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You are here: Home / Eat Portland / FIVE MORE REASONS WHY I LOVE PORTLAND RIGHT NOW

FIVE MORE REASONS WHY I LOVE PORTLAND RIGHT NOW

March 23, 2018

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Last week I celebrated another birthday here and so with these happy memories forefront in my mind, I give you a recent list of five things in Portland for which I am hugely grateful.

Sure, many of you are gearing up for travel with spring break starting today, but for those who are planning coming here or are getting ready to enjoy a Portland stay-cation, there’s lots to celebrate and enjoy on a daily basis.

Here are five of my current favorite things about Portland right now.

Tabor Bread Class

Let’s start with perhaps my treasured feature of my house.

ONE. Front Porches — mine and those all around town.

I use and decorate my front porch year-round.

Fall.

Front Porch, Portland

It’s like a second living room.

Halloween Decorations, Porch, Portland

Winter.

Front Porch in the Snow, Portland

A place to highlight seasonal delights.

Rudolph Porch Decorations

Spring.

front porch with Easter

A spot for quiet time with a loved one.

Dad and Charlotte on Front Porch

And summer.

Bailey and Oliver on Porch

My porch often serves as an informal place to invite people over and hang out.

Pomegranate Mimosas, Porch

Not only is the porch an extension of my home, but it’s also a place that people know that they can leave me treats and they’ll be safe until I get home.

Flower Drop Off on Porch, Portland

I have a lot of friends with porches too and we all routinely use it as a landing spot.

It seems like every week I’m snapping a porch pic for my friend, signalling a treat for them that awaits them on my porch

granola on porch

or something I’ve just left them on theirs.

Pumpkin Cupcakes on Porch

There are hundreds of true front porches in every neighborhood of Portland, and it’s my favorite architectural detail.

Horse Party Front

This week there was a flurry of activity on my porch as friend after friend flooded my porch with dropped off treats,

birthday treats

cards and presents.

Elizabeth tote for birthday

Thanks, pals!

TWO. Tabor Bread.

Tabor Bread Bakery Portland

photo credit: Lee Ellen Reed

I’ve told you about this place before; I continue to be obsessed with this place and last week alone I was surprised twice by friends who know of this love and dropped me off treats from here.

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I’m always surprised when I bump into another foodie who doesn’t know of Tabor Bread or hasn’t yet been there. How?

Latte and Tabor Bread Toast

This place, with their breads, pastries and soup/sandwiches extraordinaire, is one of my favorite places in town, and thanks to the generosity of friends almost every morning this week there’s been a special snack incorporating a slice from here.

Avocado Toast with tomatoes

THREE. Cookbook Clubs.

Cookbook Assortment Book Group

Recently I was invited by my friend Rebecca (of amazing dropclothsamplers.com) to join a book group composed of women who love to cook. (Isn’t her collection, as seen above, organized so prettily?)

I loved the sound of this kind of gathering, and I’ve since been to two of the last three meetings.

This is how our group works. We all agree on a cookbook that we want to explore and then each one of us gets the book (if we don’t already own it, we buy it or borrow it from one another or the library). We set a date, a hostess steps up to host, and then it’s a potluck in which everyone brings a finished dish from a recipe in that book.

Cooking Club Dinner

This past month we chose Ready or Not: Nom Nom Paleo and I chose the Green Apple Slaw with Thai Dressing.

There was a fair amount of prep work involved

Prep for Cookbook Club

but the end result was delectable.

The slaw was a mix of green apple, carrots, shallots, garlic, green onion, herbs and a Thai dressing, and it was crunchy, tart, tangy, sweet, and a bit spicy — and so refreshing.

Green Apple Slaw Portland Cookbook Group

I will definitely make this again — and I have to say that the addition of these Spicy Thai Cashews from Trader Joe’s sent it over the top.

Spicy Thai Cashews from Trader Joe's

What a fun evening it was — talking recipes, food in Portland, and raising kids.

Cookbook Club Nom Nom Paleo

All the women in this group are great cooks and it was so fun to try so many dishes (especially since I only had to make one of them).

