If you are with a small group, sit at the bar and talk to the bartender

They only have beer so please don’t try and order liquor

Try something new and ask for recommendations

Green Dragon Bistro & Pub

28 SE 9th Avenue, Portland

(503) 517-0660

@pdxgreendragon

A little Italian at home - homemade biscotti

There is no better time to have an Italian feast, than at a family gathering. We are not Italian, but we certainly know where to get good Italian food. We ordered some fantastic Nonna Emila's pizza, my mom prepared some salads and antipasti dishes and I was in charge of dessert. I could write a whole blog post on Nonna Emila's in Beaverton but, this post is about the biscotti I made for dessert. 

This recipe rocks! And if I can do it, anyone can do it. I found it on Allrecipes.com - Biscotti Toscani. I followed it step by step. The only difference was, I used cinnamon instead of nutmeg. 

Ingredients 

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (allspice or cinnamon work too) 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toasted almond pieces (slivered almonds work too)

Steps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

1. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar (I used my KitchenAid mixer).

2. Next, add the eggs, vanilla, almond extract, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and orange zest. 

3. Mix in the flour and then the almonds

4. Divide the dough in half. Take each half and roll into logs about 12 inches long. 

          (*one of my logs was longer and skinner because I wanted some smaller pieces of biscotti)

5. Then flatten the logs until they are about 1/2 inch tall. 

6. Place both loaves on a well-greased and floured baking sheet.

7. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

8. With a serrated knife, cut diagonally into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, turning over once. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

9. Microwave the chocolate chips until melted and then drizzle over the cooled biscotti. Let stand at room temperature for the chocolate to harden. Voila! 

 

They were a big hit with the family and tasted great! I highly suggest giving this recipe a try, it was fun baking something a little different. 

Bon appétit!   

Guest Post on Portland's Finest Restaurant Blog

I recently had the pleasure of writing a guest post on a great blog called Portland's Finest Restaurants.  It is a great resource for information about food/wine/beer events, restaurant reviews and deals in the local Portland area.

Check out my first post about my dining experience at Oba! in the Pearl District.

Leave a comment here or there and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Davis Street Tavern - Valentine's Day

5th and NW Davis

I don't hate Valentine's Day and let me tell you why. This day focus on four things - love, chocolate, flowers and FOOD. Single or not, this is a great day for anyone to go out and get a fantastic meal. My rule of thumb for February 14th - try a new restaurant (actually, I guess that is always my rule of thumb). But, I have been dying to go to Davis Street Tavern in Portland, so this was my chance! 

We had late dinner reservations, so it was pretty quiet. Looks like their was live music, which I was sad we missed. This place is normally packed around the dinner and especially for happy hour. I have heard from multiple people that they have a fantastic happy hour menu. The bar area is not very big though, so if you plan to check it out, get their early! 

We sat in the back of the restaurant near a few other couples and the atmosphere was comfortable and cozy. The lighting was dim and the music was perfect (I need to get a copy of the playlist). Our table setting was simple, with a square place mat, brown napkin and high ball glasses. I wanted to order wine, but as always, I went for the beer. Dylan had the Fish Tail Amber Ale and I tried Mack n' Jack's Wheat. Both local choices. The menu for the evening was special for Valentine's Day with five or six entree choices. We ordered the traditional caesar salad, scallops and the New York strip. 

I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the scallops - there were three served on top of a coconut and parsnip puree with broccoli. It was very tasty, but I must say the amount of food was a little small. I would have liked a little more of the puree or an additional side. Dylan's meal was the perfect amount of food - New York strip with sauteed chicory and a potato leek pastry. Yum! 

We had a very nice time and I would definitely go back...maybe next time for happy hour. But, thanks to Portland Perks, I had a deal for Davis Street Tavern so it helped out with the bill a little bit.  

Check them out - any day of the week! 

