Penultimate Full Day

Yet another very hot one! I "played" a bit with this image of Phil waiting for the MAX light rail, one of several transportation modes we used today.

Our first stop, iPads in hand, was Simply Mac, downtown near the Lloyd Center, where our iPads were "cured" (Phil's came down with the same problem mine had) and we learned what to do if we had a similar experience in the future. I deeply appreciate the ability of young computer geeks like the staff in this store to listen to my incoherent burblings about my sick iPad and then with great patience and clarity explain how that can be remedied!

Deschutes Brewery in the Pearl District of Portland was our choice for lunch today. We always go there during our annual visits to Portland, as the beer and the food are consistently goood. I particularly enjoyed my "small plate" of house-smoked wild salmon and house-made lox, served with vegetable chips, cucumber slices, and a delicate dip. I also had a chilled buttermilk-cucumber soup, perfect for the hot weather! We shared seven small "tasters" of beer, and particularly liked Zarabanda, "a culinary collaboration with Chef Jose Andres," who helped Deschutes "create a Spanish take on the farmhouse-style saison" with the "addition of lemon verbena, pink peppercorns, sumac, and dried lime."

After an afternoon siesta, we ventured out into the lingering heat about 6:30pm for a light, "small plates" dinner at Navarre, a few blocks away. (Just looked online--it was 90 F. / 32 C. at 9:00pm, half an hour after we returned from dinner and a little food shopping.) Currently featured are dishes from southwest France, and we enjoyed small shared portions of duck with sweet and sour cherries, potato and blue cheese gratin, mixed salad greens with walnut oil, bibb lettuce with fresh blueberries and a delicate blue cheese dressing, wonderful local bread, French butter, and a pink Picpoul de Pinet, new to us, as we've only had the white. A bitter chocolate mousse with cream to finish, and a slice of almond cake with chocolate ganache that will be perfect for breakfast wrapped up our meal.

Unfortunately, the restaurant wasn't air-conditioned, the tables were small and very close together, the hard wooden chairs quickly grew uncomfortable, and the music (rock 'n' roll from various eras) was pretty loud, which lessened our pleasure in the food. We're hoping that some restauranteurs will realize that background music should be just that--I'm sure we're not the only ones who would flock to quieter eateries!