Let's Infuse Some Vodka...

What do you do with some really crappy leftover vodka? Infuse it. At midnight on a Sunday.

Recently, we made a homemade Bloody Mary mix and of course, needed the perfect vodka to go with it (we are still perfecting the mix so that post will come later). It was late on Sunday and my lovely boyfriend thought it would be a good idea to run to the store for bacon and jalapeños. Oh yeah, and a surplus of mason jars. Apparently, the three we already had wasn't good enough. Despite the late hour, we had a pretty good time and learned that infusing vodka is very simple.

Infusing lemon vodka OR jalapeño vodka:
1. Fill mason jar 3/4 full of vodka
2. Cut up one lemon OR two jalapeños into quarters and put into mason jar with vodka
3. Let the two infuse for 5-7 days for maximum flavor
4. Mix your favorite drink - preferably a Bloody Mary, duh.

Infusing black tea vodka:
1. Fill mason jar 3/4 full of vodka
2. Place tea bag in mason jar and screw on the lid
3. Let the tea bag steep in the vodka for 3-4 hours (I did it for 6 hours and it was pretty strong)
4. Mix your favorite drink - we love hard Arnold Palmer drinks or something like this

These are the things we learned:
1. Infusing bacon vodka is not as easy as it looks. We had a blog DIY fail on our first attempt. Lots of recipes say to use the bacon fat but I don't recommend it. We had better luck with this recipe.
2. Crappy vodka is still, crappy vodka. Next time we are going to venture up a couple shelfs at the liquor store and go for something a little smoother.
3. It is hard to fall asleep when your house smells like bacon.

Let me know what your favorite recipes are!

Family-style at Jamison

Portland is the home of new, reinvented restaurants. One goes out of business and then another opens to take its place. It is impossible to get through my mile-long list of restaurants to try as it is, and then my friends go and suggest a new one on me. Jamison opened last month and is a second venture for the owner's of Davis Street Tavern. It took the location of the well-known, Fenouil. Sad to see them go, but I have to say, I am pretty excited about Jamison. In my opinion, way more impressive than Davis Street.

via jamisonpdx.com

We chose to dine outside because it was a beautiful summer night and the restaurant has a large patio for outdoor dining. Our view was of Jamison Square with trees lit up by outdoor white lights creating an ambiance that made want to stay all night. The indoor dining was equally lovely with rustic, wooden touches but comfortable with oversized chairs and banquette seating.  The birdcage chandeliers were my favorite decoration piece. All the windows opened up to the patio so even dining indoors felt like you were outside. This place will transition nicely into the winter with the warm interior colors and cozy fireplaces.

The inspiration of the menu is "American family-style" so your plates are served as the kitchen prepares them. This is my FAVORITE way to dine. I come from a big family so sharing and sampling different dishes is my preference. There are small plates, vegetable sides, flatbreads, salads and large plates. We ordered something from ever section. Our favorites were the heirloom tomato salad (a given since it is tomato season), roasted garlic and crostini and the farro with broccoli raab and peppadew peppers. We walked away without ordering the halibut dish and I am regretting it. I must go back and try.

garlic crostini & menu

One thing I have to say is that it is vegan and

vegetarian-friendly. We ate all vegetarian that night and had NO problem finding options. With that said, you will find seafood and meat options too.

Stop by before while we still have our beautiful summer nights. You won't regret it...maybe check out their happy hour and let me know what you think!

Jamison 

900 NW 11th Ave

Portland, OR

503.972.3330

open tuesday - sunday

Trader Vic's returns to Portland

Welcome back Trader Vic's!

{via}

This was my first time visiting a Trader Vic's and I was too young to know the original Portland restaurant when it was in downtown. The new location is in the heart of Pearl District and has great curb appeal. When you walk in, you feel like you are in paradise on a tropical island. The decor is Polynesian with authentic masks, plants from the tropics, tribal carvings and bright colors.

We decided to visit Trader Vic's for their cocktails because they have an extensive list of exotic drinks, all with creative presentations. Each drink has a signature glass or bowl. Between the six of us, we tried the 1944 Mai Thai, Trader Vic's Passion Cocktail, Trader Vic's Stinker and some other delicious Pina Colada goodness. Let me tell you...the 1944 Mai Thai was strong! One was enough for me. All the drinks were made with different rums and/or gins making them equally delicious.

While we sipped our cocktails, we decided to try a couple starters. We went with two orders of the  "Cosmo Tidbits, The Original." This is a sampler of all their popular appetizers - BBQ spareribs, Crab Rangoon (their specialty), Crispy Prawns and sliced Char Sui Pork. I think the spare ribs were my favorite but then again, I usually always like spare ribs.

Overall, good atmosphere and our service was tiptop. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions...we looked to her for our drink recommendations. I think this will be a fun place to visit in the summer!

Trader Vic's Portland

1203 NW Glisan St.

Portland, OR 97209

503.467.2277

open daily for dinner

happy hour (weekdays) 3:00pm - 6:30pm & 10pm - close