Portland Dining Month is Awesome

The best part of my travels center around dining. Of course I love every aspect of travel, even when things sometimes go really wrong, but food can create and trigger memories, making your vacation even better. March was Portland dining Month, which is one of my favorite times of the year around here, because it lets us visit some of the city’s more extravagant and fancy restaurants for less. Portland isn’t the only city that participates. Dining Month occurs across America and usually happens twice a year.

Not only is Portland a great travel destination in the winter and spring, because there are lots of things to do inside and outside for the whole family, but it’s less crowded, too. I was lucky to partner with Travel Portland (a fantastic source for all things cool in Portland) to make even more of my dining experience. For $29 restaurants serve from a special Dining Month menu where you choose three courses. You’ll leave petty full, but it’s worth it. We made it to three delicious restaurants in March. Check out where we dined and what yummy foods we had.

Aquariva

We’ve frequented Aquariva on many occasions. It has gone through a few names and incarnations, but the food is always spectacular. It is separated from the Willamette River by a jogging trail, so it has the added bonus of a pretty view with people watching. Below is the DM menu.

First course (choose one):

Curried butternut squash soup with cardamom cream and crispy potatoes
-OR-
Salad of endives, smoked blue cheese, spiced walnuts, shaved red onion, manchego and citrus vinaigrette

Second course (choose one):

Crispy-skinned salmon with sweet potato-goat cheese purée, chickpea ragout and smoked onion relish
-OR-
Braised beef short ribs with aged cheddar polenta and tomato jam

Third course (choose one):

Chocolate and Szechuan peppercorn pot de crème with sea salt and crème fraiche

I was a bit disappointed with the dessert, but the starter and main more than made up for it. We started off with spicy shrimp and Brussel sprouts (because we could) and then moved onto the DM menu where we both had the soup, which was some of the most incredible soup I’ve ever had. It really could have been a main and with the bread they serve, I would have been pretty happy. Eric had the braised short rib and I ordered the salmon. Both of us were immensely happy with those decisions. I love salmon and our restaurants mostly use locally caught fish, so double bonus!

Charthouse

Yeah, I’m aware that this is a chain, but it’s also one that we can rarely afford to eat in. We went once for our anniversary. Our Charthouse restaurant is set up on the hill and overlooks the Willamette River and part of downtown, which is easy to see through the wall of windows. Here’s their DM menu.

First course (choose one):

Caesar salad of crisp romaine, shaved Parmesan, croutons and house-made Caesar dressing
-OR-
Chopped salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, radishes, hearts of palm, pepperoncinis and croutons in balsamic vinaigrette

Second course (choose one):

Wafu flat iron steak marinated in soy and garlic, grilled and served with garlic
-OR-
Grilled shrimp and artichoke linguini with sautéed spinach, artichokes, tomatoes and garlic herb butter, sprinkled with feta cheese
-OR-
Macadamia nut-crusted chicken with a warm peanut sauce, mango relish and soy glaze over coconut ginger rice

Third course (choose one):

Mud pie with a mountain of coffee ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream
-OR-
Creamy Key lime pie

So, here was another restaurant where we were both stupid hungry when we arrived. They had some yummy sounding appetizers that we wanted to try, but being realistic, we made the smart decision to only get one: the ahi nachos. If you like sushi and you like nachos, then this mash-up is both innovative and delightful. Each nacho is topped with a slice of ahi tuna, garnish and a squiggle of wasabi mayo. It’s served on a plate with a spicy sauce. You shouldn’t leave here without trying these. They’re also on the happy hour menu.

We weren’t very original with our meals here, as we both ordered the chopped salad (which is not a chop salad, like I expected, but a regular salad chopped into little bits), the flat iron steak (I was all set to order the fish dish here, which isn’t shown for some reason, but it was made with cilantro and couldn’t be made without) and the mud pie. The steak was so buttery and didn’t even need a knife to eat. I planned to take part of it home with me, but it was so good with the mashed potatoes that we pretty much scarfed it all. I’m not usually a huge fan of mud pie, but I can’t do key lime pie, so I opted for that. It wasn’t pretty to look at, but it was really chocolately and good. I’d suggest it with a cup of coffee, and to share it with fellow diners.

Trader Vic’s

I love Disney, but I live in Portland, where we don’t even have a water park or a Hard Rock Café. I feel like Trader Vic’s is the next best thing to taking a trip to a Disney restaurant. That’s how good the theming is. Their DM menu reflects that, I think, and is one of the largest of the venues we’ve been to.

