Tag: Cloudforest

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Eat Unsweetened Chocolate in Portland

One of my favorite unsweetened chocolate bars, with fun art on the packaging. Photo credit: Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé  

I like to eat unsweetened chocolate bars and I like it. Yes, that’s the 100% cacao product with no sugar added—not even alternatives like coconut sugar, allulose, monk fruit, or stevia. You are probably thinking, “What is wrong with this gurl?!?”

I know this might be a hard sell for some of you reading this—and I know it’s a controversial take, esoteric at best—but I am here to encourage you to take a chance on it. In exchange, you get a payoff of deep cacao flavor, complex tasting notes, and a new chocolate experience.

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Four Things I Learned This Week (January 13)

Preorders from Shop Halo Halo for Lunar New Year are open. Lunar New Year is right around the corner (January 22) and among all the holiday offerings that are showing up, consider the Filipino treats from Shop Halo Halo for your celebration. Mooncakes and variety boxes are available. Orders will be accepted by 5pm, Sunday, January 15 (or when items are sold out).

The variety box includes two of each: taro buns, ube mochi (GF), back sesame mooncakes or two ube mooncakes (vegan), matcha sugar cookies (vegan), lavender calamansi shortbread (vegan). They’ll be setting up a pick-up station at their shop where you can pick-up your pre-orders on your choice of Saturday, January 21 between 10am and 2pm or Sunday, January 22 between 10am and 2pm. Preorder here. 4981 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland

Cooking With Whey book launch party. Claudia Lucero of Portland’s Urban Cheesecraft is celebrating the launch of her newest book, “Cooking With Whey.” It will take place on Thursday, January 19, from 6pm-8pm at Vivienne Culinary Bookstore in the Hollywood District. Your $20 ticket includes the panel discussion and a signed book. Claudia will also make the book’s whey cornbread for you. Get your tickets here. 4128 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland

A la carte dining returns to Coquine. After weeks of abiding by a prix fixe menu at Coquine, they are now “offering a more casual option for full service dining titled, ‘A la Carte Coquine’.” It started up this past Wednesday and the hours will be 5pm to 8:30pm
Wednesdays through Saturdays. Here’s what you can expect:

“Featuring a menu of new and classic Coquine dishes, offered with full service dining in the restaurant. Cocktails, beer, zero-proof, options will all be available along with wine by the glass and by the bottle from our list of 450+ selections.”

Reservations are recommended, but if you’re lucky you could get a walk-in space (but really, reservation is best). You can reserve a table via Tock. 6839 SE Belmont Street, Portland

Challenges at Cloudforest. Over on their Instagram it sounds like they are meeting unexpected challenges in 2023: “We ran into a roadblock forcing us to pause our popular hot chocolate, marshmallow, and espresso service. The retail shop will continue to be open Friday-Sunday from 12-5pm offering chocolate bars, pantry items, confections, self-serve Ecuadorian brewed coffee, self-serve silky vegan Ecuadorian drinking chocolate, Ecuadorian vanilla, and packaged cookies. Our apologies for the inconvenience.”

Please consider stopping by and picking something up—their Magic Spread is one of my favorite things I put in my mouth, and their packaged bars are some of the best in Portland. Supporting them with sales helps support them. Their neighbors Mattino’s will also be open and offering tasty sustenance. I wish Cloudforest all the best as they navigate these current choppy seas. 935 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland

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Four Things I Learned This Week (April 8)

Briskets & Gravy’s grand opening in Cully. The new Briskets & Gravy truck will join the outdoor space at Cully Central with a grand opening tomorrow, Saturday, April 9. Check out some of the things they offer, here, from a brisket burger to brisket tacos, smoked chicken wings to brisket & gravy over buttermilk biscuits. Yum. 4579 NE Cully Blvd, Portland

Easter pre-orders at Bee’s Cakes are open. Take a look at the menu, choose your favorites, place your order and pick up on Saturday, April 16 from 9am to 3pm. Bonus: they’ll be open that day for coffee and pastries. 7137 NE Fremont Street, Portland

Cloudforest Chocolate to close Morrison Street shop. However, it won’t be forever—they do plan to relocate and reopen. You can still enjoy their chocolates and other things on Morrison Street until the end of April. 727 SE Morrison Street, Portland

Pho Van’s whole roast fish meal gets PoMo love. Katherine Chew Hamilton and her pals headed to Pho Van recently to enjoy, among other things, the whole roast fish meal there. It really sounds good and I love the “roll your own” rice paper rolls element—it’s the fish and a bunch of accompaniments: “lettuce, mint, basil, cucumbers, sliced tart green apple, a bowl of cooked noodles, rice paper, and a warm bowl of water for dipping the paper.” A neighbor mentioned this online a while back and warns that you have to call ahead for this dish. Also, you can ask your server to help you understand how to roll a salad roll if you need a tutorial. The whole thing sounds fantastic. 1919 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland

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Four Things I Learned This Week (October 8)

Get ready for Bluto’s. As someone who lived in a heavily-Greek neighborhood for many years, and who misses having access to a plethora of Hellenic restaurant, cafe, and grocery options, whenever I hear about Greek food in Portland my interest is seriously piqued. Rick Gencarelli, the force behind Lardo and Grassa, is opening Bluto’s, a “Greek-inspired” spot that will “keep it super fun and embrace the inauthenticness.” It certainly has gotten me wondering… and eager to try it.

Souvlaki will be a major thing there; Greek salads, too, and there was mention of possible saganaki (always a crowd-pleaser). I always loved a plate of dips that include tirokafteri (spicy feta), and have hopes it will make it on the menu. Check out the Oregonian for more details. 2838 SE Belmont Street, Portland (opening November 2021)

Cloudforest hints. Yesterday on Cloudforest’s Instagram stories, they indicated that Ecuadorian-style empanadas and Ecuadorian TRAVIESA roasters coffee for espresso may make it to their menu. Stay tuned for more on that. 727 SE Morrison St, Portland

DarSalam adjusts. They announced that they are closing two of their locations: “After months of adjusting the menu, staffing or other things we have decided to close our Pearl and Hawthorne locations.” On the positive side, though, you can still enjoy their delicious Iraqi food downtown and in Northeast Portland. 2921 NE Alberta Street and 320 SW Alder Street, Portland

Bug out your ice cream. Salt & Straw likes to push the envelope, and they have done so this month—their seasonal scoops in October include “Don Bugito’s Creepy Crawly Critters,” a matcha ice cream with toffee-brittle mealworms and chocolate crickets. Not my style, but I’m sure some of you out there will enjoy. Personally, I’m looking forward to the “Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Bread” with chunks of pumpkin bread and whipped cream cheese frosting. Various, including 2035 NE Alberta Street, Portland

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Small Bites – Norse Hall, Poke Qube, Birrieria PDX, and More

norse-hall-portland-oregon

A bunch of tidbits have crossed my desk and I thought I’d put them all together for you here.

Portland’s Norse Hall at risk. The Norse Hall over on Couch and 11th is running in the red, thanks to—you guessed it—COVID-19. Known for various Scandi cultural events, including the annual Lutefisk Dinner, I’ve spent time there for their tasty Viking Breakfast that happens during certain months of the year. It’s an important cultural space and is worth saving; the fear is out there that developers might be eyeing the property. You can help by donating to their GoFundMe campaign. 111 NE 11th Ave, Portland

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