Thursday, November 16, 2017

Portland Brunch: HunnyMilk + Tōv Coffee & Tea

What: HunnyMilk
Where: 40 NE 28th Ave (in what's usually La Buca) 
When: Saturdays & Sundays, 9am-2pm
Honeys Heart: The concept

We've been on a bit of a brunch kick lately with our latest weekend indulgences including a celebratory bday brunch for our friend Amanda at HunnyMilk two weeks ago and a rainy visit to at Fried Egg I'm in Love food cart and TOV coffee bus last weekend.

Amanda's bday brunch was my second time at HunnyMilk, and while we did beat a potential hours-long wait (a major sticking point of my first visit) by arriving right when they opened at 9am, I still left our brunch wishing I liked HunnyMilk more.

I think the main problem is that the concept itself is really great, so when the execution falls short, it's more disappointing. Let's discuss some of the issues:

The Food
Great Idea!: The tricky part about brunch is deciding whether you're going to go savory or sweet. HunnyMilk solves that problem by letting you choose one item off their savory menu and one off their sweet so you get the best of both worlds.
  • Sample Savory Item: Brunchy Quesadilla with smoked bacon, red bells and pepper jack scramble, re-fried bean fritter, sour cream and sun dried tomato
  • Sample Sweet Item: Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Waffle dipped in honey butter with cranberry-mango compote, astronaut strawberries and graham cracker almond crumble

Meh Execution: At both my visits, the savory items were the clear winners on the tray. The sweet items were just way, way too sugary and over-the-top. It's still the morning, after all, and this is brunch, not dessert! You also get so much food, with each item portioned as if it weren't sharing the plate with your other pick. We would have been plenty with a full portion of the savory item and half of the sweet.

The Price
Great Idea!: The fixed price includes a savory item, sweet item, and a drink. You can upgrade your drink for a few bucks to make it boozy.


Meh Execution: HunnyMilk's fixed priced increased from $20 to $22 at some point and you're paying $5 for the champagne they add to your orange juice... so now we're talking $27 per person, which is definitely on the higher side for brunch in Portland. It's true that you get a ton of food for the price, but I would rather pay less and not leave so much food on the plate. Plus, you have to pay more if you want two savory items - and the savory items are the good items!

The Space
Great Idea!: HunnyMilk is a weekend-only pop-up held in a restaurant that doesn't serve lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. It's a smart way to use an existing space.


Meh Execution: The food trays and the custom coloring sheets are pretty cute, but La Buca itself, where HunnyMilk is held, is pretty low on the Portland restaurant interior design scale. I think that brunch at a place that calls itself HunnyMilk should be twee to the max, and twee La Buca is not. And those outdoor Costco bistro lights hanging randomly from the ceiling... just, no.

So that's HunnyMilk. Now let's talk about a place that I am now obsessed with.

What: Tōv Coffee & Tea
Where: SE 32nd & Hawthorne
When: 7:30am-5pm everyday
Honeys Heart: All of it 


Tōv coffee bus is located right next to Fried Egg and it is the most Portland. We are talking:
  • Red double-decker bus with makeshift 2nd-story tenting
  • Turkish/Egyptian coffee shop-inspired interior with all purple everything
  • Friendly baristas with handlebar mustaches 
  • Egyptian coffee and tea and traditional espresso beverages plus Tōv's original creations

I ordered the Cardamom Caramel Latte and it was probably the most delicious latte I've ever had. So tasty with just the right amount of sweet (are you listening, HunnyMilk? Sometimes less is more with the sugar). 


Kel took a chance and ordered the Charcoal and Cream Latte which, while understandably slightly grainy, was also super delicious and maybe even good for the ol' stomach. 

Basically, Tōv is now at the top of my list for coffee anytime I'm in SE and you can bet I'm going to take our next round of visitors there for a quirky Portland coffee experience

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Portland Brunch: Trinket

What: Trinket
Where: 2045 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd
When: 8am - 3:30pm
Honeys Heart: Cute and no wait (when you go late)!


I am very proud of Doug in that he has finally given up his dream of moving to Seattle and has very much embraced being a Portlander (I am the BEST, MOST supportive wife).

However, there is one vital part of the quintessiantal Portland hipster lifestyle that he refuses to get on board with: brunch.

I know! It is appalling.

His argument against going to brunch is that he can make just as good of food at home (probably true) and he doesn't have to wait hours for it (definitely true).

I haven't had the heart to tell him that a big part of the brunch appeal is the drinking part, which just doesn't feel as acceptable at 9am in your own home as it does when you're at an adorable restaurant, but I'm sure he'll figure it out someday.

That said, I somehow conned him into brunch twice in the month of October. Bahahaha.

