Portland – My Favorite Northwest Escape

Posted on February 03, 2012 By Julie

We just returned from “The Rose City” and actually soaked up real sunshine,

as opposed to liquid sunshine (a favorite Portland bumper sticker is “natives don’t tan, they rust”).

While skiing, hiking, beachcombing and wine tasting are all within an hours’ drive from the city center, we chose to stay downtown. The Heathman Hotel, in the center of Portland’s thriving shopping and theatre district was the perfect choice. It’s adjacent to the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall—there’s actually a door connecting the two buildings so celebrities can discreetly exit after performances.

We were greeted at check in by our personal concierge who showed us to the Symphony Suite, an elegant retreat. Last stay at the Heathman we were in the Andy Warhol Suite. The Heathman is not your usual hotel and the Andy Warhol Suite is just one example of the extraordinary experience. Shag carpeting, Warhol art on the walls and purple everything—- towels, robes—even a purple couch. It was off-beat in the best of ways.

This trip we managed to carve out time to sip afternoon tea and enjoy jazz the same evening in the Heathman’s wood paneled Tea Court.

The Heathman Restaurant’s Culinary Director, Philippe Boulot, is a James Beard award winning chef. We were fortunate to be on-hand for one of Chef’s periodic vintner dinners. With local seafood and regional fresh produce as its centerpiece these dinners are a culinary masterpiece. We savored Hood Canal Oysters with ice wine granite, Calamari & Squid Ragout, Dungeness Crab Cakes caught that very day in Oregon’s Newport Bay and the final course of White & Red Chinook Wild Salmon with saffron risotto and mussel jus, all paired deliciously with Oregon wines. Our tablemates for the dinner were a group of young chiropractors who had all moved to Portland from across the country because of the quality of life offered. It was one of those magical evenings that can never be staged or planned. Incredible food, stimulating conversation and companionship paired with excellent wine. Our new found friends introduced us to a local wine, a 1999 Ken Wright Pinot Noir. Joseph fancies himself a Pinot expert so to find an as-yet-Joseph-Rosendo-discovered vintage is truly rare. It was so incredible we went off in search of more the next day. It was only then we discovered how magical the evening had been. The wines of Ken Wright are very hard to come by so if you ever find it – buy it all and send some our way!

While many city centers have declined, downtown Portland is thriving. Pedestrian friendly, the public transit system, MAX, running through the heart of the city and connecting to the airport as well as the suburbs, shares space with the multitude of bikes traversing the bicycle lanes. The Heathman Hotel is just a block or so from the transit stop and steps from Pioneer Square where on any given day, rain or shine, you’ll find street performers or even, as we found, Buddhist monks performing blessing ceremonies!

Catch the free downtown trolley to cruise over to the revitalized old warehouse Pearl District. My childhood memories include the steeping aroma of hops and barley that greeted us each Sunday as we drove downtown to church. A bit ironic that the smell of beer brewing reminds me of church! That aroma is now just a memory as the Weinhard Brewery is gone – replaced by a thriving community of galleries, coffee shops, offices and lofts, with a distinctively northwest flair. A particularly hot night-spot is Jimmy Maks where we found that live jazz does indeed go well with Mediterranean cuisine. The music starts about 8 PM but if you want a seat, get there early. The word’s out—and there’s a standing room only crowd each night.

Also walking distance from the Heathman Hotel is Portland’s waterfront. The Willamette River runs through the heart of Portland where we found more shops, galleries and restaurants. Even in February, at least on this trip, the weather was pleasant enough to sit on a deck and watch the kayaks and pleasure craft criss-cross the river while we snacked on fresh fish and more Oregon Pinot Noir. Not Ken Wright, but any Oregon Pinot is a good thing.

After spending a pleasant afternoon along the river we hopped back on the Max and headed to the West Hills just outside the city center to Washington Park. Back in the day this was home to summer rock concerts in the amphitheatre and peace rallies. Today the 129 acres of urban oasis is home to Portland’s renown Rose Garden, Japanese Gardens and the Portland Zoo. This is definitely the photo op location with beautiful Mount Hood hovering to the east beyond the city skyscrapers.

No visit to Portland is complete – for me anyway – without a meal at Jake’s Famous Crawfish on SW 12th. Walking distance from downtown, the menu changes daily to highlight the fresh fish and other seafood that’s flown in daily. The old-world atmosphere is pure Portland. Huge paintings of majestic Northwest scenes adorn the dark paneled walls and the bar is a long-time hangout for locals. Cedar-plank salmon is the specialty, but the Mahi-Mahi is always on my list. Believe it or not I hate salmon – I was forced to eat too much of it as a child. Joseph’s all-time favorite seafood is always on the menu—a selection of fresh oysters. He chose the Kumamoto’s from nearby Tillamook Bay.

Walking back along the city streets that were once my home I realized just how beautiful the city is and always has been. Something I took for granted when I was growing up. The ubiquitous clouds cleared, the sun broke through and we were treated to the glorious sight of Mt. Hood rising above the Willamette River Basin. As the evening lights signaled the end to another day—and our visit—I knew I’d be back—real soon.