Portland in 14 hours

I took a very quick trip up to Portland... 14 hours there to be exact! The highlight of the trip was my visit to Clyde Common restaurant in the Pearl District in downtown Portland. The place is very "clean", but not cold. It has a DIY vibe, but is very polished and professional at the same time. I especially loved the community table where parties were sat all together. We talked to our table mate about what they were eating and what was the best choices.

What I ordered was a monk fish over wilted greens as my main. It was very fresh and very tender and tasty. I had a corn chowder soup as a starter that rocked my world. Super-creamy and very flavorful. I have to say that my drink was the highlight though. I had a whiskey sour made with with Makers Mark. The sweet and sour was sublime. It danced on my tongue with it bold balance of sweet and tart. I had like 3 of them, so that may be why my impressions of the meal are a bit blurry.

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Clyde Common

1014 SW Stark St
Portland, OR 97205
Phone: (503) 228-3333
Website

Maui Wowie... a wrapup

I went to Maui this spring with the whole family (plus parents and in-laws). Fun was most definitely had by all. We had perfect weather and family "tensions".

Our stay was in Kahana, north of Kaanapali, in the very family friendly Kahana Sunset condos. These condos are mostly 2 BR 2BA units, all with ocean views. They have 2 Lanai and semi-covered parking. Also each unit has washer and driers. The complex is very well maintained with a pool, gardens, and a private beach that is very sandy and kid-friendly.

Just around the corner from the complex is the Napili Shopping center with groceries, etc.

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Kahana Sunset
1-800-669-1488






A great meal we had was at Kimo's in Lahaina. It is right on the water and very cool. It gets very crowded early, so make reservations. The food is good, not great, but good. It's the authentic Maui style scene that gets kudos from me. What's not to love about dinning at the waters edge with tiki torches lighting the palm trees. Love it!

I found the ahi tuna sashimi to be very fresh and delish. The meal ended with their famous Hula Pia. It's ice cream, oreo cookie crust, whip cream, fudge indulgence. mmmmmm...

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Kimo's
845 Front St # A
Lahaina, HI 96761
(808) 667-5466






Can life get any better than finding this little piece of heaven? The whole clan (8 of us) were driving to Hana when we saw a bunch of cars parked just off the road. We were feeling a bit tired of the twisting turning road to Hana, so we pulled over to find out just what the deal was.

It turns out it is the locally famous Julia's Banana bread shack. And I do mean shack. It's in the middle of nowhere, but in my opinion, serves the best banana bread on the earth. It is served warm (my mouth is watering just thinking back). We ate what must have been 5 lbs of it before we even got back on the road. I wish I knew the exact location of it on the highway, but you won't miss it by the amount of cars parked near it.

Helpful note: buy extra! You will want more when you get back from the trip, and nothing else will even come close to the taste.

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Julia's Best Banana Bread Shack
On the road the Hana

Holy Grill!

I have been meaning to try this joint for some time now. I went for lunch today, and surprised... surprised good AND bad.

First the Good:

1. Interior is clean and inviting.
2. Prices are OK, not cheap, but OK.
3. The meat and condiments are top notch quality.
4. The fries are very very good! Totally like home made.

Now the Bad:

1. Not a lot of seating inside (so may not be able to eat there).
2. The bun is a disaster. It's the yellowest egg roll that I have ever laid eyes on. It is too firm and cakey, and has too much flavor (if that makes any sense).

Anyway, I will most likely go back, but my bring my own bun next time.



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Holy Grill
659 Townsend St
(between 7th St & 8th St)
San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 431-4659

www.holygrillsf.com

Some of My Lists.

Here is a very cool site: OnMyList.com.

It is my newest time waster. Enjoy.

Off We Go!

This blog will cover travel and everything that goes along with it (food, planes, fun, entertainment, etc.)

I will be going to Sydney in 4 weeks. This will be a great place to start. In the meantime, I will take a stab at some of the places I am going to here in San Francisco.

Let's start out with what i consider the Best Happy Hours in San Francisco.