After ending yesterday with a giant rainbow arcing across downtown Portland I was hoping to start out the weekend a little dryer, but this is Portland after all so that was not to be. As I looked out the livingroom window while I was preparing for today all I saw was overcast skies and large snowflakes coming down. I thought, no worries, that is what flannel, wool and waxed canvas are for.
At 0730 I hit the road, intent on being the first one in the door at my first stop. I was bound for Sweet Bacon Cafe, a lovely little restaurant that opened up in the Northwest part of Portland about 3 months ago inside an old Victorian.
While the building is old, they have freshened up the inside with bright lighting and colorful paintings.
I was the first to arrive at about 0745 and they let me grab a seat by the window even though they hadn’t opened up yet. That gave me time to look over the menu and by the time they opened at 0800 I was ready to order. I started with an espresso martini and decided on the Lemon Creme Anglaise Pancakes with a side of their signature namesake Sweet Bacon; three Palm Sugar-caramelized chunks of crispy bacon seasoned with Tamarind, Thai Chili Flakes, fried shallots and cilantro.
The pancakes were light and fluffy and the Lemon Creme Anglaise wasn’t overly sweet and had just the right amount of tartness. The bacon was good, really good, but I felt the flavors got along so well that they also got a little muddied as nothing really stood out and I thought it could use a little more heat. However, I’d order it again as is when I go back.
After leisurely enjoying my pancakes, I wrapped up breakfast and got back in the car for the 6–8-minute drive over to Washington Park and my next destination. Washington park (410 acres) reminds me of a smaller (and much nicer) version of Golden Gate Park (1,017 acres). I can’t wait until Spring when the International Rose Test Garden is in full bloom. But today I was headed back to the Portland Japanese Garden. Having a membership there, I have been visiting at least one weekend a month since December 2023, and each time the experience is different.
I knew with the snow that had fallen earlier this morning that the grounds would have a nice dusting, providing some contrasting lines and colors.
I was scheduled this morning to go on the private members tour at 0900, so while I was waiting I checked out the exhibits inside the upper courtyard buildings.
At 0900 sharp our guide arrived, an elderly Japanese woman full of energy and ready to tell the five of us members that showed up all about the five different types of gardens on the grounds. We headed through the gate and made our way into the garden.
The first major garden was the Flat Garden, typical of a Samurai home “front yard” circa mid 1700s.
Everything was perfectly raked and the dusting of snow served to highlight the lines.
The second garden was the Zen garden circa 1500s. We observed that one from above. At this time I should also point out that Tsuru (our guide) informed us that there are at least three things required for a proper Japanese Garden: rocks, water and plants. However, the plants can be in the form of moss and the water doesn’t have to always literally be fluid, but rather can be in the imagination of the viewer. In this image of the Zen garden one can easily imagine that the entire surface of the garden is water and the rocks were thrown in, creating the concentric rings we see around each as the “water” ripples outwards.
We spent the next hour wandering through the garden with our guide describing the history and features. The snow continued to pour down in large flakes, and while it stuck to the plants luckily it melted pretty quickly once it hit the ground.
The tour was supposed to last an hour and I had a 10 am reservation at the Umami Cafe, the onsite tea house where it’s difficult even for members to get in without a reservation. We were about 10 minutes past 10 and I had to break off from the tour and head to tea house so as to not lose my reservation, but I learned enough about most of the garden and I really enjoyed that portion of the experience.
The hostess welcomed me upon my arrival at Umami Cafe and once I announced myself they said, “Yes, Mr. Martin we have a table waiting for you by the window”. I reviewed the menu again and selected a green tea and Japanese pastry with White Bean Paste that I hadn’t tried before and spent the next half hour looking out the window, thinking, sipping tea and eating my pastry (the tea leaves in the pot can be seeped two more times). With three pots of hot tea warming my belly I was ready to move on to the next adventure.
My next stop was only another 6-8 minute drive up the hill to the Pittock Mansion, a home built in 1914 by the local newspaper magnate Henry Pittock.
If you’ve ever been to Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA, (built by another newspaper magnate) this mansion reminds me of a much, much simpler version of that mansion. I decided upon the Behind the Scenes tour rather than the self-guided general tour, as I wondered what was behind the closed and locked doors, and as much as it’s able to, the tour pretty much delivered on that promise.