The two of us stopped by my favorite brunch spot, Sweedeedee, where I very mistakenly veered from my usual order (BLT or whatever version is on the menu that day) in favor of the Sweedeedee breakfast plate. We are now required to return soon so I can rectify my mistake (even though the plate was mostly good).

Our second brunch outing was with Kel at Trinket, a small spot in SE that I found via Eater's brunch map.

We kicked things off with cocktails (obviously). Doug had the Bloody Mary which was very good and Kel and I had the Rosé Spritz which was not.


To eat, Doug tried the Duck Egg Breakfast Sandwich and a side of Grits which he enjoyed.


Kel and I split the Huevos al Pastor with pineapple-braised pork, corn tortillas, fried eggs, and avocado and the Hash of the Day.


My morning brain had not registered that I was ordering Huevos al Pastor, not Huevos Rancheros (my usual brunch choice), but it was nice to switch things up with some pulled pork. The hash was tasty if not overly memorable.


Probably the best thing about Trinket was that we got the cute brunch vibe we were going for without any wait at all. This could have been because we didn't get there until 2pm... but we'll take it. (And seriously don't get Doug started about whether or not that means we were at brunch or lunch. Spoiler alert, he would say we were at lunch. So much less fun!)

I think if Trinket were closer to us, it would be a great, reliable brunch option but I can't say that it warrants the 30-minute drive there for us. If you're closer though, you should definitely check it out!

And stay tuned for more hhh brunch coverage as we also stopped by Hunnymilk recently. Poor Doug!

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Spring/Summer Travels 2017

Here's the thing about travel posts: I like to write them but they're probably pretty boring to read. And unlike solicited travel advice that you MIGHT take into account, I understand that my unsolicited travel recs are even less likely to be of interest to the average reader.

Also, this post is now incredibly untimely since it's already November.

But sorry. This is basically the only way I remember where I went and what I ate and drank there, so this post is happening.






Let's do this.

Spring/Summer Travels 2017:

Las Vegas, NV
Occasion: Dance team ish
Travel Partners: Doug & Anna (& the dance team)
HHH Approved:
- Happy hour at Bardot Brasserie in the Aria (everyday from 5:30-7pm)
- Boozy milkshakes at Milk Bar in the Cosmo
- In-n-Out (delicious and can't beat those prices on The Strip)


Oakland, CA
Occasion: To visit Lauren
Travel Partners: Lauren & Nicole
HHH Approved: 
- Pale ales & ping pong at Lost & Found Beer Garden


Nashville, TN
Occasion: Work conference
Travel Partners: My mom
HHH Approved: 
- Mushroom tacos and margs at Bar Taco 
- For other recs, check out this post cuz we went to all the same places


San Diego, CA
Occasion: Doug's 30th Birthday
Travel Partners: Doug, Sarah & Chris
HHH Approved: 
- Tiki drinks at False Idol (opened by a former member of the Hale Pele team)
- The beers at North Park Beer Co. were decent but we were really all about Mastiff's sausages.
- Modern Times is always a must (except we're mad at them cuz they're taking over The Commons)


Portland, ME
Occasion: Annual Boston girls reunion
Travel Partners: Shannon, Anna & Erica
HHH Approved: 
- Scandinavian snacks & craft cocktails at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club
- I like donuts and I like potatoes so I was very into The Holy Donut's potato donuts
- Blyth & Burrows has a back bar behind a swinging bookcase, so obvs into that too


San Francisco, CA
Occasion: Work event
Travel Partners: Kel
HHH Approved: 
- We loved the laidback vibe, tiki drinks, and delicious Thai dishes at Hawker Fare
- The gin tonics are as big as your head at Bellota - and there are 3 different versions to try!
- The Saloon claims to be SF's oldest bar and it's a great option for Sunday night dance parties


Minneapolis, MN
Occasion: Summer trip
Travel Partners: Doug
HHH Approved: 
- All about the wood-fired eats (and free kitchen entertainment) at Young Joni
- Surley Brewing Co. might be the only MN brewery that makes a decent IPA; great beer garden too
-  It's hard to find, but we loved the speakeasy vibe of Volstad's Emporium
-  Fun, creative flavors at Milk Jam Creamery and can't beat soft serve + cookie dough at MN Nice Cream


Bend, OR
Occasion: Visit Parentals
Travel Partners: Doug
HHH Approved: 
- Bend is a beer town, but Barrel Thief does cocktails right
- Chow is always packed for a reason. Go on a weekday right when it opens if possible.
- It wouldn't be a trip to Bend without an ocean roll at Sparrow Bakery
- Barrio is our go-to special occasion spot in Bend



Olympia, WA
Occasion: Girls Weekend
Travel Partners: Kel, Jenna & Shelby
HHH Approved: 
- Most of the cute places on our list were closed for Labor Day, but not Olympia Oyster Bar!


Okay, now I miss summer. Bye!