North 45 Pub

Venue: North 45 Pub
Location visited: 517 NW 21st Avenue (at Glisan ), Portland, OR 97209
Website: http://www.north45pub.com
To Visit? Beer & Mussel grubbers

             Mussel lovers rejoice! Tucked away among the bars and cafes along the quaint streets of Portland's Alphabet District, lies a pub named after its position on the 45th parallel. North 45 Pub offers some typical bar dishes such as sliders, and calamari, and some not so typical ninja wings ( jumbo sized wings w/ ginger soy dip). Their full bar is impressive ranging from beer to wine from across the world. However, your taste buds will be missing out if left deprived of the mussel dishes that this pub specializes in. The Roasted Garlic and Saffron is the most basic as it gets, cooked in ingredients such as white wine, butter, and of course garlic (the Crispy Pancetta and Roasted Shallots are another good choice).  Each dish is paired with its own seasoned frites and a suggested beer.

        The portions are well sized and packed with flavor. Condiments are available, but they are absolutely unneeded. They also have an enclosed outdoor patio, strung with little lights, making for a relaxed environment for enjoyment with friends, food, and drinks.  The rotating Belgian Beers are highly recommended, and  my personal favorite refreshing drink there is the Sake Pear, which  has actual fresh pear within the drink that is not overwhelmed by the sake taste or smell...could be dangerous :) (It is such a popular alternative drink that on one occasion, the staff told me there was a slight delay as they had run out of pears, and were buying more at that moment!). The sport friendly pub dons jerseys along its walls, and content consumers around their tables. Weekend nights are more packed, but if you're not big with crowds, definitely come during the week for a more quiet get together.

Mojo Crepes

Venue: Mojo Crepes

Location visited: 8409 SE Division Street, Suite A

Portland, OR 97266

Website: http://www.mojocrepes.com

To Visit? Treat yourself.

                          Summer is here! This means that  studies are finally only taking up half of my life.  It also means more time for food adventures :) Beloved followers would recognize in an instant that the above crepe holding character is actually Mojo, been said to be the scientifically gigantasized monkey (tail not pictured), who introduced a wonderful Japanese street vendor style of crepes to our green town of Portland.  Here at Mojo Crepes, one can relax, talk, play a few round of board games, run into friends, and snap a picture for the fan wall. You can do this all while enjoying a tasty dessert crepe made to your liking. Beginners can choose from the pre-made menu basics such as the Mojo (strawberries, bannana, and nutella), Sweet Lemon (lemon, sugar, butter), or Tokyo Sundae (sweet red bean paste, mangos, and matcha sauce). These delicious desserts can be ordered with ice cream, and then wrapped up in hand rolled cones, topped with a pocky stick. Adventurous eaters may mix match their own combos or try other combos frequently innovated by the folks who run the place and their loyal fans.  Just want something chill for the weather? Try the newly added Mojo Ice (Taiwanese Shaved Ice) on the menu with toppings sure to bring out the kid inside ( I'm talking Captain Crunch and Crushed Oreos). So before you head out on your summer adventures, don on some shades, slather the sunblock, and grab some crepes with Mojo!