Saturday, December 20, 2008

Portland Happy Hour: E-San Thai Cuisine

A friend of mine and I make a point to get together every other week for dinner, and while we've been slacking a bit lately (too much hw as usual), with finals over we were finally able to meet for happy hour at E-San Thai Cuisine. Happy hour is only served in the bar and while the service was a bit slow, the relatively large food menu and $2 drafts certainly make the trek downtown worth it. After some deliberation, we ordered the egg rolls, wantons, Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles). The egg rolls were tasty, the noodle dishes nice and spicy, and there was more than enough food for the two of us. And best of all, our 4 dishes and 3 beers came to a grand total of only $19.

And since there was no school the next day...we finished the night off with some hot buttered rum across the street at Kels (too cinnamon-y) before heading home to meet friends for hot cocoa with baileys (caramel kind...do it!) and a viewing of Elf. If only Christmas break lasted all year...

Sunday, December 14, 2008

DIY Happy Hour: Spiked Cider

Sometimes when it's snowing out (really Portland?) and driving anywhere will take double the time it would normally take, it's necessary to have your happy hour at home. Which still means that you'll probably have to drive to the store to pick up some stuff (and consequently slide around on some ice and maybe hit a person or two...at slow speeds of course) but at least you won't have to drive as far and you get to enjoy your drinks in the comfort of your own home.

We decided to make spiked cider which was definitely a good choice. Here's our recipe:

- 7 packets of spiced apple cider
- 4 or 5 cups of water
- 1/2 a fifth of rum (or more if you like)
- A sprinkle of cloves and cinnamon


Combine all ingredients and warm over medium heat. Add cinnamon/sugar rims and a whole cinnamon stick to your mug if you wanna get fancy. Sweats and Lindsey Lohan movies are also recommended for full enjoyment.

Portland Happy Hour: Perry's

Recently my grandparents texted me and wanted to meet at Perry's (on NE Fremont) for happy hour. I was introduced to Perry's by my grandparents (just like they introduced me to Amalfi's...they have good taste) years ago. We've been going there forever, and my grandparents have achieved the status of "regulars." (Katie and I still haven't managed to do that anywhere).

Friday we showed up at 4pm and headed to the bar. As usual we ordered a round of Lemon Drops ($7.95) made specially by Perry (the owner). We try to make lemon drops at home with our juicer but definitely don't have Perry's special touch. This is by far the best lemon drop I have had in Portland.

For food, we ordered off their happy hour menu which includes a list of items all for $2.95. We ordered their salad with citrus dressing, thai chicken, nachos, chicken soft tacos, veggie tostada, and grilled cheese (there were 4 of us). Everything was delicious, there isn't anything I wouldn't recommend. Also, when Katie and I went we ordered their fried artichoke hearts which were really great.

Now if you go to Perry's, I would definitely recommend getting dessert. Initially we were craving some strawberry chocolate pie, but found out they only make that in the summer (Shoot!) Instead, my grandparents ordered two Irish Coffees (whiskey as opposed to rum in Spanish Coffee), I ordered another Lemon Drop, and Adam decided he wanted the Chocolate Chip Pie. Of course we all stole bites of his gooey, chocolate chip, doughy, soft, pie covered in an amazing chocolate sauce served with ice cream.

It you are looking for a friendly environment with great food to satisfy any mood, awesome drinks, and desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth, Perry's is the place to go!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Honeys Heart: UP Pub Crawl

Wednesday night was the annual end of semester pub crawl. It starts at Dancing Bare but Kelly and I still had papers to write so we caught up with everyone at Mouse Trap. Thanks to the bartenders for starting our night off right with those double vodka tonics...

Not our usual choice...but it got the job done.





So mad about it. Just cuz we never invite you to happy hour doesn't mean you can't smile for our blog.


"Wanna take a picture for our blog?" "Oh hell yeah!" Thanks for the enthusiasm Brian!

Double points for actually reading our blog!

Adam loves Mary. Mary loves happy hour honeys.

