Grilled Artichoke with Roasted Garlic Aioli

It feels like summer is finally here! Obviously this means so many meals prepped on the grill. I've teamed up with Fred Meyer to bring you my favorite grilled artichokes and a recipe for housemade roasted garlic aioli.

EQUIPMENT:
- Immersion blender
- Tall and narrow jar with an opening wide enough to fit your immersion blender, I used a pint and a half wide mouth mason jar

INGREDIENTS:
- one large/extra large egg
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp roasted garlic
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- the juice of one lemon
- a generous pinch of salt

BLEND all ingredients together in your mason jar, where you can then store the remaining aioli, so easy and delicious!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fred Meyer. The opinions and text are all mine.

Back to Eden Bakery

As I alluded to earlier, Back to Eden is probably the most well-known spot to get vegan soft serve here in Portland. Not to mention some brilliant nut put a marshmallow at the bottom of my vegan waffle cone once, commence non-leakage (hooray)!!

They also carry baked goods, small snacks and savory pastries that aren't half bad themselves. I usually get a sundae of sorts, though their ice cream is typically too sweet for my liking (and a bit pricey), so I'm usually having a fierce craving for super sugary treats when I come here.


[oregon trail sundae]
vanilla soft serve, chocolate cream cookies, white chocolate
chips & caramel sauce instead of chocolate


vegan vanilla soft serve in a waffle cone


savory cashew cheese and asparagus tart

Location: 2217 NE Alberta Street Portland, Oregon 97211
Neighborhood: Northeast / Alberta Arts District

Junior's Cafe

Holy guacamole, french toast with caramelized peaches as a special?! I don't know if I will ever be the same, and the only way to feel comfortable again is if they keep this "special" indefinitely!

Love love Junior's Cafe because it has a cute diner feel, but it's still young and cozy nuzzled in the cutest little neighborhood. The glittery gold booths and gaudy wallpaper are super charming and I find myself pointing out new things every time I come here.



Nana's vegan tofu scramble with spicy tofu sauce
[sauteed tofu, garlic, red onions, mushrooms & spinach]

Location: 1742 SE 12th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97214
Neighborhood: Southeast / Ladd's Addition

Yoko's

...annnnd a quick recognition for the real stuff.



Has anyone ever tried Tuna Taka's? Small fried rice patty (uncanny to a hash brown) topped with spicy tuna, avocado and green onions. Yoko's has got em in their authentic Hawaiian sushi bar and they are a must try for all sushi lovers.

Location: 2878 SE Gladstone Street Portland, Oregon 97202
Neighborhoods: Southeast / Creston-Kenilworth

Green Wok

After hearing all sorts of stuff about something I had never tried:
VEGAN SUSHI (the real stuff, faux fish), I'd been excited to visit Green Wok, a vegan chinese restaurant about 30 min south of Portland. Their online menu looked very clean and well put together... actually, mindblowingly awesome! so I wouldn't have expected this place to be as dingy as it was once we arrived. It was your regular hole in the wall chinese establishment and the menu was extensive, SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM, which I often don't like. It was overwhelming, so instead of dabbling in a little bit of everything, I just stuck to their manageable-size sushi list.

First and foremost, their yellowtail nigiri was uncanny to the real thing, I was shocked! It was a little salty, but the texture was on point and it looked so much like the real thing. Looking back that was probably all I should have ordered. The tempura was yummy, however their "salmon" tasted like Field Roast and all the sushi rolls were stuffed with a type of "fish-salad", which were all...meh.

Glad to have tried it once, but a 30 min drive might be pushing a trip back.





Location: 11137 SW Capitol Hwy Portland, Oregon 97219
Neighborhood: Southwest

Petunia's

Vegan ice cream and sweet lovers unite!

Though I feel like Back To Eden Bakery is most talked about around these vegan-prominent parts, the new(ish) and growing Petunia's Pies and Pastries gives them a run for their money, no doubt. Located downtown with dreamy pastel walls, exposed brick, a fancy feel and fresh flower + candle centerpieces, I would like nothing more than to live here.