Look at adorable Orly showing off her Tangerine Dream Tart (made with ghee and almonds).

Orly and Tangerine Tart cooking club

Cookbook Group Portland Tart Orlu

I can’t wait to host the ladies next month when we tackle this book.

Cookbook Club Splendid Table How to Eat Supper

Have any of you read it/cook from it? (I’d love to borrow a copy or hear suggestions if you have them).

FOUR. Proud Mary.

Proud Mary Portland

I’m mad for this place on NE Alberta and I’ve already been a couple times, and almost daily I feel the craving to go back again.

Apparently we have the second outpost of this fantastic cafe (the original being in Australia), and both the coffee and food is over the top delicious.

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I know people are nuts for their house-roasted coffee,

Proud Mary coffee

but I’m obsessed with their Turmeric Chai Lattes.

proud mary portland turmeric latte

To call Proud Mary a coffee shop is woefully inadequate; rather, it’s a beautiful, light-filled cafe that marries exceptional food and drink with casual but superlative service (always informed but never precious or snooty).

Proud Mary Portland

And the food is as drop-dead delicious as it is exceptionally presented.

Case in point. Look at the description of the potato hash:

Proud Mary Porland

and here’s what it looked like in front of me — before I devoured it.

Proud Mary Portland

That bacon! Those potatoes! The tangle of greens atop — and the perfectly poached egg tucked in alongside!

Proud Mary POrtland Hashbrowns

And to call this an avocado toast (or “harissa avocado“as it does on the menu) doesn’t quite do it justice, either.

Crispy, nutty toast piled high with a mountain of avocado plus tabouleh and lentils and a shaved fennel salad and an egg and a harissa sauce… yessssssss.

Proud Mary Portland

Go — and if it’s still one the menu, order the Cauli-Town with warm spiced cauliflower with chickpea dal, sumac onion, crispy chickpeas and sesame granola is other-worldly.

And lastly,

FIVE. St. Mary’s Academy.

Charlotte SMA shirt

Charlotte has been wanting to go to this school ever since she heard about it four years ago from the daughters of friends of mine who were applying there, and this week she found out she got in.

For those not familiar, St. Mary’s Academy (SMA) is a private girl’s Catholic high school located downtown. They boast a beautiful campus, a terrific staff, and most importantly, SMA is an exceptional college prep that is devoted to raising well-rounded, informed and empowered young women.

I’m so happy my baby girl is now going to be one of them.

Charlotte Halloween

Not just that, there is a strong component of social justice and service at SMA, and they have a curriculum that gets young women to think about their role in the greater community and how they can concretely contribute to making a better world.

The message has long resonated with Charlotte, and we’ve waited with baited breath for months to see if she was accepted.

Look at the apparent nerves as Charlotte opened up the envelope, mailed on my birthday last week and opened up over this past weekend.

Charlotte and St. Mary's Academy letter

Happily, it was good news.

SMA welcome letter

Alerted by text, some current SMA students came over immediately to our house with well wishes and they dropped off hugs, cheers, and all kinds of treats.

Charlotte SMA letter cookies

Sweets, balloons, and school swag walked in the door almost immediately — thank heavens the news was good!

St. Mary's treats SMA Charlotte

Now I know Charlotte isn’t going there yet, but I’m already grateful to this school. I’ve watched dozens of girls bloom right before my eyes while attending here, and I’m so grateful for the warmest of welcomes they’ve showed Charlotte during this whole process.

(SMA– you have no idea as to the tsunami of food offerings you will soon have coming your way starting next fall!).

So a giant thank you to all the family and friends who made this entire birthday week such a loving, fun, and fragrant one.

roses from new seasons birthday

And now that I’ve showered love on my adopted city, I’m on the move.

Next up: Seattle.

Seattle magazine takeout

Suggestions, anyone?