Sorry Kelly slapped your hand so hard...but really, you can't crinkle the sign.


A little bit more than buzzed...?



Friends again. Thanks blog.


Awkward. But good sports.

Karaoke at Parrot Bay...Kelly and I didn't participate because usually people like to boo us.



Wearing pants while drinking...different.



Oh.









Free hot dogs at Mock's Crest...delicious (maybe).

At the t room. Did you predict this would happen?



Saturday, December 6, 2008

Portland Restaurant: Skyline

Got a hankering for a good old-fashioned burger and shake? If you don't mind a bit of a drive, try Skyline Restaurant. The place has been around since 1935 so they've had quite a lot of time to perfect those creamy shakes.



Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Portland Happy Hour: Saucebox

I first visited Saucebox on my 21st Birthday. The place wasn't very hopping considering it was a Tuesday night around 10:00pm but from the moment I took my first sip of my hijito (a mojito with hibiscus syrup), I knew I had come to the right place.


Located on SW Broadway near Burnside, Saucebox is hard to miss with its monkey-adorned neon sign. It had been awhile since I'd visited Saucebox and when Leslie and Kelly couldn't stop raving about their happy hour, it became very necessary that I too experience all that Saucebox has to offer. Leslie and I met up with Kelly and immediately ordered a round of hijitos; the food decision took a little bit longer. All the food is priced at $2-5 and they have quite a selection. We finally decided on the $2 bowl of fries, $3 sweet potato spring rolls, $3 bowl of pad thai, $3 noodle-wrapped meatballs and $4 bowl of curry noodles. We were also treated to a complimentary order of edamame. Nice.


While we pride ourselves on our usually cost-efficient happy hour runs, I have to admit that this trip ended up being pricier than most thanks to the $8 price tag on those hijitos...and our decision to each have two. (Hey, we had a hard couple of days and in the words of Leslie "those things are like juice.") Oh well, a little splurge now and again is good for you.

Honeys Heart: Cacao


If you are in the mood for some hot cocoa, we highly recommend Cacao on SW 13th St. Their hot chocolate and drinking chocolate is deliciously rich and they also offer an assortment of solid chocolate bars and handmade chocolates.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Portland Happy Hour: Amalfi's

My grandparents live in NE and have becomes regulars at many of their favorite local restaurants. They introduced me to Amalfi's, an Italian restaurant on NE Fremont. I like to order the tortellini with alfredo sauce, but I'm quite a fan of their meat sauce, shrimp scampi, baked pastas, and pizza. All of their dishes come with a salad (always order with their blue cheese, they make their own and it's SO good), and ice cream at the end, which I am usually too full to eat.

I have gone to Amalfi's many times with my grandparents and they always order a citrus drop, which until 5 months ago I was too young to order. Recently Katie and I decided we needed to try their happy hour, mainly so we could have a citrus drop but also to satisfy the needs of our likely desperate readers, since we haven't blogged in a month.

We arrived around 5 and sat at the bar. We both ordered a Raspberry Citrus Drop ($8) while we reviewed the happy hour food menu.


In order to try a bunch of different things, we decided to order four dishes and share. First we decided on the Penne with meat sauce and Ravioli with creamy pesto, both $3.95. After more deliberation and assistance from the bartenders, we also ordered Bruschetta and Jalapeno Artichoke Dip.


Ultimately we did not need all of this, but managed to eat it regardless. In the interest of saving money and satisfying a desire for desert we shared a Lemon Sorbet Martini ($8) which was lemoncello, peach schnapps, and fresh lemon juice served over a scoop of sorbet in a martini glass.


Both drinks were awesome. I will even go so far as to say the Raspberry Citrus Drop rivaled our fav drink at Mint, the Bella. While the bartender made our second drink, an older couple sitting down the bar from us complimented us on our impeccable drink selection abilities. They had no idea that we are basically happy hour experts, maybe we should make cards to hand out...

