Vacation time!

I'm going to Portland! I'm going to Portland!

This is very exciting.

Among other things, I'll get to partake of Oregon-brewed Rogue beer at the Rogue Distillery and Public House. Oh, and just take a gander at some of these beer-based menu items:

-Hazelnut ale bread
-Hummus made with Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale and served with warm pita bread & veggies
-Saganaki (broiled Greek cheese) doused in Rogue Hazelnut Spice Rum and flamed tableside
-Beer cheese soup (made with Rogue Dead Guy Ale)
-"Haute" dog with caramelized onions and Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue Cheese, with house-made flavored ketchup and mustard on the side
-House-brewed root beer & root beer floats
-Rogue ale floats (you can choose their Chocolate Stout!)

And that's just a sampler. I think I might have to eat here a few times while I'm in Portland.

Other than Rogue, I want to try Stumptown coffee, visit Mattface's fish & chips place and tea shop and hat store, drink lots of Oregon wine, eat at Nate's favorite Mediterranean place, visit a farmer's market, walk lots and lots, maybe go on a hike, drive out to the coast, take tons of photos, see some redwoods, maybe check out a local band, go to the zoo, and walk around the Japanese gardens. I'll be there for a week -- do you think I can fit all that in?

Above all, I'm really excited to eat and drink in Portland -- food is not just fuel there. It's local, it's seasonal and fresh, and it's crafted with care and pride. Did you know that chef/author James Beard, the "father of American gastronomy," grew up in Portland? He's had a profound effect on the way people think about food all over the world, and his legacy lives on in Portland, from what I understand. Plus, all the local hand-crafted beer and wine? I'm swooning.

August 26th can't get here fast enough!