          500 NW Davis Street

Portland, Oregon 97209

503.505.5050
   Hours
Monday through Thursday: 11:30am to 10:00pm

Friday & Saturday: 11:30am to 1:00am
Sunday: 10:30am to 9:00pm

Tavern Menu: 2:30pm to Close
Lunch menu: 11:30am to 2:30pm
Dinner Menu: 5:00pm to 9:30pm
Sunday Brunch: 10:30am to 2:00pm

Happy Hour
Monday to Friday: 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Saturday & Sunday 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Homemade Mini Pizzas - a family tradition

My family has been making mini pizzas for Christmas Eve dinner for as long as I can remember. It is a tasty and interactive dinner that is great for any age. Normally pizza is a little underrated for Christmas Eve dinner, but not in my household! We love the tradition and it is even something you can do anytime of the year.

Over the years we have experimented with a variety of ingredients and explored all the different crust options. This year was the best by far - we added pesto and basil to the ingredients. If you have read any of my previous posts, you know how much I love basil.

It all started with the kid-friendly pizza - english muffin crust, marinara sauce, cheddar cheese, pepperoni and sausage. (There may have been veggies to choose from, but as a kid, I was not interested).

Now we have stepped up our game with the option of making our own crust with pre-made pizza dough or already baked eight inch pizza crust rounds. My mom even bought some pizza crust rounds layered with cheese. Yum!

Here are some toppings we used - try these or experiment with your own!

Our toppings

Fruit

Tomatoes

Pineapple

Meat

Ham

Sausage

Pepperoni

Cheese
Mozzarella
Cheddar
Parmesan

Veggies
Mushrooms
Olives
Basil
Green Peppers
Scallions

Take a look at the finished product!

Next year I think we want to try a BBQ chicken pizza or maybe a Thai chicken pizza? 

Let me know what sounds good to you!

Update 10/2/12: Where to get the crust? Check out Trader Joe's pizza dough. They have it in three different flavors - whole wheat, traditional and garden herb. Also, you can buy pre-made pizza crust rounds too. I have had luck buying them at Winco but I believe Trader Joe's sells them too. 

¿Por Que No? - why not Mexican?

Por Que No? Why not visit this mexican taqueria for some awesome food? This place is fantastic and I know the rest of Portland thinks so too because there is always a line to order food. I am addicted to their carnitas (braised pork) because of the sweet flavor and juicy taste. 

There are two locations - one in North Portland and one in SE Portland. We chose to visit the one in SE on Hawthorne Blvd. I have only been to the one on Hawthorne but I never been disappointed. You walk into the restaurant, order and pay, take your number and wait for them to deliver it to your table.

This mexican taqueria is so much more than just the "traditional" mexican menu with rice, beans and enchiladas/tacos/burrito. The ingredients are so fresh which makes the dishes so colorful - with red onions, cilantro, radishes, tomatoes, black beans and homemade golden crispy chips. My meals of choice are listed below:

Bryan's Bowl ✌ (sub fish for $2 / $3 for shrimp).................$6.75 Your choice of meat or veggies in a bowl with beans, rice, guacamole,salsas, queso fresco, crema, cilantro & a side of chips or 3 tortillas

Porque Plate ✌ (sub fish for $2 / $3 for shrimp)...............$11.00 Your choice of meat or veggies served on a plate with beans, rice, a small salad, salsa fresca, guacamole, crema & 4 tortillas

{via menu}

Bryan's Bowl with carnitas

Bryan's Bowl with chicken

The decor is eccentric and vibrant with colorful walls and a variety of different types of artwork. Chalkboards cover one wall listing all the food and drink specials. The table and chairs are all different shapes and sizes. It is an organized chaos on the walls with vases, mirrors, empty frames, Virgin Mary statues, Christmas lights and paintings - you name it. There is indoor and outdoor seating at the SE Portland location and it is especially fun in the summertime because they open the front garage door so the whole has an outdoor feel to it. 

Affordable, great ambience and delicious food.

open 7 days a week
lunch and dinner

3524 N Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR 97227
(503) 467 - 4149

4635 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97215
(503) 954 - 3138

Check them out at http://www.porquenotacos.com/.