In the end, we realized that while the portions of the happy hour dishes are much smaller than the regular meals, two pastas, two drinks, and one other appetizer type dish is plenty for two. Additionally, the bar has a nice atmosphere, and although getting our check took some time, the bartenders were friendly and helpful. I am looking forward to going back, when my lovely grandparents are paying, and drinking more than one citrus drop!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Honeys Heart: Faux-Bachelorette Party

Kelly's getting married!


Ok, not really, but when you're on a budget you gotta get creative. I'm not quite sure who's to blame for this great idea but for a while now we've been talking about throwing a bachelorette party. None of us are engaged or anything but we were pretty sure that bachelorette parties are definitely one of those events that warrants lots of free drinks. Turns out we were right.

In preparation for the big night, I stopped at Fabric World (my new favorite place) for some white tulle and, with the help of an old headband, whipped up a pretty decent looking veil. Of course every frugal girl knows that pre-gaming is a must so we went into greyhound mode and then headed out for our night on the town.

Greek Cuisina was the logical choice for our first stop and we were not disappointed. One look at Kelly's veil and in no time there was ouzo pouring and plates flying. After the ceremonial embarrassments (do you know how to open wide? no? your husband won't like that!) we headed to the bar for our first round but hit a bit of a snag when the bartender informed us that the first thing they learn at bartending school is to be suspicious when a group of girls have ids from all different states. I think what she probably meant was that they teach you to be suspicious when a group of girls who look 14-18 years old try to buy alcohol from you. Whatever, it's not our fault we have good genes. Anyway, after Dena's insistence that the bartender "black light the shit out" of her id, we finally had the bartender convinced that we were actually 21 (22 in some cases!) and were rewarded with the "bachelorette shot."

There was a great dj upstairs and a group of men kindly decided to treat us to a few more drinks so we ended up staying at Greek Cuisina for quite sometime before we decided to make our exit. On our way out, we made a few more friends who proved to be very entertaining. While Kelly was performing all sorts of circus tricks and receiving free tshirts on one end of the table, I was busy playing matchmaker (for myself?) with another couple. I learned that their son Daniel is into modeling and lives in Berkeley. I also learned that I can lie pretty convincingly when under pressure (ugh! I hate Texas! Oh, you're from there? What I meant is I hate Galveston. I love the rest of Texas). I'm pretty sure they were more than a bit tipsy too.

Our walk from Creek Cuisina to the Kels area is a bit hazy for all of us. Luckily we have pictures with random girl, random guy, random thugs, cute-ish firefighters with truck and disgruntled policeman in cop car to help clear things up.

Much to our disappointment, Kels and the like do not let bachelorette parties in for free (at least they don't let intoxicated girls claiming to be getting married in for free) so we headed to Berbati's. As per usual, we made lots of new friends (Dena in particular) and managed to score one final drink before we called it a night.

All in all, the four of us spent a total of $8.29 on veil supplies and two tic tacs (two for one...nice negotiation Kel). Pretty darn frugal if you ask me.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Latin Dancing and Portland Happy Hour: Wild Abandon

Last Friday night the girls (Dena, Leslie, and Katie) and I finally made it to Wild Abandon for happy hour. It is this cute little place at 2411 SE Belmont St (close to SE 25th) that is long and skinny (had it not been cold and rainy there is a cute back patio area) with cute lights and nice waiters. We all ordered off the happy hour menu which included food that started at $2 and went up to $8. We each ordered different dishes and got $2 cheesy garlic bread to share. Yum.

Leslie got the Cavatappi Pasta for $8, which I definitely stole a few bites of. Dena got the $5 Portobello and Veggie Sandwich and a small caesar salad ($3). Also delish. Katie got the Chicken Mazatlan ($5) which was also quite tasty. Next time I want to try the Shrimp Mazatlan. Actually now that I think about it, there are lots of other things I would like to try. Everything that the waiters carried by looked amazing and the entire restaurant just smelled awesome. Finally, I got the Willamette Dream Salad ($5) which is so not like me, I'm not usually a salad getter, but it was really really good. Of course we also got drinks, it wouldn't be a proper happy hour without them! We got Lemon Drops and a Cosmopolitan, all $6 and all really good. If we had more time...and a little thing called money...I think we would have all had at least one more!