Filed Under: Eat Portland, Favorite Portland Outings, My Favorite Things

« COOKING FOR A CROWD: TIPS FOR EASY AND MEMORABLE MEALS
SEATTLE VACATION FROLICS AND EATS »

Comments

  1. Elizabeth Hurlow-Hannah says

    March 23, 2018 at 11:14 pm

    Congrats to Charlotte! SMA has an amazing staff, curriculum and community spirit. Glad you had such a good and continuous birthday celebration!💕. You deserve it. See you next month.

    Reply
    • Sarah Kline says

      March 23, 2018 at 11:32 pm

      Thanks, Elizabeth, Charlotte is so excited to go there. Your lovely daughter brought over SMA sweatpants to Charlotte yesterday, and I was so touched by the gesture. Sure hope to see you next month! Sending much love to you and Rob! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Lacy says

    March 24, 2018 at 12:00 am

    Three cheers for Charlotte on her acceptance into St. Mary’s!
    I’ll second Front Porches! So much life & living takes place on a front porch.
    Thank you for mentioning Proud Mary’s. I’ve not been but looking at their menu from their web site has my mouth watering. Plus I’ve noticed they have an online shop were I can purchase a few of their coffees in whole bean form. Splendid!!!
    All my best to you and yours

    Reply
    • Sarah Kline says

      March 24, 2018 at 12:10 am

      Hey Lacy! Thanks so much for sweet note and well wishes. Proud Mary is ALL that! Hope to meet up with you one of those days! XO Sarah

      Reply
  3. Connie says

    March 24, 2018 at 12:18 am

    Congratulations to Charlotte – that’s wonderful news and great memories for her in the making, I’m sure. Wow, I have such fond memories of listening to The Splendid Table when the kids were younger. Seems like it was always during the drive home on Sunday, having spent a good, exhausting day with the cousins. The kids would fall asleep in the back seat and listening to Lynne’s comforting voice talking about food would be my treat to myself – and I learned a lot,too! At any rate, that club sounds tailor-made for you!

    Reply
    • Sarah Kline says

      March 24, 2018 at 1:59 am

      Connie, I love the image of you driving, listening to radio while tired kids would snooze away. Thanks for the good wishes! XO, Sarah

      Reply
  4. Teresa says

    March 24, 2018 at 12:30 am

    SMA is a great school! Congratulations to Charlotte!!
    Your cookbook club sounds like so much fun. 😊

    Reply
    • Sarah Kline says

      March 24, 2018 at 1:57 am

      Teresa, thanks so much for chiming in. I think it’s a terrific fit for her and the girls seems so centered, kind and confident. Hope you’re well!

      Reply
  5. Laurie Romanaggi says

    March 24, 2018 at 1:26 am

    Sounds like a great birthday week and Portland is an awesome city to live in. Congrats to Charlotte for SMA. Kate has a number of friends (and my niece) who went there and had a dynamite experience there! Hurray!

    Reply
    • Sarah Kline says

      March 24, 2018 at 1:56 am

      Thanks, Laurie. I’m so thrilled for her– and I can’t wait to join this community, too! Great scores in estate sale land!

      Reply
  6. Vikki says

    March 24, 2018 at 5:14 pm

    What a great post—so many beautiful, comforting, yummy things! (I want to be your neighbor!) A late Happy Birthday to you and Congratulations to Charlotte.

    Reply
    • Sarah Kline says

      March 24, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      Howdy Vikki. Thanks so much for the kind words and good wishes. Have a great weekend!

      Reply
  7. Lisa says

    March 25, 2018 at 3:43 am

    This newcomer does know about Tabor Bread. I barely know my way around Portland, but I know exactly how to get to Tabor Bread. (And there’s a flea market nearby on Thursdays during the summer! Bonus!)

    I’ll have to pick your brain about cookbooks one day.

    It’s great that Charlotte is so excited about high school.

    Reply
  8. Maya says

    March 28, 2018 at 1:56 am

    Happy Birthday to you, Sarah, and Congrats to Charlotte! Porches are one of my favorite parts of Portland, and I remember when we were house hunting back in 1998, it was an essential house element for me! Porches and stoops are magical.

    Reply

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