Our Dining Month Portland challenge is in full swing at Watershed HQ and that means the opportunity to share our reviews with each other, and with you.  We’ll be posting mini-reviews from some of our restaurant visits on our blog throughout the week.  The list of Dining Month participants can be a little daunting at first, so my personal strategy was simple – start at the top of the list and work my way down.

I should probably mention that I have amazing friends and family who were amused, and slightly baffled, at the idea of trying to visit all of the participating Dining Month restaurants.  Thankfully, they’ve been good sports who are willing to take one for the team (er, waistband?) so I get great meals and some pretty awesome company to boot.  Last night my Dining Month posse visited 50 Plates.

Our first course was iceberg wedge salad with blue cheese dressing, bacon and scallions.  It was simple and delicious. So delicious in fact, that we dove right in and I forgot to get any pictures.

The second course of the evening was a half Draper Valley chicken served with grits and greens.  The portion was more than generous and the dish reminded me of something my Grandma in Missouri would have made, if she were a better cook.

The third course was a chocolate devils food cake with brown sugar ice cream.  You can’t really go wrong with chocolate cake and it was rich enough that we could have easily shared one portion.

As a team we’ve visited 10 restaurants so far, with 51 to go.  Has anyone else checked out the Dining Month Portland deals?  What did you think?  Let us know which ones have been your favorites in the comments below.

Dining Month Portland may be coming to an end, but savvy foodies can continue to enjoy some of the promotions amazing dishes courtesy of recipes on KOIN’s Studio 6.  Throughout the month, 10 restaurants appeared on the show to share the recipes for some of the dishes on their 3-course prixe fixe menus.

Check out this fantastic recipe for Orecchiette with Spring Vegetables and Speck from Chef Brock Willis of Southpark Seafood Grill and Wine Bar:

Koin Studio 6

The 6th annual Portland Indie Wine and Food Festival took place this weekend, and while we’ll be posting a complete recap in the days ahead, we caught event coordinator Katie Burnett schlepping buttons, wine, sponsor gifts, t-shirts and even a sink today and she wrapped up an incredibly successful two-part event.  Look for tasting notes and other details about these amazing wines to come in the next few weeks.

Looking for a great deal on your next trip to Portland?  If you’re traveling between now and May 9th, then be sure to take advantage of the fantastic Portland Perks offer available through Travel Portland.  The Portland Perks package includes free parking, breakfast, a coupon book filled with amazing deals at attractions, shops and restaurants throughout the city, and – for a limited time only – $50 cash at participating hotels.

Check out some of the great press coverage the package is getting nationally in the LA Times, Seattle Times and Frommers.com.

Zwickelmania has returned to Oregon, and I for one have caught the bug!

More than 40 breweries across the state will be opening their doors to give members of the beer hungry public tastes of their brews and behind the scenes brewery tours.  As if that wasn’t enough to get you in the mood, this year shuttle buses are being offered in Eugene, Portland and Bend to help get you from brewery to brewery.  Plus, it’s FREE!

Here are the shuttle bus schedules:

Plan your own itinerary at www.oregonbeer.org/zwickelmania

Each holiday season I’m faced with the same dilemma – do I get my Dad a new wallet or the new Star Wars DVD?   I know, both are pretty lame gift ideas, but my Dad is by far the hardest person on my holiday list to shop for and I inevitably fall back on a tried and true (if boring) gift idea.

Well, fear not brave reader, because this year our own Lisa D. appeared on AM Northwest for a Downtown Marketing Initiative segment sharing five inspired gifts for guys that are sure to please everyone, even my “I want anything” Dad.  Best of all, every item on the list can be found in downtown Portland – talk about one-stop-shopping!

Looking for more unique gift ideas?  Check out this segment we worked on with Portland’s “Better” crew and the  Downtown Marketing Initiative’s Explore the Original gift guide.

Dubbed “Cyber Monday” by industry trackers, online shopping is expected to reach an all time high today and shoppers can expect to see major discounts launched by online retailers.