So we ate (and drank) up and headed out to our Latin dance class. Yeah, that's right, we decided to take an intro to latin class at The Ballroom Dance Company in Tigard (8900 SW Commercial St.) The classes are usually 5 weeks long with about an hour long class each week, but we decided just to drop in to a beginners class for $9. It was pretty hard! We were definitely the youngest there, with a couple older women and one loud couple (well just the woman). We learned the walking (I guess) technique for the Cha Cha, Rumba, and Samba and we weren't bad, but we weren't the most coordinated. It required a lot of control, hip action, step onto straight leg, settle, straight, settle, toe first, present your inner ankles, knee up but don't take your foot off the ground. Oh and now do it REALLY fast. Yeah, it sounds kind of complicated and it was, we were really sore by the end, experiencing some back pain and a little butt burn. Ultimately it felt good, we definitely worked some previously ignored muscles and had fun laughing at our awesome technique. We'll definitely be back!

But the night wasn't complete with out a stop at Bannings Restaurant and Pie House (11477 SW Pacific Hwy, Tigard) on the way home to reward ourselves with a marionberry pie for a job well done (or at least a good effort).

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Portland Happy Hour: Muu-Muu's

Kelly and I had a rough weekend (she was writing her senior capstone and I was studying for the GRE) so we decided to reward ourselves with happy hour at Wild Abandon. Unfortunately, Wild Abandon is not open on Tuesdays and so we were forced to choose somewhere else at the last minute. We decided on Muu-Muu's on 21st Ave because we stopped there on Kelly's bday back in June and they had delicious spiked strawberry lemonades so we figured the food would probably be good too.

By the time we got there (Leslie came too), we all realized that any sort of alcoholic beverage would make us more sleepy than were already were so the happy hour food menu was no longer an option, though there were some tasty looking choices like spinach and artichoke dip and some different salads for $3 or $4. Apparently Muu-Muus is pretty famous for their unique burgers which they stuff in a baguette with some french fries on top and so at $6.50 a pop off the regular menu, we all decided to put the muu-muu burger to the test.

Well, this is definitely not the type of burger that you can delude yourself into thinking is kind of healthy because it has lettuce and tomatoes on it and it's important to have meat in your diet, right? Yeah, those things are pretty skanky but in the best, most delicious way possible. Plus, if you're a multitasker you're gonna love this because you get to eat your fries and your burger at the same time. Basically, the Muu-Muu Burger is a great choice if you're in the mood for good n' greasy diner food, but their menu was pretty diverse. The inside is quite appealing as well, in a swanky kind of way. Not too shabby...

Monday, September 22, 2008

Grand Central Bowling and Portland Happy Hour: Moloko Plus

Thursday was Katie's 22nd birthday and since we are college students and often have a little thing called homework to do we (our roommates-Dena and Leslie-and ourselves) celebrated Friday with happy hour and bowling. For happy hour we went back to the "Nothing Bar" (Moloko Plus...) but this time we didn't just order infused citrus vodka, we actually looked at their drink menu and ordered cocktails. Dena, Leslie and Katie all got cucumber drinks ($8 for Dena's and $9 for Leslie and Katie's) and I got something with blueberry infused vodka ($8). All very unique, and good. We also ordered off their happy hour food menu, which includes $5 paninis. Of course we ordered the paninis, three salami and one turkey, which were really good and, for only $5, it was a lot of food! Although the prices weren't bad and the food and beverages were quite satisfying, service was really slow! That was only our first time at happy hour there though, so maybe just coincidence.


After happy hour, we went home to prepare for bowling. Katie wanted to wear lacy, frilly socks (kind of like what 5 year old girls wear), but it turns out they don't make those for adults so before we could go out we had sew lace on socks, a skill I apparently don't have (thanks Leslie!!). After putting on our party dresses, drinking an impromptu crystal light and vodka beverage, and hiding our lace socks in our purses for later, we were off to Grand Central Bowling (on Belmont).




