Sweat & Sip: Revocycle & Sisters Coffee Company

What: Revocycle
Where: 1218 NW Marshall St.
Honeys Heart: Challenging, but somehow peaceful cycling

This morning marked a Sweat & Sip first: Kel and I returned for a second round of a class we had already taken. I know, it's a pretty big deal. I mean, we did have a card that gave us five classes for free... so that helped. But also, we really like Revocycle!

What is Revocycle? Well, I would think of it as the complete opposite of Burncycle. In fact, when we told Revocycle owner Michael that we had done Burncycle before, his eyes just about bugged out. The two are based on very different methods of cycling. You'll remember that Burncycle is all about whole body cycling, so you're bopping around to the music, doing pushups on the bike, using hand weights, that sort of thing.

Those type of movements are a big no-no for the Revocycle crowd who believe that it's very dangerous to be doing those things on a unstable base. In Revocycle, you are either sitting down cycling or standing "climbing". That's it.

Revocycle also takes a more yoga or pilates-esque tone as far as instructing. While similar to Burncycle in that the goal is to pedal to the music, at Revocycle, the instructors use a calm voice, often reminding riders to close their eyes and relax their shoulders.

Another unique thing about Revocycle is the kind of bikes that are used. In Burncyle, we used fixed gear bikes, meaning that all you have to do to get the pedals to move around is to make a downward stomping motion and the wheel will help propel your foot around. Revocycle uses freewheel bikes. To get the pedals around on those, you must push the pedal around the entire cycle, which gives you a more full-leg workout.

Since I have a bad back and iffy knees and Kel is fighting a bum achilles, I really like that Revocycle is very mindful about working out in a safe way. And while Kel and I didn't feel as exhausted and sweaty after our Revocycle classes as we did after Burncycle, you are definitely getting a good workout. We both noticed that we felt more energized throughout the day after getting our blood pumping so much in the morning. (Did I mention we've been going to the 6am class? Yeah it's surprising even to us.)

What: Sisters Coffee Company
Where: 1235 NW Marshall St. 
Honeys Heart: Iced Americanos

Sisters Coffee is directly across the street from Revocycle which makes it very convenient to stop by for iced Americanos after class. The coffee is great and I feel like I have the slightest personal connection to the shop after interviewing Sisters Coffee interior designer team Jeff and Jenny Guggenheim and for an About Face profile last year.

Sweat & Sip:

• Burncycle & Pink Rose
• Vega Dance Lab, Water Ave Coffee, & Canteen
• YoYoYogi's Boot(y) Camp & Coopers Hall
   

Portland Restaurant: M.E.C. Mediterranean Exploration Company

What: M.E.C.
Where: 333 NW 13th Ave
When: Wednesday - Sunday 5:30 - 10pm
Honeys Heart: Grilled Octopus Salad 

Mediterranean Exploration Company (MEC) had their soft opening in the Pearl (thanks for the heads up Little Green Pickle!) and of course Katie and I had to go! It was open to the public so we brought a few friends, which turned out to be great since there was so much food to try.

It was busy and we needed to get our bearings so we started by ordering drinks at the bar. I went for the Fez Tassle ($10) with novo fogo silver cachaca, black mission fig, lime, and sugar. Not a bad way to start the night, but not my favorite. The drinks that follow were definitely more my style.

Katie went for a Turkish Delight ($9) which is more our cup of tea with Sobieski vodka, Ceylon tea, lemon, Reagan's orange bitters, and orange blossom water. 

Alex and Adam opted for bourbon, while Brian and Doug went with beer. Nothing exciting to report on their choices, but they all seemed satisfied. 

The samples were coming out in rounds and being randomly set on tables throughout the space, so the six of us found a skinny table by the DJ (DJ Waffle, woot, woot) and waited for someone to notice the slight bit of "hanger" happening in our corner. Hungry and hot are not a good combo for some of our friends. Luckily we had a couple great servers take care of us and we started off with Warm Castelvetrano Olives ($4) and the Fried Calamari ($13) with spicy tomato sauce. Crispy, but not overly breaded. Great start.

Next was Katie's and my favorite dish of the night. The Grilled Octopus Salad ($12) with roasted sweet peppers was perfectly cooked. The sweet and savory combo and texture of the octopus made for an all around satisfying dish. One highlight for me throughout most dishes were the fresh herbs that gave a brightness to the flavors.

While in our DJ corner we also got the Chopped Salad ($8). Simple and refreshing. 

All of the meat dishes were perfectly cooked and the Greek Lamb Chops ($12/$24) were no exception. I recently decided I really love lamb and this confirmed that thought. The oregano, garlic, and lemon garnish were great enhancements. 

While the boys headed to the bar, Adam spotted a table along the window so we lucked out with a place for the group to sit. The opening was a hit and the bar took some time, so while we waited Adam, Katie, and I might have sampled the next couple dishes to be dropped by without waiting for the other boys to come back. These crispy Greek Potatoes ($7) were simple, crispy, and salty. 

Following the potatoes was the Mackerel ($13) with a beet-olive salsa. The fish was crispy and the beets were perfect. Shhhh don't tell though because the rest of the group didn't get any of it. 

Time for drink two. The punch. It was perfect. There was gin, cucumber, and mint involved. Alex ordered it so unfortunately I don't know any more details, but I know I would have it again. 

Now for more food. The Dry Aged Rib Eye ($28) with baharat, red chili, and pine nut butter rivaled the earlier lamb chops. I definitely prefer red meat to chicken (or other winged animal meats) and their preparation hit the spot. The garnish on the dishes complimented but didn't take over the plate (like blue cheese on steaks sometimes can...). 

A new experience for me were the Fried Anchovies ($9) with skordalia and lemon. I was skeptical but these were actually really great and salty, which always scores points with me. 

