Oregon adventures continued: McMinnville

Yes, we are still sorting through photos from this spring, including our spring break getaway to Oregon.  I keep telling myself to move on to other blog topics, but there are so many great memories and things to share about our finds from that trip.

Near the top of the list was McMinnville, Oregon.  My favorite "small world moment" from this year happened at Community Plate in historic downtown McMinnville.

First, you should know that I love this place for a thousand reasons.  I won't name them all, but here are a few...it has an open kitchen and I am insanely curious about how food is prepared and am fascinated in thinking about how so much food is prepared so quickly.  The space is this cool, historic building with open storage and vintage decor.  Check out their website to get a feel for it.  The seating is a mix of large community-style seating and some smaller tables, too. 

Now, the small world moment.  We were ordering and the person at the counter asked if my Wildcats shirt was for Northwestern.  And, I said no, it was for K-State where I went to school and work.  He's says that he went to school there, too.  So, naturally, I geek out...trying to do so quickly because of the line behind us.  I ask him where he grew up and he says he went to high school in the same county where I grew up.  Get out!  He's much younger than me, so we didn't know anyone in common, but what are the odds that on the other side of the country, I would meet someone from my same home county.

Other than the chance meeting, you should also know the food was out of this world.  We also bought some granola to take home with us and it was fantastic, too.  Super huge fans of locally owned, great food making, community supporting, and kind people sort of places - this place had it all.  It had a similar vibe to Biscuithead in Asheville, another of our favorite places.

We stayed at Hotel Oregon, a McMenamins' property. You might remember that we want to be the McMenamins when we grow up - the two brothers that renovate historic properties and turn them into great places that honor the past and create a place where people can dine or stay and just enjoy themselves.  This was a great stop. The bar downstairs had awesome food and enough tv's to get our March Madness fix.  We skipped the rooftop bar because it was kind of chilly.

Our room was pretty spectacular.

Price wise, it was comparable to what we would have paid at a mid-tier chain hotel, but this place had tons of character.  The walls had quotes and notes about the history of the property and the bed was really beautiful.  I loved the old sink in our room and all of the character throughout.

We really want to return to get the full experience of the town.  We were there midweek and kind of "off season," so many places were closed.  And, we are freakishly early risers, even on vacation and factor in the time difference and we were always up at the crack of dawn.

A little vacation does the heart good

Here is a sneak peak at our vacation to Asheville, NC.  We took some time to get away and in a longer post, we can explain why Asheville and why this time of year.

Until then, you should know that we climbed on some high things and zip lined all around a repurposed golf course.  It was completely safe and a serious amount of fun.

A few vacations ago, I learned that the best vacation agendas had to include something outdoor and adventure related - the more active, the better.  Too much history or touring or sitting (even on a pristine beach) equaled a stir crazy husband.

The best vacations (for us) also include some...

 Vintage shopping.  Preferably in places with central air or heat set to a comfortable temperature.  But, hey, if you have the chance to go through a 77,000 square foot vintage store and it doesn't have heat and it's a cold, rainy day, you go anyway.

Great food - preferably local and preferably delicious.  We have found several great local places and found some great tasting southern classics - like pulled pork, fried okra and collard greens.  We may or may not have had pulled pork in two different dishes for breakfast two days in a row.

 

Learn some stuff.  This trip, it was glass blowing.  Don't I look like a boss in those safety glasses?  I was actually super nervous until we got started and our glass blowing expert was super cool and put me at ease. We pick up our vase and cup today.  Can't wait to see how we did.

 For this time of year - getting into the holiday spirit.  Nothing gets you ready for the holidays more than touring America's largest home - The Biltmore - all decked out in lights and trees and garland and full of live choirs and musicians.  Simply beautiful.

Photos - lot of photos.  Even out of car windows.  Sometimes not in focus.  Sometimes on our phones or with the actual camera.  We don't care...we just want to remember.

So, more soon - just wanted to offer a little teaser about our fun times in Asheville.

