Katie Comes to Portland!

Posted by Kelly

Katie and I are good at a lot of things, but one thing we excel at, especially when together, is eating and drinking. Katie came to Portland the first weekend in May for her sister's graduation, but I like to pretend it was all about visiting me! It was so great to have her here and fun to hit up some of our old favorites. Here is a recap of our weekend of eating and drinking (after I picked Katie up from the airport.) We had limited time so we had to make the most of it...

Friday Night

Thai Ginger: Yellow Curry please...

Greyhounds: Best pre-night out drink ever (see recipe below)

Vault: Get the Gluttony (Smirnoff Citrus Vodka, rasberry puree, fresh lime juice) and work the crowd, which is usually slightly older. This place is hit or miss, but in college we started some incredible nights here. This night in particular involved a child actor, dares, and one of the tastiest Gimlets I've ever had.

(child actor in the middle...appearances in Malcom in the Middle, 

Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Nash Bridges, and more...)

Candy: I wouldn't recommend going here unless you've had as many drinks as we had. It wasn't all bad because we danced and bothered the dj, but we weren't impress with the crowd, atmosphere, or horrible red "skittle" drink the bartender made us when we asked for something "delicious." I can't totally dislike this place though because the computers at the tables (and Adam) is the reason I got the job I have now!

Saturday Morning

Kettleman Bagels: If you love bagels, you love Kettleman's. If you hate hangovers, you love Kettleman's. It always hits the spot! I will discuss how much Honey's Heart bagels in a future post.

Sunday Night

Amalfi's (with Katie's fam): I frequent this place with my Mimi and Papa, but it's always fun to go with a different crowd. Really tasty pasta and the BEST BEST BEST blue cheese salad dressing. They make their own and it's garlicky, delicious. Katie and I ordered Citrus Drop's while her mom opted for the Raspberry Citrus Drop. Either way you win!

Mint: We walked in the door to an empty room and the waitress telling us they were actually closing for the night (heads up: they no longer have all night happy hour Sundays) but Katie and I both made the most pathetic whimper noise ever and the waitress felt bad enough to let us get one drink (thank you Mint/820!!) The Bella was amazing and the perfect last drink for a fun, but quick, visit.

(this is an old pic, we din't have sweet potato fries after our pasta, but we highly recommend them!!)

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!