We got there around 8:45 pm knowing we'd have to wait a little over an hour for lanes, so we checked in and ordered some party bowl drinks (8 shots, served in a huge bowl, $20). We chose the Long Beach, which involved vodka....good. We met up with some other friends upstairs where there is seating and pool tables. After the birthday girl successfully downed a few shots and a couple drinks (which resulted in an impromptu marriage ceremony...don't ask), our buzzer buzzed and we were bowling! There can be 6 people on a lane but a couple people in our party decided to team up. Given the chance to enter our names in the system, we ended up with Carol (Katie), Alphajoe, That Thang (Leslie and I), Zolton (Dena)...and a few others. I'm not gonna lie, our socks were a big hit, at least we thought they were pretty great and I proceeded to show them to everyone I saw.


Bowling was so fun with all the good drinks, good music, fun big screen TVs at the end of the lanes showing music videos, and the all important nice DJ. Katie and I made friends with him and at one point I may have been heard (regretably) singing Pussycat Dolls into the microphone. Definitely not the most cost-efficient bowling place but then again, you know a place is pretty special when you need a minimum of four people to promise they're sharing a drink before you can even order it....



Monday, September 8, 2008

Portland Happy Hour: Sagittarius - CLOSED

- CLOSED -
Bought out by La Bonita, a mexican restaurant with it's first location on NE Alberta. 

Last year I developed a fascination with this little restaurant called Sagittarius that is located right across the street from our regular sushi place Mio. I must have looked it up on citysearch a dozen times and drove past it a few dozen more before I was finally able to experience the wonder that is Sagittarius. I had high hopes thanks to the rave reviews that seemed to pop up on every search regarding the rosemary mac, and Leslie's 21st bday dinner seemed the perfect occasion to put the mac to the test. Let me tell you, that is about the best $8 dollars I have ever spent. The cheese is velvety and delicious with just the right touch of rosemary and the way it seeps into those mini shell pastas will change your life.

Leslie's bday was over 6 months ago and I still can't get enough of that rosemary mac. On occasion, I'll try to branch out (Kelly is much better at this), but no matter how tasty my sandwich is, there's always part of me that wishes I had just gone with my usual. Really it's that good.

Today Kelly and I introduced our new roommate to Sagitarrius's all-day Monday happy hour and while it may not be the best deal in town, there are some decent discounts. I, of course, went with the happy hour mini mac for $5 which is basically the rosemary mac entre
e minus the salad and bread. Kelly tried the regularly-priced Doomtown chicken sandwich for $8 and Marissa went with the fish and chips for $11. All very tasty. We also practiced some self control (for once?) and didn't order any drinks despite the $3 wells and $1 off specialty cocktails. Gotta save up for Mint you know...

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Portland Happy Hour: Mint/820

Back in January when I first invested in my fake id we decided to make the most of it (for $120 you got to live it up). One of our many traditions became Wednesday night Happy Hour at Mint/820, despite their refusal to acknowledge our status as regulars. There are many wonderful reasons we frequent this place (especially now that we are ALL legal).

First, DELICIOUS drinks. Some of our favorites (all for $6) include the Bella, Gin Cooler, 816, O...well we could probably keep going, but those are our favorites. And after 3 we're really good to go. This "lets get tipsy Wednesday night at Mint" has really been a lifesaver. It really gets us through the week (homework can be a bitch)!

Our second reason for loving Mint is the Sweet Potato fries (or yam fries with mayonnaise dip). Whatever they are, they are delicious and we generally get two orders which usually prompts the waiter to ask "are you sure????" And, yes we are.