First course (choose one):

Caesar salad with fresh ginger, house-made croutons, shaved Parmesan and lemon-garlic dressing
-OR-
T.V. salad of young greens, red Flame Seedless grapes, Marcona almonds, goat cheese and sherry wine vinaigrette

Second course (choose one):

Macadamia nut-crusted mahimahi with mango salsa, balsamic glaze, Dungeness crab risotto cake and sautéed green beans

-OR-
Indonesian lamb yellow curry with eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, parsnips, green beans, fingerling potatoes and Calrose rice
-OR-
“Express Chicken” stuffed with prosciutto and Boursin
-OR-
Fulton Farms flat iron with fingerlings, braised greens, red chimichurri and crispy parsnips
-OR-
“Divine Shrimp” with snap peas, wild mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots and spicy citrus-honey glaze
-OR-
Crispy tofu stir-fry with green onions, carrots, mushrooms, red onions, garlic, ginger and pad Thai noodles

Third course (choose one):

Peanut butter lava cake 

-OR-

Trader Vic’s snowball 

-OR-

Apple cobbler

We chose one of each of the salads to start this time. I had the Caesar and Eric had the TV salad. The vinaigrette on his was deliciously tangy, plus there were vegetables. I dug into mine and uttered something I’ve never said before. “This salad could benefit from some anchovy.” No veggies and it was a bit bland. Maybe they were trying to appeal to the big vegetarian community here. It’s all good, because my mahi mahi came and it was so good, I forgot all about the salad. No one goes to Trader Vic’s for salad anyway. Am I right? Eric has had the lamb curry on another occasion and it was super-flavorful, but wanted to try something different, so he also ordered the mahi mahi, because he didn’t want to be jealous when mine arrived.

We both ended up taking half our entrées home in order to take full advantage of our meal ending. I had the snowball, which was vanilla ice cream drowned in coconut flakes. So fruity and light. Eric had the peanut butter lava cake, because he can’t refuse anything with peanut butter. He was pretty happy with it. I even was a bit jealous that I didn’t order it, but I’m not sure I could have eaten much after my salad and meal.

As you can see, we were able to get a great sampling of dishes and we now know where we’ll want to return in the future. When we travel during Dining Month, it gives us the chance to visit restaurants we wouldn’t be able to and still stick to a budget. Portland Dining Month occurs in March and again in September. Google Dining Month in your destination to see if you can take advantage of a fancy meal for less. Know that you can also change your mind and order off the regular menu, too. Don't forget to make your reservations through OpenTable, so you also get points towards free dining!

Have you ever dined during Dining Month? If so, where and what did you think?

Disclosure: One of my three dinners was comped by Travel Portland; however, we paid for the other two, extras and gratuity, and all opinions are 100% my own.

Taking a Disney-Free Trip to Los Angeles

Los Angeles isn’t all about Disneyland and Mickey Mouse. Though kids of all ages love the theme parks, it’s just a short drive from Anaheim and there are many cool things to see there. Leave early when you drive anywhere, because L.A. traffic can be brutal. If there’s no accident – which is rare – you can get into the city in only 30 minutes. Here are some places you might want to check out away from Disney.

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The Hollywood Museum has over 10,000 items on display, including Cary Grant’s Rolls Royce, Marilyn Monroe’s dresses and Indiana Jones’ bullwhip. Allow a few hours here, in case you get sucked in by all the memorabilia. Regular admission is just $15.

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The Hop-on Hop-off bus tour gives you a chance to ride on an open-top double-decker bus along the coast and through Brentwood, Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills. The bus has running commentary along the route and you can stop off at a number of places along the way. Rides are $40 per person, but you can get a deal if you purchase a GoCard that includes this and other Hollywood attractions.

• GoCards are great budget traveler take-alongs. They help you do more on your trips and stay within your vacation allowance at the same time. Who doesn’t love that? Even if you’ll just be in town a day or two, it can save you big bucks and allow you to skip the ticket lines at some of the city’s most popular attractions.

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Walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see famous names of entertainers. It’s free and can be really fun for photo ops. It also runs along Hollywood Blvd where you can view the hand and footprints of celebrities in front of Graumann’s Chinese Theater.

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Rodeo Drive is the place to go if you want a chance to spot a famous face and pick up some brand name merchandise. Even if you don’t have the budget to bring anything home, you can still window shop or browse in some of the more intriguing shops.

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Brentwood Country Mart is like stepping into a Martha Stewart magazine. This market has everything from food, dining, shopping and entertainment in a large building that looks like a fancy barn. Less exclusive than Rodeo, but it has many smaller boutique shops under its roof. It’s definitely worth a stop.