Okay, so this pan fried cheese and oil was so good. You know how some people always go for the "crunchy edge pieces"? Well this entire thing was the crunchy edge piece.

I know, I know, it's never ending. The Salmon Carpaccio ($14) with arak, dill, and capers was unexpected at this point in our food adventure, but light and delicious. Surely better as a beginning of the night dish.

Yep, that's right, round three of drinks. I went for the Tai Tai ($11) with pueblo viejo silver tequila, combier orange, pistachio orgeat, lime, mint and crushed ice. I was a bit concerned the pistachio flavor would be too much, but I ended up really enjoying this. 

Katie went for the Retsina Spritz ($9) with retsina, lemon, mint, cucumber and soda. Very refreshing and light.

And more food. The MEC Lamb Gyro ($12) was huge and tasty. The $12 price is a bit high when you can get a really fantastic gyro at many a food cart around Portland, but the quality of the ingredients was really great and it would definitely be a satisfying plate for one. 

The Kebab ($7 ea), a combination of beef and lamb was again, delish.

Time for dessert. A Rose Water Panna Cotta ($8) with pistachio caramel led the transition. Sweet and tart, definitely the favorite of the two desserts we tried.

The Triple Nut Biscotti ($15) with '95 Fratelli Grati, Villa Vetrice, Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina was a cute idea, but I'm not a fan of dessert wine, or biscotti typically, so I could have passed on this. The instructions were to soak the biscotti in the wine until is was "sopping," but even then it was just okay.

It may seem impossible, but there were items we didn't try that were definitely on my radar. The grilled Octopus ($15) with piquillo pepper and dill looked amazing and who doesn't love a Beef Bacon Wrapped Date ($2 ea). Reasons to return I suppose.

Keep in mind the food was all complimentary as part of the soft opening and we only paid for drinks. When it's free it's easy to be excited about all the dishes, but at the end of our night we discussed if we would come back on our dime. We collectively decided the flavors and quality were excellent and it would be worth returning. There are reasonably priced items if you're on a budget, but it would also be a great option when parents are in town and treating to dinner!

They haven't announcing their full-time hours or if there will be a happy hour but they begin taking reservations August 1st.

Thanks MEC for an excellent experience!

Sweat & Sip: Burncycle and Pink Rose

Welcome to our new series: Sweat & Sip! It's basically where we go to a fitness class and then drink and eat all the calories we just burned off. Yay for balance!

Seriously though, Kel and I like to eat and drink what we want and we realize that necessitates some exercise here and there. We both run, but now that dance is over for me and Kel's achilles is giving her a hard time, we decided to check out some other fitness options around the city. First up: Burncycle!

What: Burncycle 
Where: 910 NW 10th Ave
Honeys Heart: The friendly and supportive environment

Located in the Pearl right across from Jameson Park, Burncycle is a "whole body cycling" studio. That means that while you're pedaling your little heart out to the latest dance hits, you're also doing various movements with the top half of your body to strengthen your core and your arms (and some other stuff too, I'm sure).

Burncycle's mission is to leave you feeling well-cared for, sweaty, and empowered, and Kel and I definitely felt all those things.

We were in the waiting area for all of two minutes before the owner, Jessi, came over to introduce herself and walk us through the process. She was super sweet and reassured us that beginners have nothing to worry about. She also helped us clip our shoes into the bikes and made sure we had water. Thanks, Jessi!

As far as sweatiness, you burn 500-800 calories per 45-minute class, so yeah, you're gonna be real sweaty. Luckily, Burncyle is kind enough to stock their bathroom with all the necessarily toiletries so Kel and I weren't too disgusting when we showed up at Pink Rose after our class.

But the truly unique thing about Burncyle is their focus on creating "a non-competitive, pressure-free cardio sanctuary." To achieve this, the studio is lit with candles, making it much more difficult to compare yourself to your fellow cyclers. Our instructor was also very positive and while he pushed us to continue challenging ourselves, I never felt like he was judging me for being way behind the cycling pace he was suggesting.

Overall, we had a great experience with Burncycle and I'm almost disappointed that it's our first class of this series because I don't want to try other things now- I just want to cycle!

Two things to keep in mind about Burncyle:

• You must register for classes ahead of time online. Burncycle is super popular and there's usually a wait list for classes, so don't dilly dally about signing up. 
• Bring water! Kelly and I forgot and if Jessi hadn't set us up with water bottles, it would not have been pretty.

What: Pink Rose
Where: 1300 NW Lovejoy
When: Happy Hour 4-7pm Mon-Sat & All Day Tuesday
Honeys Heart: The patio

After our class, Kel and I were more than ready for a drink and some food. We decided to check out Pink Rose since they offer happy hour all night on Tuesdays and have a nice little patio.

Let me just get this out of the way and say the service was atrocious. Some of the worst we've had in quite awhile. But that's the price you pay for sitting on the patio I guess?

Also, there was no rosé on the menu aside from a sparkling moscato. Kel and I are of the belief that if you're going to call yourself Pink Rose, you should probably have a rosé available, just for the sake of honoring your own name. I mean, that makes sense, doesn't it?

Anyway, we started things off with the Boedecker Pinot Blanc ($6) and the Bacon Wrapped Dates ($4), both from the happy hour menu. 

We also shared the Happy Rose Burger ($8) which is topped with swiss cheese, fried onions, and dijon aioli. Pretty tasty!

Overall, it's clear that Pink Rose's draw is the cheap happy hour food and the patio, so stay away if you're expecting something a little more refined service-wise. And don't be afraid to bring your check up to the hostess stand when you're ready to pay. We noticed several other customers doing it too, and it seems the most efficient way to get out of there when you're ready to be done.