Day 3: Portland

Day 3: Portland

QOTD:  Wait, isn’t that where we’re eating tonight?

Pics: Along the river, farmer’s market at Portland St, Elephant Ears (a Portland specialty for at least 40 years), Nostrana

Weather:  Cool, clear, warming up during the day to hot in sun, pleasant in the shade, maybe low 80s to a very warm night

THB hunts early, shooting pair of au laits and an NYT at Starbucks, $8, followed up by another walk along and over the river, over one bridge and back the next one upstream.When we get back to The Louisa, the fire alarm is going and a few people are starting to congregate in the lobby. A woman in her bathrobe, wet hair and sweat pants comes down the stairs to tell the door man that she's the one that set off the alarm and there is no fire. DB calls up to S&D on 16th (top) floor to let them know they don't need to walk down. They have slept through the alarm so in actuality DB has been their alarm clock. Firemen arrive, visit the 6th floor, depart and the elevators are reset. In the 15-20 minutes, maybe 20-25 people have come downstairs. Maybe the town has emptied out for the long weekend (and taken all the experienced waiters and counter people out to sea as well). .

Around 9:30, we walk uphill 10 blocks or so to one of the finest farmer’s markets THB has had the pleasure to attend. Tons of booths, a nice mix of prepared foods, fresh (market price, for sure!) veggies and stone fruit, early apples, meats, cheese, and bread items. At Verde Cocina, we share a very unusual plate: scrambled over easy egg (cut in pieces) on top of cornmeal “mush” which is then covered with griddled veggies, chick peas and “bacon” (really more like rendered pork fat with some meat), a bit of salsa and  some seasoning we can’t identify. Easily the best plate THB has had at an outdoor farmer’s market.  $10 and feeds a family of two easily.

We amble around some more, grazing and buying (hazelnuts, a few apples and peaches, goat cheese with habanero jam – the inspiration for ice cream last night - blueberries, and raspberries).  Long, long line at the Pine State Biscuit stand, you would need to get something to eat before getting in their line it is so long. On other hand, you’d have to save room; the plates coming out of the stand looked very substantial.

Lunch upstairs at S&D: (leftover) steak sandwiches, blueberries, raspberries.

In the early afternoon, a stroll through the art fair down the street. S&D buy a couple of small pieces, followed by a visit to the Craft Museum and a bowl show downstairs (small, exquisite) and woodworking tools show upstairs (D is a tool guy, good show for him).

Rest up. Dinner at Nostrana (note pic from the farmer’s market, the chef was doing a lesson there today). Cocktails, insalata caprese, insalata nostrana (radicchio done ceasar style), capellini with clams, two Chinook salmon plates, smoky rotisserie chicken, one chocolate budino, one panna cotta, two “mini” flights of white (Italian and Oregon reislings!) and one flight of islands (Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia), great house-made bread, $272.