Places and Spaces: Part 1

I thought for a new segment on my blog, I could show and talk about a few cool places around the city since I'm still exploring it myself. Plus I'm hoping the incentive of using information for my blog will help me throw my antisocial problems to the side and get out and do stuff.

I'll just let you know right now that probably all of my posts are going to be about food, and this one is no exception.

So, here's my week in food:

This big, beautiful mound of bread and cheese and goodness is from Old Town Pizza in downtown PDX. It has an old saloon-type feel to it (pretty much like Old Spaghetti Factory without that weird smell) and serves some of the best pizza around. You can choose your own toppings, or order one of their creations already on the menu. Tonight, my fiance and I went for a basic cheese with tomato sauce, topped with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and garlic cloves. AH-MAZING. I don't think either of us spoke to each other, much less at all, the entire dinner because we were so busy stuffing our faces. I reeked of garlic the next day, but who cares. It was delicious.

I should also forewarn you that a lot of my posts in this segment may be about alcohol. Am I an alcoholic? The jury's still out on that one. But do I like a cool cocktail? Yes. The drink pictured above is probably the only margarita I will ever drink. It's called the Fire 'Rita, from a place called Salvador Molly's. This delicious drink contains tequila infused with jalapenos and is one of the spiciest drinks I've ever had. Definitely don't get it to cool your mouth down after some spicy food.

And here we have a delicious cocktail called The Shakespeare at another downtown joint called Huber's. It is a fine dining restaurant with a bar section around the corner. This place is known for their Spanish Coffees and do a special show involving fire and lots of alcohol tableside. It's pretty incredible to watch, so if you ever get a chance and are in town, check them out. I avoided the blackout that a Spanish Coffee would have given me, and went with my drink, The Shakespeare. It had Grand Marnier, coffee, Bailey's and some other delicious-ness. Huber's is a great place to go on a date night, or a night out with friends - just secure a designated driver because those drinks are strong.

And last but not least, fried okra from Screen Door in NE Portland. This tiny restaurant has some seriously delicious southern food. They don't take reservations and their wait time can get up in the hours, so get there early! Not a ton on the menu for vegetarians, but you can definitely get by with their delicious mac and cheese, salads and other various sides. My fiance got the beef brisket, which he said was the best he'd had in a long time. We got the fried okra as an appetizer at the behest of a friend of ours who joined us for dinner and said it was incredible. And boy was it. Served with a creamy remoulade, it was the perfect appetizer and felt inherently southern.