Walked down to Hawthorn and wandered the strip for a while – got lost in the huge Powell’s books, and then walked over the road to Harlow, Portlands premier vegan joint. Being a non-vegan, it is hard for vegan places to match what I could get somewhere else, but Harlow over-delivered. Cold-pressed coffee with coconut milk, bittersweet chocolate and agave accompanied my ridiculously amazing meal.
Smokey tempeh, black beans, corn, kale, tomato ranchers sauce and guacamole were piled on top of warm corn tortillas, and drizzled with jalapeno cashew cheese.
I took the bus downtown, wandering through Old Town, Chinatown, Goose Hollow, around Pioneer Square.
Here’s Portland City Hall as featured in Portlandia!
I stopped past one of Portlands many food cart pods on my way up to Lan Su Chinese Garden. These pods are always a hub of activity.
In the beautiful chinese gardens, I stopped in for a Gaiwan Tea Ceremony in the teahouse overlooking the garden.
I read my fortune from the fortune sticks – it told me I would have lots of people around me.
I took the light rail over to Washington Park.
First stop, the Forestry Center.
They had this amazing tree that had engulfed a rifle that had been left against it in the 1960s.
I hiked up through the Hoyt Arboretum, down the oak and then wildwood trail towards the Japanese gardens.
Skylar finished up work and was heading towards the Alphabet District for some drinks – so I started the walk through the rest of the park up north. On the way I stopped at Ken’s Artisanal Bakery, named as one of the top craft bakeries in Portland, for a Stumptown coffee and a Huckleberry custard croissant.
Next up we met some people at M Bar, and after some happy hour wine head over to Muu Muu’s for dinner. Broccoli, brown rice and peanut satay sauce made up for the unhealthy eating I have been doing, accompanied by a hot Blueberry tea cocktail with amaretto, orange liquer and early grey tea.
Early night tonight, ready for a day of food tours for a Taste & Travel article tomorrow.