Monday, September 29, 2014

Arizona Vacation Round-Up

We made a quick trip to Arizona to visit family, celebrate some birthdays and get our desert heat on!

Arizona Desert and CactiArizona DesertCacti in the AZ desertRiver RocksMike & AZ CactusDesert LandscapeOrang TreeArizona scenes

Before visiting we searched high and low for some uniquely Arizonian food and we hit the jack pot with The Mission Restaurant in Scottsdale. Their tacos were teeny tiny, but filling as hell. Topped with pickled cactus and spicy red peppers, these were some of the best tacos we've ever had.

Mission TacosTiny Taco

Not authentic Arizonian, we did find a gem in the suburb area of Mesa at Gelato Dolce Vita and Grocery. We read they had stellar pastas, charcuterie and gelato. Unfortunately, even though we went straight there from the airport, we weren't able to try their homemade pastas, but their sandwiches, charcuterie board, and gelato was fantastic!

Dolce Vita Italian Deli

This trip was all about family and we were fortunate enough to be there for special birthdays, which included a yummy lunch at famous Barrio Cafe. We arrived early to check out some of the murals in the area, and found the most interesting cluster of murals were right around the cafe itself. The food was amazing.

Barrio MuralThe Barrio Cafe MuralPhotographing the barrioCalle 16 ArtworkCalle 16 MuralCalle 16 Neighborhood MuralMural on the Barrio Cafe BuildingBarrio CafeAppetizersBarrio BeveragesBarrio Torta and EnchiladasSilvia's SpecialtiesBirthday Celebrations

It was a terrific visit, and we even got to enjoy a summer monsoon and the beautiful sunsets they create. Until next time Arizona, we love you!

Monsoon

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Life, As of Late

It's a bit surprising to us that since we've moved downtown we haven't run into many people we know; until we heard from friends who work downtown that they saw us walking around, but didn't say hello because we were busy looking up at the buildings. Then as we were sorting through our pictures we realized, we do take lots of pictures of the buildings that surround us. Portland doesn't have the largest downtown area, but it is jammed packed with some of the most beautiful buildings. We just love the fire escapes, brick facades, terra cotta, arched windows, leaded glass, old billboards, glass towers, water towers - its all very inspiring to be around. Tucked inside many of these buildings is some pretty amazing food too.

Red StonePre and Post WarBrick & Terra CottaDowntown BuildingsFIre EscapesPostal ArtPark Area BuildingsOld TownSteel Bridge ViewHoneyman Hardware LoftsBrick and Fire EscapePearl District BuildingsArt Deco BuildingTilt DinnerOld and NewElectric CompanyBocci PlayingOutdoor DiningStreet ScapeTownhomesSpring SunsetMirror TowerWater TowerHappy MikeGrilled Squid