This home was quite advanced for its time in having all of the latest amenities:
Indoor heating
An elevator that still works.
Telephones and intercoms throughout the house.
And hot and cold running water and plumbing.
With its location, the mansion has some incredible views of the surrounding mountains, but because it was overcast with intermittent snow we weren't able to see much beyond downtown Portland, so I didn’t spend too much time wandering around the grounds.
The tour was supposed to be 1145 to 1245 and I had planned to have lunch at my next stop at noon. The tour ran a bit long and it was starting to get late as we wrapped up so I jumped in the car and headed back down the hill into downtown, bound for the Stepping Stone Cafe, a quirky little diner in the Northwest portion of downtown.
Upon arriving, I parked a block away and walked up, seeing 10 or so people lined up. I checked my phone again, thinking, “Oh it hasn’t opened yet”, but then I got to the front door and saw the sign that said, “During peak times please line up”. So I did.
The wait was only about 15 minutes before I got close to the front of the line and taking a peek inside the window I could see there was one open stool at the counter so I asked the host if I could have it (everyone else in line was a party of two or more) and he let me in. I was in a slight hurry (when am I not) and I had already seen the menu before arriving, so I quickly ordered their house Reuben.
I like my Rye two ways; one mixed into an Old Fashioned cocktail with some Luxardo cherries and the other, combined with Pastrami, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese into a Reuben sandwich with a spear of dill pickle and some crunchy tater tots. This was a perfect specimen of the second.
Having filled up and needing to get to my 2 o’clock appointment, I paid and headed out to my next destination, Old Town Pizza and Brewing where I was going to go underground right under their establishment for the Haunted Underground Shanghai Tunnels Tour. Shortly after moving into our home in Portland I saw a show on Discovery channel that talked about the Opium Dens and the history of the phrase “to be Shanghaied” and how it all tied into the Portland underground, so I wanted to see the tunnels and mazes right under our feet and learn more about their history.
While I had no use for the haunted portion of the tour, I did find the city’s sordid past interesting as we bumped our heads in the dark underground maze of tunnels between downtown Portland businesses.
Much of the original infrastructure is gone and the businesses have taken to recreations of the Opium Dens and related cages where they would capture the unwilling sailors and prostitutes. Additionally, many of the tunnels have been purposely filled in to keep the homeless population from living right under some of these businesses, so the only portion remaining that can be visited is on this tour.
After about an hour of walking we wrapped up the tour with a beer tasting in their example of an underground speakeasy bar. Overall, I found the entire the entire tour a bit lame, and unless you are really into ghosts or history I don’t recommend it for anyone.
What I absolutely can recommend though is the Old Town Pizza and their beer. I grabbed a couple slices and a free Amber from the token we received on the tour and enjoyed a quick early dinner at the bar.
I still had about an hour until my final activity for the day at 5pm. When planning out my day I figured I would have some time to spare right about now, so I had already expected to head over to Ground Kontrol to check out what they bill as, “one of the largest classic arcades in the world”. It was a dark video game arcade so I didn’t take any pictures.
I grabbed a $10 game card and proceeded to blow it on Indiana Jones an Sopranos pinball then spent the next 20 minutes playing an Aliens shooter until my credits ran out. If you are into classic games these are not emulator games on some computer as can be seen in other places around town, but rather 100% the real original classic consoles.
It was nearing 5pm so I headed the 3 blocks back over to the Lan Shu Chinese Garden for the very last day of their Chinese New Year Dragon and Lantern viewing. While the garden is only a single square block, so it can’t remotely compare to the Japanese Garden, it makes up for its lack of size with garishness, color and noise. This was no zen space during my visit (to be fair, this was a special after-hours program, not what is seen during the normal day), but it was beautiful and organized.
Here are some photos of the special event.
I also captured a short video of the dragon dance.
So, despite the nasty cold snowy weather I managed to make a day of it from garden to garden with lots of fun stuff in between. Portland has a lot to offer, but up until now I just haven’t had the time to take advantage of it. I’m finally starting to get out and see what all is around, and I’m finding it exciting. Having lived for 12 years in my last home I got to the point I think we all do where we get bored and don’t really see what all is around us. When I moved here I decided to make it my stated purpose that I would get out, wander around and explore the town and surrounding areas.
So far, so good. I’m looking forward to tomorrow as well, though I think it will be much more muted.