Plant geek: urban garden at O'Hare

 We accidentally learned that the Chicago O'Hare airport has an urban garden.  Located in terminal G, it is tucked away on a second floor balcony.

On our flight into Chicago, I noticed the sign and made a mental note to check it out when we returned to the airport for our flight home.  We luckily had a few extra minutes to spare and I was able to take a closer look.

Even if you are not a plant geek, you should venture to this area if you are in terminal G.  The seating in this area seems to be the most comfortable and convenient (i.e. access to tables and outlets).  There were few people using the area when I visited and it seemed like the perfect spot to knock out some work while you wait for your flight.

And, even if you are not a card carrying plant geek, you still might get a little jazzed to see this set up.  The growing towers that hold the plants appear to be made of PVC pipe and there is a sophisticated system to provide light, water and nutrients to the plants.  It is really fascinating to see all of the different plants that fit into the relatively small foot print of the growing area.

 The panels that provide information about the garden explain that some of the airport restaurants use the herbs, greens, edible flowers, and tomatoes grown here.

 The growing towers remind me of an exhibit I saw at Disney Epcot several years ago - futuristic and high tech!

 Remember terminal G at O'Hare...check it out during your next flight through Chicago.

Plant geek: garden frames

 We found something really interesting in the landscaping along Michigan Avenue during our trip to Chicago.  One block featured these repurposed frames, painted in awesome vibrant colors, providing accents among the plants.

We walked by them several times and I finally had to take some pictures to be sure to remember how much I liked this idea.

We sometimes run across castoff frames and with a little paint and some help from my husband to install some stakes, I think we could try this in some sections of the yard.

What do you think?  Could this work in a Kansas garden?

Chicago food recommendations

 I have been working on this post in my mind since we returned from Chicago.  One of our favorite aspects of the city is deciding where to eat...there are so many great choices!  During our last visit, we ate some great food at a combination of new and tried and true places.

My top two new finds:

1.  Firecakes is a donut shop in the River North area of Chicago.  We stumbled on it after we enjoyed some great BBQ at a place just around the corner.  (See number two.)  I had a maple glazed pineapple and bacon cute little donut.  My husband tried the giant vanilla iced donut.  Both of us loved our choices.

 Plus, their shop was in this cute little building that I loved - very simple...just what you need for a little donut shop.  Everything was just so little and cute, except that giant vanilla donut that put my husband in sugar shock.

2.  Bub City was a spontaneous lunch selection that was so good, we went back again for lunch the next day!  We enjoyed great BBQ, some good beer, and loved the atmosphere.  We also learned that they were one of the sponsors and vendors at the Windy City Smokeout.  We tried desperately to buy a couple of the t-shirts because we loved the pig and guitar sign, but they wouldn't sell until the festival was over and we were leaving town. 

Plus, who doesn't love a place that parks a giant classic car out front with cattle horns on the hood?

Our tried and true favorites

1.  Quartino is always at the top of our list.  We may or may not order most of the menu when we visit.  The food is amazing - regional Italian, affordable wines.  We love so much of the menu!  I am also a big fan of the decor - vintage, old school everywhere.  They bring the food as it is ready and encourage sharing.  You also have to use the bathrooms here; they are super cool.  Eat outside if you can.  I love to eat outside in the city to people watch and to take in the traffic and the noise.  My husband is game, but only if the temperatures are right.  If it is too hot, he prefers an indoor seat.  Quartino's sidewalk seating and their new balcony are just right for dining outdoors.

2.  Flaco's Tacos now has three locations - Water Tower, Printers Row and Wrigleyville.  We ate at two of the three locations during this trip.  We love their wonderful food (always delicious) and their great prices.  Again, we may or may not have ordered everything on the menu at some point or another.  We love it all.

3.  Portillo's Hot Dogs is the place where we check one of our classic Chicago foods off of the list - the Chicago Dog.  This stop is usually a quick and inexpensive lunch.