I'm not a huge sweets fan, but when it comes to ice cream, let me have at it! My last visit to Petunia's I discovered their build-your-own-sundae menu (Brûléed banana split, yes please!) and I definitely built my dream sundae...then devoured it.

1. Choose your ice cream: three scoops of vanilla coconut bliss
2. Choose your sauces: caramel
3. Choose your toppings: cookie dough and marshmallows




salted caramel cookie bar


two slices of turtle cheesecake


[via]


[via]

Petunia's also offers more than just ice cream; be sure to try one of their cookies, bars, whoopie pies, cupcakes, layer cakes, cobblers, pies, tarts, sticky buns, doughnuts, even some savory soups, sandwiches and salads, of course washing it all down with a signature cocktail, (gluten-free) beer, wine or coffee and tea.

Location: 610 SW 12th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205
Neighborhood: Downtown

24th & Meatballs

Whoever designed this place is rad. It's perfect for what it is, from the decor to the seating and the menu... I loved it all. 24th & Meatballs is an ever so obvious meatball-focused restaurant. Everything on the mix and match menu including pasta and salads are priced under $10.

Catering to all sorts of diets, I enjoyed the list of options for your own perfect meatball creation. You've got The Classic stuffed with beef, veal, pork and basil. The Pork including chilis, cheese and spices. The Chicken parmesan and thyme (this one's gluten-free!). A special "ball of the day" that changes and The Vegan to which all I've gathered is it "contains nuts".

My go-to is The Vegan slider with hazelnut arugula pesto sauce. Tiny little guy and on top of being cute as hell to photograph, the meatball was tasty and not dry at all. The salads could use a little sprucing, not so much to write home about.

They serve $1 kool-aid which was pretty cool, but I always opt for the ginger lemonade!


[vegan slider with hazelnut pesto arugula]


[vegan slider with marinara x2]

Location: 2329 NE Glisan Street Portland, Oregon 97232
Neigborhood: Northeast / Kerns

i scream

I've lacked some serious motivation to get back on this thing and write, not sure what my deal is, this is something I love to do and have always done... It wasn't until visiting home last week when two girls asked me to take their photo in front of a restaurant that my mother ever-so-slyly dropped that not only was I a great photographer (thanks mom), but food blogger, I laughed and it made me eager again to get back here!

Deciding to do something a little different, get back to this blogs roots, and write shorter entries + small reviews in hopes of rekindling something I love to do with my free time. Thanks to all my followers and loyal blog readers who enjoy seeing the places and fun adventures I've been so lucky to experience in my life.





This is Salt & Straw, probably the most well-known ice cream shop in Portland, Oregon. Though I prefer gelato myself, I do give them an A for effort with their ever-changing and mind-boggling flavors of the Pacific Northwest, handmade in small batches and using local, sustainable and organic ingredients; providing the richest ice cream this mouth has ever laid tongue on. Here we have strawberry cilantro lime cheesecake!

Location 1: 838 NW 23rd Avenue Portland, Oregon 97210
Neighborhood: Northwest / Alphabet District

Location 2: 2035 NE Alberta Street Portland, Oregon 97211
Neighborhood: Northeast / Alberta Arts District

Departure

A small fancy dinner with my two favorite ladies at Departure was in order for my 25th Birthday. This pretty swanky sky-high lounge and restaurant is located on the rooftop of The Nines Hotel in downtown Portland with incredible views of the city. The theme is Asian fusion and what originally drew me to this place was the delectable vegan menu, but what made this experience even sweeter was walking up the hallway (and even their bathroom!) reminiscent of my favorite ride, Space Mountain.


crispy tofu // smoked chili glaze, sweet & sour pineapple


bbq tempeh steam buns // korean bbq sauce tempeh, spicy slaw


garlic fried rice // sunny egg, scallions


a whole mess of birthday soosh


maguro karai roll // big eye tuna, sweet & spicy sauce


big eye poke tuna // chili, avocado, white ponzzu, rice crisp




custom cake from sweetpea, thanks guys

Sushi Ichiban

This is the fourth Ichiban sushi establishment I've visited, all unrelated, and each one has given me an experience I'll never forget.