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Tour the Dolby Theater, the permanent home to the Emmys and, during the two months they aren’t setting up and taking apart things for that, Cirque du Soleil. Tickets are normally $15. The tour is 30-60 minutes long, depending on how many questions are asked, and you learn about who gets invites to the Emmy’s, security, the red carpet and VIP areas.

Santa Monica Pier has a wonderful beach and Pacific Park. You can catch some rays, ride some amusement rides – like the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel – or try your hand at carnival games. Unlimited ride bracelets are generally $23 for an adult. The pier is also surrounded by fun shops and recommended restaurants.

Venice Beach and Canals are just four miles from Santa Monica. Originally meant to be an exact replica of Venice, Italy, only some of the canals still exist. Not only can you cross the bridges over the water, but you can see some of the most impressive houses in the L.A. area. It costs nothing to enjoy the scenery, so imagine you’re rich and in Italy as you walk along the canals.

Though L.A. seems quite spread out, it isn’t much bigger than any other large city. Many things are just on the outskirts of town and easy to get to due to less traffic. There is so much to do that even frequent Los Angeles visitors may not have seen it all. Learn more about where to go in Los Angeles in my 48 Hours post. Where are your favorite non-theme park places in LA?

My next newsletter is only a few days away. It'll have tips on where to travel in April & May that are budget-friendly. Don't forget to sign up for it, as this won't be available on the blog. (Find the short form right underneath my social media buttons at the top of this post.)

Getting Your Fave Products in Miniature

It has been a really long time since I've traveled with a full-size health or beauty product that I brought from home. (I've had to purchase a few things along the way.) I know I don't need a giant bottle of shampoo for two weeks, so why pack it and have to pay to check my bag when I don't have to? When you travel, you need to learn to be a little bit flexible, and that extends to the products you bring. Instead of seeing the TSA rules as an obstacle, I think of it as a way to help me pack light and more efficiently. When someone says "You can't fit everything you need into a quart bag!" I respond with "Challenge accepted!" You know why? Because when you're creative, you can get everything you need into that little bag. 

There are lots of places you can find small sizes of your favorite products that will make your travel bag lighter and will allow you to fit everything you need into you 3-1-1 liquids bag.

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The Makeup Counter

If you shop the makeup counter for your beauty products, make sure to plan your visit when there's a free gift (Clinique and other large beauty companies advertise these several times a year). This is when you'll end up with trial sizes of some of the products you already use. Pop them in your travel bag and leave your large sizes at home. I find that most trial sizes, even if they are really small, still have enough for a week or two. 

Sephora always offers minis when you spend a specific amount (whether you shop online or in-store). Become a Beauty Insider (if you aren't already) and accrue points for purchases that you can trade in for deluxe samples. Before you get to the check-out, you can find tiny versions of some of their popular products, which might also be items you use everyday. This might be a dangerous way to shop while you're waiting in line, but it can also be useful.

Drugstores

I go to Target all the time, but maybe you frequent Rite Aid or CVS or Walgreens. They all have a travel size aisle. I find these the best place to find deodorant, bottles, toothpaste, contact solution and other generic minis. If you use regular shampoo brands found in drugstores, you can often find travel sizes of these, too, like Loreal, Pantene and Garnier. 

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3floz.com

Looking for more upscale brands? 3floz specializes in these, but in sizes that specifically fit into your travel bag. Whether you need a small packet of facial wipes, a fancy eye cream or makeup remover, you can find them on this site that ranges from selling natural brands like Yes To... to more expensive products from Dr. Dennis. You can pack a miniature spa in your carry-on to help you feel at home and pampered wherever you go.

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Minimus

So, there are lots of products you can't find at a drugstore even though they exist. You are almost guaranteed to find them at Minimus. Not only can you find a huge range of beauty products here, but you can also find health items (aspirin, antibacterial cream, anti-diarrheal chews, vitamins) and even food products (single-serving snacks, salad dressings, condiments).  I have bought quite a few things from Minimus, including a variety of useful medicine cabinet necessities to put together an emergency kit for when my sister-in-law went off to college.

Decant

I have a collection of travel bottles, spray bottles and jars. If I can't find a travel size of my fave product, I decant. And sometimes you just don't need all that much of something, like moisturizer where a little goes a long way, so you don't need a large jar of it, so you can downsize even further by putting it a contact case or something similar.

With these tips, you can easily fit everything you absolutely need in your 3-1-1 bag and toiletry bag to help you go carry-on only. What's your favorite way to stock your travel bag with minis?

My next newsletter is only a few days away. It'll have tips on where to travel in April & May that are budget-friendly. Don't forget to sign up for it, as this won't be available on the blog. (Find the short form right underneath my social media buttons at the top of this post.)