Tonight (august 27) was an especially interesting night at Mint. We arrived, ordered our drinks and our fries, the usge. But shortly after, unlike normal Wednesday nights, the waitress came over and told us a guy (Zach) at a table we couldn't even see would like to buy us a round. There were 5 of us, so that is $30 (but 4 of us have boyfriends so that was a bad investment). Anyway, we took our drinks and decided to thank this generous fellow. SO we asked the waitress to send him over, and instead his two friends, both named Jeff -for real- came to chat, then Matt showed up (what?). But Matt left and finally Zach arrived so we could thank him.

Ultimately we chatted it up for a little, acted friendly, thankful, etc. We told their friend Tommy, who was celebrating his 21st, Happy Birthday! (Our friend's birthday was yesterday so they were like bday buddies). Then the best part of the night: Zach warns to his friend (Matt?) "be careful, they're kind of mean" but actually we're not, I guess they just didn't understand our sarcasm. Furthermore, not only do we all have boyfriends, but Katie happens to be a lesbian when she's tipsy so basically strikeout city for those boys...So then Katie kissed me and we declared our relationship official, which Dena adamantly denied (homophobe city...but not really, more like drunk city), so we decided it was time to leave.

So it was a successful Wednesday Happy Hour. We'll have many more this semester and promise to only to tell you about the really interesting ones. Our love for Mint only seems to grow and we recommend it to anyone looking for some delicious drinks, food, and fun place to catch up with friends!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Portland Happy Hour: Casa Del Matador

If you're ever on NW 23rd between the hours of 4 and 6 the happy hour at Casa Del Matador is worth the walk to the north end of the street. If you're ever on 23rd two days in a row...go two days in a row. At least that's what I did recently.

The food is good, big portions, awesome drinks. It is a tequila bar so there are lots of Margarita options. We generally get the house Marg for $6.50, but we would also recommend the Mojito ($7.50). Really you can't go wrong with any of the drinks though.

As far as food, there are select items that are $4 and some that are $5. We like to order the nachos cause you get a lot for your $4. Last time we ordered the nachos, spring rolls, and chicken quesadilla. All $4 and all really good!

It is a great place to go with a big group, but if there's just two of you, one order of nachos will be plenty, or two orders of the other items.

But just keep in mind, hitting on the bus boys is not effective here. In fact, if you do you can count on being thirsty for the rest of the night. Oh, and also not a good place if you're feeling a bit self-conscious (chunky)...Lets just say they don't let the waitresses sample the food.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Portland Happy Hour: Por Que No?

Last night my family was in town so Katie and I took them to por que no?, our favorite Mexican restaurant in Portland. It is a small restaurant on N Mississippi (close to Fremont) with indoor and outdoor seating, and the most delicious food!

The 8 of us arrived and got in line to order before taking our seats. In the 100 degree weather we felt like we were having a very authentic experience. We all ordered margaritas (some ordered the originals, others ordered the pomegranate. Both equally delish...and strong) and tacos. Their tacos are small homemade corn tortillas with a variety of fillings and priced individually. Some of our favorites include the Pollo Verde (chicken with a green sauce-$2.75), Camarones (spicy shrimp with pineapple-$4), and Verduras (vegetable-$2.75). We also recommend their chips with guac and salsa, quesadillas, flautas, bryan's bowl. Actually there is really nothing we wouldn't recommend! So we all sat, sweated, and enjoyed our tasty tacos and drinks while watching parts of the olympics and enjoying the wonderful atmosphere on Mississippi.

We think the prices are pretty great even when it's not happy hour, but for those looking for a deal, food and drink specials run from 3pm-6pm everyday and from 3pm to close on Tuesdays. All tacos are $ .50 off, small margaritas go for $4.50 and larges for $7, and all bottled beers are $2.50.

We took a break to digest and cool down, but then decided we wanted to go out for a drink (well 6 of us at least), so my aunt recommended this small bar also on N Mississippi. She told us it had a great atmosphere, a "real" DJ ("you know with records"), and awesome infused liquor and a back patio. Sounded good, so we asked the name. She couldn't tell us due to the lack of signage, but said we should just look for neon signs and bar noises. Thanks to this description we now call it "the nothing bar", but others may know it as Moloko Plus (formerly the Mississippi Social Club).

