Day 3 Welcome to Portland Beer City USA!

We awoke in Rogue River, OR and glanced out the window to a holy crap moment! Trees every where and a huge river with a massive steel bridge and green as far as we could see. We meandered through the rain down to a tiny 50's style diner where we found ourselves encircled by coca cola paraphernalia. The sign above the counter read "Thank You for Your Patronage, Have A Great Oregon Day." I ordered the Hash Browns, and French Toast. These were by far the best hash browns ever. Just the right amount of crispiness and cooked in browned butter. The potatoes were shredded to large strips and were tender and fresh. I am talking about hash browns, people. There isn't much to them but these were, in my opinion, the best!
We traveled the rest of our journey through the rain, but the air everywhere smells sweet and clean. We decided to skip lunch as we were so anxious to get to our destination. We arrived at Matt's house, tended to our exhausted animals, and promptly went out to dinner.
On our way to Wild Abandon Restaurant, Kyle spotted 39th Mini Mart, a beer store that claims to have 1000 beers. We made a promise to head there after dinner.

WILD ABANDON- 2411 Southeast Belmont Street
Meal: Dinner
Price: $$
What We Ordered:

• Appetizer: Goat Cheese Torta-A molded mound of goat cheese, fresh pesto, and roasted tomatoes, drizzled with balsamic vinegar reduction and served with roasted garlic and thinly sliced artisan bread grilled with extra virgin olive oil.
• Salad: Garlicky Caesar Salad- Super fresh and crispy romaine lettuce, tangy Asaigo cheese and fresh croutons. Nothing fancy just a classic prepared correctly using the freshest sweetest lettuce which made all the difference.
• Carla's Entree: Pan-Fried Oysters with Jasmine rice and French Green Beans and Carrots cooked in Beurre noisette. The oysters were buttery and tender and dredged in rice flour which made them extra crispy but not heavy. Matt tried one even though he is not a fan of oysters and he seemed to enjoy it. I on the other hand loved them and especially loved the paring with the green beans.
• Kyle's Entree: Ziti Ziti- Ziti Pasta in a rich cream sauce with, portabello mushrooms,roasted garlic, and scallops, finished with smoked mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs and baked till bubbly. This dish was so delicious, I found myself eating more than just a few bites. Luckily the portion size was generous.
  

• Matt's Entree: Cioppino-Super hearty tomato-based stew with a hint of spice and an explosion of seafood. I'm talkin, Salmon, Scallops, Shrimp, and a variety of shellfish. This dish was downright beautiful. Matt told us that he had been there 4 times and gotten this dish 3 out of the 4 times. It's just too good to pass up.

All in all it was a great first dinner in our new hometown. We left full and happy and ready to head to that cool beer place we passed and it was awesome. We made our selections after a friendly local gave us the rundown of the absolute best beer destinations in the city...more beer adventures to follow

OUR BEER SELECTIONS FROM 39th MINI MART:

• Dick's Lava Rock Porter-6.2% Alcohol, descent for the price. (Guess I just like Dick's.)
  
• Black Boss Porter-9.4% Alcohol
  
• Tranquair House Ale-7.2% Alcohol
  

DAY 2 - On the move: Centeral CA Fruit and Nuts

One thing can be said about central CA, its nuts. We headed out on I-5 N and made our way through the flat farm lands. Not too exciting but the fresh fruit and nuts are awesome. We stopped at one the many fruit and nut stands that line the stretch of highway. We stopped at the olive pit for some olive tasting. Our spirits soared as journey continued. Food Find: Garlic Roasted Almonds, Habenero Cashews, Sweet Local Apricots, Pickled Okra, Spicy Bleu Cheese Olives and Citrus Olive Oil.

We made our way up the entire length of California. Lots of driving. Lots of greasy spoons. We are now in beautiful Rogue River...more adventure to come!

DAY 1 ...The MOVE

So Kyle and I had these great delusions of how we would wake up early, get the trailer, load it all with the help of some great friends, and everything would fit perfectly. We would hit the road at 2:00 pm and get passed LA before the major traffic would hit... here's the thing about reality. It's a bitch. So it took 2 hours to get the trailer, (geniuses at the Moreno Valley U-haul put the wrong hitch on), It took us twice as long to load that trailer, and not everything fit. Kyle kept joking "well I guess we don't have room for Dante." to which I would reply, "He can sit on my lap" I was joking at the time, but as the van filled, little by little, I realized it was no longer a joke. So off we go 1000 miles in an overloaded mini-van pulling an overloaded trailer 70 pound dog in my lap or curled up were my feet should go...this is going to be FUN!
We left at 7:00 pm after wishing Dad & Kris a fond farewell. (Kris felt funny so she put Mr. Winklebottom on her head) and we headed off after sharing our last California Taco Shop dinner for a long time. We made it all the way to Bakersfield before Kyle decided to rest for the night. Dante, Jesus, and I thought that was an excellent idea. and we set our Magellan for the Best Western. I have to admit, this is the nicest Best Western I have ever stayed at. Granite counter-tops, refrigerator, 7 pillows on the bed, crown molding and CLEAN! Not that we would have cared after a day like that. We are so happy and excited to be on our way! We miss our family and loved ones dearly but we know...we have started out on a great adventure!

The Move to Portland...

The time has come for me and my hubby to flee the culinary wasteland of Inland Empire SoCal and escape to a place that captured my heart...Portland Oregon. The beer, the food, the trees, the view, the food, the food and did I mention the food? I am so excited about our move. The countdown begins.
My husband Kyle, Myself, our "mighty dog" Dante, Jesus the Cat and four Tarantulas will be crammed into a gold minivan and will tow all our worldly belongings (or whats left after the yard sale) in a trailer. We will travel the 1071 miles up the length of California, up through Oregon to the sweet and sexy city. Travel food diary to follow...

For The Love All Things Edible:

Sunday April 18th 2010

Hello fellow food-lovers! I am your fearless leader! Pastry chef by day...Culinary explorer by night! Follow me for a trip down the epicurean rabbit hole. When we find that white rabbit we will braise him with cognac and shallots. I have the appetite and the love of all things edible...
HERE WE GO!!!