Dave Knows Portland

Archives for July 2008

Portland’s Moxie RX gets national exposure

by Leave a Comment

Moxie RX, the cute little food cart on Mississippi just north of the Shaver (and my next door neighbor), is featured on the USA Today website today as one of “10 great places to flag down a fabulous feast“.

“Fruit juice and smoothies are the specialties here, but you’ll also find inventive breakfast and brunch items like cheddar biscuits and buckwheat Belgian waffles,” Cowin says. Grapefruit juice with basil and soda as well as the Rx, a smoothie made with bananas, dates and almond butter, are top sellers that make Nancye Benson’s funky food trailer popular among north Portland hipsters.

If you’ve never visited the famous cart tomorrow’s street fair on Mississippi is the perfect opportunity. Nancye and William will be having a bake sale on the avenue during the fair. Keep up with other events and specials via the blog: moxierx.blogspot.com

July 12: Mississippi Street Fair and a pair of Fêtes de la Bastille

by 1 Comment

The Mississippi Ave. Street Fair is the best street fair in Portland. Five blocks of the avenue, from Skidmore to Fremont, will be closed to cars from 10am to 7pm. In place of traffic you’ll find “Live Music, Dance Lessons, Storytelling, Beer & Margarita Gardens, BB’Q Rib Off, Dunk Tank and much more.”

And just up the street Pix Patisserie (corner of Failing and Williams) is throwing a block party too, celebrating Bastille Day. From 11am until late there are a slew of events: a Mini Medoc “Marathon,” a pet parade, a tour de Portland bicycle scavenger hunt, a Citroen car show, a dessert recipe contest, a pillow fight, and lots of live music and more. Seriously, they’re packing in tons of stuff. Check out the Pix events page for more details. And of course the most important details: no foie gras floats, but plenty of interesting food:

60# Roasted Pig from Carlton Farms
Special guest Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon serving up the Eastburn Cocktail
Cheese from Steve’s Cheese
Champagne & Oyster Bar
Vegetarian Quiche
Ice Cream Stand – Beer, Lambic, and Moscato Floats
Giant Eiffel Tower Cookies
6L Bottles of Buzet Wine
French Aperitifs such as Pastis, Lillet, Rosé Wine, Peitra Chestnut Beer
Remy VSOP Cognac Jello Shots
oh, and there will be a whole bunch of fancy pants French desserts, too!

You can celebrate the Fête Nationale in the Pearl District too. The Alliance Française de Portland is throwing their 6th annual Fête de la Bastille at Jamison Square from 11am-6pm. Celebrate the storming of the Bastille with “French wine, cuisine, art and sport; Portland Waiters Race, pétanque exhibitions and French music.”

A weekend in LA puts Portland in Perspective

by 13 Comments

I began to relax as the Red Line raced alongside the quaint 6 lanes of I-84 towards town. Earlier, as we approached PDX I took in the tight clusters of tree tops and fields, almost all a shade of green. We road the train through town to our stop and walked along tree-shaded sidewalks bursting with al fresco diners, pan handlers, and other pedestrians.

Much of the previous three days had been spent speeding along massive freeways to get to the next massive freeway to get to congested 6 lane surface streets. In LA you may not need weather reports, but you need traffic reports to know on which freeways you can hope to travel over 20 mph.

I was a passenger the entire trip, which suits me fine. Sunday morning we escaped the smog and heat and traffic. We raced up into the mountains on the two lane Angeles Crest Highway. It’s the kind of road you see in car commercials. Despite the white knuckles, the ride was enjoyable. I had biscuits and gravy at the picturesque Newcomb’s Ranch Restaurant at the end of the ascent.

I understand the allure of the motorized single occupancy vehicle lifestyle, but I also see the repercussions of its dominance; the environmental hazzard and ugliness of smog, the ennui or boiling rage of traffic, the annoyance or tragedy of traffic accidents. I agree largely with James Howard Kunstler, that “[the] physical arrangement of life in our nation, in particular suburban sprawl, [is] the most destructive development pattern the world has ever seen, and perhaps the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known.” And that “the tragic landscape of highway strips, parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities, and ravaged countryside that makes up the everyday environment where most Americans live and work [is] … a land full of places that are not worth caring about [and] will soon be a nation and a way of life that is not worth defending.”

Portland is far from perfect, but for a decent sized West Coast city our transportation options and walkable neighborhoods are fantastic. LA and Beaverton are not for me. I’m a Portland boy.

Spend your First Thursday with the Timbers

by 2 Comments

Timbers v MoreliaThere will be a fiesta at PGE Park tonight, as the Timbers battle Mexican 1st Division team Monarcas Morelia in a friendly at 7pm.  Trust me; this will be a hell of a lot more fun than walking around the Pearl District looking at inanimate objects hung on white walls.

Coach Gavin Wilkinson told the Portland Tribune:

“They’ve got quality, quality players who could play in most countries around the world,” he says. “It’s a first-class team, very established, in a well-respected league. And because it’s their preseason, their players will be looking to impress early so they can stake a claim on the roster.

“I think you’ll see something special.”

La Monarquia may prove to be the most skilled opponent the Timbers face this season (other than Hollywood United – ouch!).

If Morelia attracts half the fans the Clásico de Clásicos de leyendas: Chivas de Guadalajara vs Club América Legends match did last August, the Timbers Army will find themselves in the never-before-witnessed situation of being outnumbered, and possibly out volumed, at home. So head up to PGE Park tonight to cheer on your Portland Timbers!