We headed back to N Mississippi and were pleasantly surprised by this small bar which was busy even on a Thursday with a pretty young crowd. It did have a real DJ and a variety of infused vodkas, gins, and tequilas. We tried an infused cucumber martini and a citrus martini. The cucumber was much more mellow, and while the citrus wasn't terrible, it was a hard drink with a strong bitterness (perhaps with a citrus peel taste) and vodka burn to it. After getting our drinks at the bar we sat at a table on the patio. It did have a great atmosphere and we plan on returning (though we definitely want to look at their drink menu and try something different). So we don't really know which are the best drinks, prices, etc we'll go back and give a more informative update!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Portland Restaurants and Happy Hours: Thai Assortment

Thanks to my most recent assignment for the magazine, today was our Thai food extravaganza. Nine restaurants in 7 hours...not too shabby.

We started downtown at
Sawasdee Thai, one of the many food carts on 10th and Alder. We didn't sample anything but we were told that their specialty was spicy fried rice and pumpkin curry. (Little did we know that pumpkin curry is quite popular as far as specialties go.) We also came across a cute little dessert cart, Sugar Cube. We definitely need to remember it next time we have a craving for something sweet.

After Sawasdee, we decided it would be an easy walk to E-San Thai Cuisine on the corner of Second and Pine. Unfortunately we walked about 10 blocks before we were informed that we were heading in the wrong direction. By that time our parking meter was about to run out so I hurried back to the car while can Kelly hunted down E-San . We ordered egg rolls that we then enjoyed on the back of my car outside of our next destination, PeemKaew Thai in the Pearl.

We decided to eat lunch at PeemKaew and were happily surprised when we were presented with complimentary spring rolls to go with our pumpkin curry and drunken noodles, which also turned out to be on the house. Thanks Peem Kaew!

After that it was off to Beau Thai Restaurant on 21st (bowtie...tricky), Vege Thai on Hawthorne and Pok Pok on Division. At Pok Pok, they told us that their food is "southeast asian street food" and when I talked to the owner, he was careful to point out that they were not a Thai restaurant but that they should be included in my article on Thai restaurants. Confusing.

After we tackled SE Portland we had two hours until Siam Society would be open. We decided it would be worth the trip to drive a good 25 minutes out to Honey Jar Frozen Yogurt on NE Sandy Blvd just after 138th. You may be wondering why we went to a fro yo place, but they have quite a variety. They not only have fro yo, they have regular ice cream, sandwiches, bagels, croissants, donuts...and a variety of Thai food. Though we didn't actually try any we decided that some day we will (and when we do we'll let you know how it is), but it has a very affordable menu with every item between $6.95 and $7.95.

By then it was time for our final two stops on Alberta, Thai Noon and Siam Society. We planned to get to Siam Society for their happy hour right at 4pm when their website said they open but unfortunately their times changed and we had a half-an-hour to kill before they opened their doors. True to form, we found a great little place that we want to try sometime, a little crepe place called Tour de Crepes.

While our half-an-hour passed by relatively slowly, I have to say, it was worth the wait. The bartender was very knowledgeable and gave us a full rundown of the history of the building and chefs/owners. We ordered Thai Me Up's, thai iced teas with a "generous splash of Stoli vanilla." Not bad, but we could definitely taste the vodka. As far as food, at the recommendation of the bartender, we ordered the pulled pork spring rolls, the vegetarian spring rolls and the sweet potato fries. All were tasty but no sweet potato fries can ever take the place of Mint's (aka 820 on N Russel). The bartender was also kind enough to let us try the Hibiscus Mojito and their award-winning ginger and lime cosmo. We will definitely be back!

Siam Society Happy Hour Ring-Up
2 Thai Me Up's : $16
2 Pulled Pork Spring Rolls: $4
1 Vegetarian Spring Roll: $2
1 Sweet Potato Fries: $3. 50
Total: $25.50 or $12.75 each plus tip