An article posted today on CNN Money estimates that online retailers will see roughly 4.3 million shoppers per minute at the peak of web traffic with 96.5 million shoppers visiting online stores throughout the day.  Although online traffic is expected to increase as the holiday shopping season continues, Cyber Monday is the unofficial start to the online holiday shopping season.

If you’re one of the millions of shoppers trying to find the items left on lists  after the Black Friday weekend, and not break the bank, check out a few of our staff picks for great online deals:

Portland Monthly Direct Offers – Recommended by Stephanie

This is a fantastic online service that allows shoppers to browse hundreds of printable coupons at local retailers and restaurants.  If you find an offer or service you’d like, just print the offer and take it with you when you go to the store for an exclusive discount or deal.  25% off any one item at Say Say Boutique?  Yes please!

Groupon – Recommended by Lota

Collective buying power at its best! Groupon features one deal a day at between 50%-90% off regular price. What makes this site so interesting is that the featured products run the gamut… one day it’s an oil change for $10 and the next it’s half off the ticket price for the Holiday Beer Festival. There’s one catch – you only get the deal if enough people join that day.

Half Price Hot Spot – Recommended by Ashley

Gift certificates and services available 50% off face value. For example – a $100 spa gift certificate is available for only $50.  A limited number of certificates from new featured businesses are listed every other Thursday morning, so act fast.  Once you make your purchase a hard copy of the gift certificate is mailed to you.

If you’ve got a great value shopping secret, feel free to post it in the comments!

This week I am very excited to share a wonderful fresh hop beer story from The New York Times that was written by Lucy Burningham, one of our favorite local freelance friends.  Over the past few years, Lucy has switched beats from general lifestyle and travel to emerge as a leading freelance beer writer, with pieces appearing in Beer Northwest, Northwest Palate, and of course, The New York Times.

“A Hop and a Sip to Fresh Ales,” discusses fresh hop beers and what makes them so special, including their distinctive bitterness and citrus flavors.  Given the number of Oregon breweries that are located in such close proximity to hop farms and are producing fresh hop beers, one could argue that the Oregon brewing industry has taken a clear lead in these once-a-year brews.

As public relations partners with the Oregon Brewer’s Guild, we’ve long been fans and supporters of fresh hop beers, hosting numerous media tours of hop farms and conducting large scale samples mailings to media outlets, so it’s especially exciting to see this style – and the Oregon brewers who are at the heart of the trend – get some richly deserved recognition.

DOWNTOWN PORTLAND CELEBRATES MAX GREEN LINE
OPENING WITH DAY OF EVENTS AT PIONEER COURTHOUSE SQUARE

What:

Green Means Go . . . explore the new MAX line.  Get a free ride on the new Green Line during the TriMet MAX Green Line grand opening celebration on September 12.  Events along the line at Clackamas Town Center, Pioneer Courthouse Square (PCS), SE Fuller Road Station, Lents Town Center Station and SE Main Street Station add to the festivities.

Following the arrival of the inaugural MAX Green Line train to Pioneer Courthouse Square, attendees will be treated to family friendly fun, live music, interactive art displays and performances, fashion shows featuring hot new styles from downtown retailers and cooking demonstrations by some of the city’s best known chefs.

Downtown retailers and businesses will be adding to the celebratory spirit by decorating their storefronts in the green theme and offering special one-day-only deals.

When:

Saturday, September 12, 2009
11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m:  Free celebratory events and festivities at PCS
11:30 a.m. to end of service: Free Green Line rides.

Where:

The new MAX Green Line light rail service runs from Clackamas Town Center to downtown Portland.  Go to trimet.org to find a park and ride station or stop near you.

Cost:

Free! All activities at Pioneer Courthouse Square are free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary for free MAX rides. Rides are provided on a first come, first served basis.

I saw this amazingly funny video over at Oregon Media Insiders and decided it was worth a repost.  If you have ever wondered what happens between commercial breaks, here’s your chance to get an inside peek.

Lest you think this is a one time set-up, here’s the same crew, different night.