During other visits, we definitely make sure we enjoy some deep dish pizza and an Italian beef sandwich.  We just didn't work these into our plan this time around.

When we visit the city, we do a lot of walking.  We take the train into the city from the airport and walk everywhere with a few exceptions when we think a cab may be safer or when we are near complete exhaustion.  All of the walking helps balance out all of the eating!

Napa Valley adventures: The Farmstead

 I am slowly catching up and remembering great details about our trip to California over spring break in March.  While I was running on the treadmill last night, I ran through our photos and decided to share more about one of our restaurant finds.

The Farmstead restaurant at Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena was easily one of the best meals of the trip.  The food was delicious and the atmosphere was casual and fun.

One of the first things we spotted when we pulled into the drive was this beautiful green Ford.  We felt at home already.

We also loved that there was so much to do at one stop - a great restaurant with delicious food, olive oil and wine tastings, and educational activities, a farmers market and more that were not happening that afternoon, but were part of the offerings.

 The beautiful white farmhouse had the olive oil and wine tasting room, along with a little retails space.

 I really loved the use of the galvanized water tanks for planters near the restaurant entrance.

 It was cool and rainy, so we couldn't dine in the outdoor area.  I loved the overhead lights and the great fireplace!  The bar stools are also some of my favorite style.

 The interior had some vintage farm equipment and those great teal green metal chairs.  I would take a whole set of those chairs in a heartbeat.  I also loved the cow head hung high on the wall.

Near the front of house area, the open kitchen sits as a backdrop.  It was a very, very cool place.  And, the food...wonderful!  There point of view is a true farm to table experience.  They also don't have a large corkage fee, instead charging a very modest $2 per bottle which they donate to a local non-profit.  We noticed that the corkage fee when we were visiting went to the local FFA chapter.

A perfect Saturday...basketball, junking and chocolate!

 We enjoyed a beautiful Saturday.  The weather was gorgeous - around 60 degrees in January in Kansas.  We had a great day planned - watching basketball games for two of our nieces, shopping for unique finds and chocolate, and hanging out with family.  And, to top it off, it was the start of a three day weekend.

The basketball games were great.  Both of my nieces' teams came  up short in terms of a win, but both girls played hard and we really enjoyed watching them play.

My oldest niece played in the same auditorium where I played my high school league tournaments.  Being back in that place and watching basketball made me feel really nostalgic.  And, apparently, protective of my niece.  Her assistant coach should never yell that she needs more out of her when she is playing her butt off.  I may or may not have yelled back at her, "What did you say?"

After the first game, we had a short break before my other niece's game and we decided to take in some stores downtown.  My husband earned the eagle eyes award for the day by spotting a cute little store on the corner.  He insisted that it looked like a place I would like, so we found a parking spot and walked back up the block.  He was right!

Studio 11 is everything they promise on their website - they "make junk look good," offer a wide variety of "funky, junky, recycled, and handmade things", a great atmosphere (the historic building is awesome!), and friendly customer service.

The sign in front of the store promises Pinterest classes.  Doesn't that sound like fun?! You can follow all of their boards on Pinterest.

Their door has a sign that says, "Push it, push it real good."   I always laugh when I see that on a shop door.  This sign was indication that I would like the vibe. 

Our finds included these two awesome bowling pins.  They are lovely with chippy paint and great color.  We had always looked at vintage bowling pins and finally made the purchase.  I also grabbed some of their 'keep it junky' stickers to share with friends who are just as crazy about vintage and handmade.

Our other find was these great pendants.  One side says, "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible."

And, the back is this beautiful floral.

This one says, "starlet."

And, the other side has a cute little bird.  This color of blue is one of my favorites.

We bought one for my mom, too.  Hers says, "Gram."  The staff was really great about shortening a chain to just the right length for my mom.

It is safe to say that if Emporia was a little closer, I would be spending a lot of time and money at Studio 11.

Our next stop was the Sweet Granada.  I have blogged about this great store before from quick stops this fall and last fall.

