We had never seen Tracing Figures perform before and we were quite excited to see them in action. They played about eight songs, from Pixies-style rock to shoe-gazey to soulful, a few of which were those songs you can’t not tap your feet too. We were definitely impressed, especially when we heard Laura belt out some incredibly vocals. I always wish and sometimes imagine that I can sing, but I can’t. In fact, I may be a bit tone deaf.

After the show Nick & I headed over to Grubstake, on the way getting drenched in a sudden down pour. Grubstake was a regular spot for me “back in the day” and it was exciting to return for caldo verde, potato skins and burgers. Nowhere else have I experienced such a successful combination of conflicting foods on a menu. Definitely still a favorite late night spot.

Saturday my girlfriend Janice came into town and we took her on a mini tour of the area. First we went to Nopalito for lunch, because you can’t skip the organic delicious Mexican food in San Francisco. Then we walked down Haight to Hobson’s Choice for some punch, which, I hate to say, I have outgrown and now call “headache punch”. Then, because none of us can get enough cheese, we made a giant cheese plate to pair with an Oregon pinot as an unnecessary but oh-so-delicious appetizer before heading over to Eos in Cole Valley where we verified that, yes, the mushroom dumplings are like crack. Needless to say, we ate a lot and kept up a wonderful little day long buzz.

Sunday morning we were blessed with the best weather we’ve had since we moved back, so we hiked up to the top of Buena Vista park and took in the view before going to Universal Cafe for brunch. We had our rehearsal dinner at Universal, so it feels especially cozy to us and reminds us of great times. Plus, the food is top notch. Highly addictive. Insanely good.

With full happy bellies we returned home, relaxed, then welcomed new guests for the Super Bowl. I think it’s safe to say that most Americans were very happy with the turnout. It’s great to see love and celebration in New Orleans. And there ends my wonderful weekend. It feels good to be home in San Francisco.

We stayed at the Hotel Lucia, a modern and artsy boutique hotel in downtown Portland with bowls of Magritte-esque bright green apples and big colorful canvases throughout the lobby. Our room was clean and comfortable, the bed big and puffy just we like it and the bathroom sleek and modern with good water pressure (a must).

When we first arrived at the hotel we were starving and asked the concierge for some tips on local restaurants, something we seldom do since we usually like to do the research ourselves. The concierge recommended a great spot right up the street called Clyde Common. The setting is a mix of vintage and modern with a rustic twist, true to Portland. The servers and hosts all wear plaid shirts in a sort of hipster farmer sort of way, which helps set the ambiance. The menu is printed like an old typed-out notebook page, featuring delectable gourmet treats like pork rillette on grilled bread, pappardelle with wild nettle pesto & walnuts and some of the best lamb I’ve ever tasted. The cocktails, too, were inventive and delicious. Needless to say we had a wonderful introduction to Portland style and flavors and I was able to try some things I never knew I’d like.

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The next morning we walked over to Mother’s Bistro to have brunch, which has a really elegant vintage modern decor. We had forgotten that it was Mother’s Day Weekend (bad children) and the place was packed, so we left the huge wait behind and ended up at Bijou Cafe nearby. Bijou is casual and relaxed with an authentic Parisian flair; blue and white gingham table cloths line the tables and well made cappuccinos offer a powerful morning boost. And I had the best omelet I’ve ever had there–maybe it was the goat cheese cheddar?

After brunch, we walked towards the river to the Saturday Market which is filled with a plethora of tasty, creative and eco-friendly merchants. We were impressed to find Rogue Ales there as in California and New York we’ve never seen craft beer represented at a market. We also saw a lot of vendors selling “elephant ears”, a large flat sugary donut.

After exploring the market we crossed one of the many bridges on our way to begin our day of beer tasting. We passed some cute new and vintage clothing stores, many of which I’d seen in the eat.shop guides. Our first brewery stop was the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, which is spacious and fun because they allow dogs in their outdoor patio (yes, there were plenty of labs). The beer was pretty darn good too.

Three pints down, we walked to Roots Organic Brewery and had some seriously strong and delicious beer while sitting outside in the sun watching a seven-year old run sprints up and down the block while his parents drank. (*When we got home to LA we bought some Roots beer at Whole Foods and it was, unfortunately, not so fresh and tasty.)

Four more pints down and we began slowly making our way back to downtown, the sun high in the sky and our buzzes buzzing. We got a good couple miles in before we made our third stop at Deschutes Brewery in the Pearl District. By this time I realized that beer did not equal food and we ordered some food along with our craft beer. The menu was large with both traditional and more refined options. We ordered something close to a cheese plate, after which I quite nearly passed out.

Later that day, after a short nap, we took another walking excursion to the Alphabet District where we had a small meal at Serratto, which was a bit hit (tagliatelle with wild boar ragu) or miss (overpriced watery ravioli). And then we passed out.

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The following day  we went wine tasting in Dundee. Most everything we tried was wonderful and we bought a collection of pinots from our favorites, Stoller and Argyle. We had lunch at Dundee Bistro, which seems a bit of a tourist trap; high prices, bad service and mediocre food, despite the grand wine list. Later we left the wine country and ended up at Laurelwood Brew Pub in the Alphabet District, which is situated in a house off the main street. We spent a couple hours drinking beer, flipping through our pictures and taking in the Pacific Northwest.

By the evening we were so full on food and drinks we canceled our dinner reservations and went for a small late-night noodle soup at Typhoon. The service was friendly and warm and we had some of the best thai noodle soup we’ve ever had.

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Our last morning there we went for breakfast at Kenny & Zuke’s next to the Ace Hotel, which is an amazing delicatessen meets restaurant. The menu is affordable, the portions huge and the pastrami thick and well seasoned (I recommend the 222). Afterwards we spent a good amount of time at Powell Books, which has to be the best book store on the west coast.

While we were there, The New York Times released an article called Frugal Portland which featured the food carts in downtown Portland. What’s so amazing about the carts is that unlike in other cities where they are random and spread out, in Portland they are all grouped together in a couple city blocks offering up frugal and delicious foods from all over the world. We had a hard time deciding but finally chose a Peruvian spot with a delicious lomo saltado.

Our last stop in Portland took us to the Bridgeport Brew Pub where for a very reasonable price we tried a large selection of their beers. The beer was probably our least favorite, but we enjoyed the clean and modern space with vintage details and high ceilings and the food looked great.

Walking back to the hotel on our last day was sad. We truly enjoyed our time in Portland, exploring different restaurants, breweries and wineries and meeting friendly and warm people who didn’t take themselves too seriously and who love craft beer just as much as we do. A necessary break from Los Angeles.