A lot of my vegan friends have recommended this spot and now I see why. I've always been kind of weirded out by the circular conveyer belt that goes round and round until you decide something looks appetizing enough to snag up. It took some coercing on my friends' part to get me to come here, but with promise of being able to order off menu my mind was put at ease. I was blown away by how good their veggie rolls actually were. This isn't somewhere I'd particularly want to eat fish from (cheap and dirty), but I was into their flat rate plate pricing for everything, $1-4 per plate depending on color. It's awesome when you're on a budget or want to look like a conquistador at the end of your meal with a mile high stack of plates that only cost you $20-30.








The star of the show and must have if you ever visit is the Eliza roll. Yum!

Foodie Friday: A N D Cafe

One of the places I was most excited to try the moment I moved to Portland was A N D Cafe. All vegan/vegetarian and full of deliciousness, this cafe was right up my alley. From an adorable menu with cute names for entrees, such as the "hot nest", to the pure aesthetics of the food that came out, this spot is top notch and by far one of my favorite go-to's for brunch in this city.



bennie in a mess: tofu scramble, tomato, spinach, homemade biscuit, hollandaise
[meatloaf benedict in the background]

meatloaf benedict: two eggs poached, walnut "meat"loaf, toast, hollandaise

full nest: 3 nests, veggies, tofu scramble, veg sausage, hollandaise, homemade biscuit

feast waffles stuffed with veggie sausage, potato & vegan mozzarella topped with hazelnut sausage gravy, tofu scramble annnnnd a side of nests

Milo's City Cafe

The day after moving to Portland, worn out and hosting two of my favorite people, I was taking advantage of all the new restaurants in my area via Yelp. Craving diner-ish food and not too expensive for a quick yet sit down meal, Milo's City Cafe popped up and this place really surpassed all of my expectations.

Not sure why I was under the impression after glancing over their website and skimming reviews that this was an older diner, nothing to really write home about, but boy was I wrong. On top of the spectacular food, almost every table was full while we dined in, but generally no wait...on a SATURDAY. Talk about awesome and practically inconceivable.

I got the smoked salmon benedict (the hollandaise sauce was what dreams are made of), fresh fruit & potatoes. I had no trouble picking out a few items I'd like to try when I return.





the best date!

Hi

Well, I did it. I moved to Portland.

I've been out and about, meeting new people, seeing new things and most importantly, eating all the wonderful and amazing food that Oregon has to offer.

I'm hoping to hop back on this gravy train and rekindle my love for blogging about all the places and things that make this little lady HAPPY. With that said, here are a few photos from my recent move and look forward to a plethora of upcoming food posts!
home ♥







my neighbor



before we left; all packed and ready, my babe did such a good job

My heart belongs in Portland

I've been toying with the idea of moving since my recent trip to Portland and last week I took a short trip to scout some spots to live and search for potential jobs/transfers. My main goal is to be up North by Halloween, but the realistic side of me is only hoping it all falls into place before years end. So, hello my fellow Northwesterners.



Dove Vivi eggplant pizza: mozzarella, blue cheese, roasted eggplant, basil and fresh tomatoes on a cornmeal crust



trout pytt i panna (swedish hash) from Broder Cafe

vegan voodoo doughnut

El Nutri soyrizo and potato chimichangas

the adorable Albina Press

Besaw's salmon and cream cheese scramble with incredible potatoes and toast

sea salt with caramel ribbon ice cream from Salt & Straw

beach day at Cannon Beach!





vegan burger and fries from Boogie's Burgers



floor punch from The Bye and Bye

eastern bowl

some fun with Anthony's hasselblad

the best soda there ever was, butterscotch beer

delicious breakfast burritos from Whole Foods

job hunting

mac-no-cheese from Homegrown food cart... the best vegan mac n cheeze

two popeye rolls and more vegan sushi from Yuki



Ty's Big Breakfast from Jam on Hawthorne: two eggs over veggie sausage patties on an open faced english muffin and smothered in a vegetarian sausage gravy with hash browns on the side

Petunia's vegan salted chocolate chunk cookie-- the softest and most delicious