 Even though the day was unseasonably warm, the sign in the front window promised that some chocolate would chase away winter blues.

And, this stuff does the trick!  The Pop Choc is delicious and the perfect balance of sweet and salty.  We also bought a selection of other items from the case and some of their homemade fudge.

 My husband was a good sport to go shopping.  I think the chocolate helped. 

 And, my mom was a good sport to pose in a picture with me, even though she didn't want to be in front of the camera.

We had an awesome day.  We even made it home in time to knock out some of our backlog of outside chores that we save for warm weather.

Chicago adventures: Toni Patisserie and Cafe

 We are of the belief that there is no shortage of exceptional places to eat in Chicago.  When we visit our favorite city, we try to balance our intense desire to go back to tried and true places that we love and to adventure out and discover new places.

On our most recent trip, we had a quick 36 hours to fit in a concert, some shopping, taking in a few seasonal sights, and eating amazing food.  We did pretty well on all accounts, including finding a new culinary treasure for our favorites list.

On Saturday morning, we wanted to find a breakfast spot - something local and unusual.  We took off in The Loop with our sights set on seeing the wreaths on the lions at The Art Institute and finding breakfast along the way.

We are early risers, so we found a lot of places that were still closed.  We looked down a side street and saw this promising looking bakery - Toni Patisserie and Cafe.  It was open, had a nice crowd, and the window display was impressive.  We decided to give it a try.

The place was simply charming.  The menu featured a good selection of breakfast items and the cafe lunch menu looked equally as good.  The bakery items were out of this world - really beautiful and elegant!

I loved the bistro tables and the giant menu chalk boards above the counter. This is a place where I could bring a book and spend all day.

The building itself has character, including a vintage revolving door and beautiful display windows.  In the first photo in this post, you might notice a cool seasonal decorating idea.  The display had medium sized pine cones on candle sticks mixed in with the display of baked goods... I loved this look and want to incorporate in on a holiday table.

Along the wall near our table, there was a photo collage that was very well done.  I loved how the top of the frames in the top row were at the same height, as was the bottom of the bottom row of frames.  I kept wondering how they got everything to line up so well and imagined us trying to get the same results at home.  Mixed in with the framed photos were vintage hand mirrors - a beautiful change of pace from the linear frames. 

And, take a look at that display cake!

 I really loved our table marker - the French alphabet card was cute, casual and classy.

We will certainly add this to our list of stops for our next trip!

Kansas adventures: Emporia

 My travels took me to Olpe, Kansas for work yesterday.  After an early morning drive that started with dense fog, I was treated to a beautiful sunrise.  It was one of those classic slow sunrises where it seems like mother nature has the sky on a dimmer switch.  It slowly became light and then the sun was up, as if by magic.  It was a blessing to drive out of the fog before reaching the Flint Hills with the road that winds and curves.

I was early enough to stop and grab a quick smoothie at The Granada Coffee Company.  This was a new stop for me and a delightful place.  The barista was super friendly and knew all of the locals by name.

My drive included seeing this historic bridge over the Cottonwood River on the south side of Emporia.  I learned later that the mini-water fall is over Soden's mill dam and the bridge is the 1923 Marsh Arch Bridge.

The Kansas history nerd in my loves this, especially with the fall foliage still hanging on and providing color in the background.

 Taking a moment to soak in the view and snap a couple of pictures was a great break.

 I cannot drive through Emporia and not stop at The Sweet Granada!  This gem serves up delicious chocolate treats in a beautiful building.

 The Pop-Choc came highly recommended by a high schooler in my presentation.  She works at the store and told me it was their best seller.  This is a delicious snack and may be at the top of my list.

 I loved this seasonal display!

 The Powercat treats were hard to resist and made me feel right at home.

 The case is full of every type of chocolate dipped confection you could imagine.  I picked up some of my husband's favorites - chocolate dipped graham crackers. 

Everything about this place is cute and the treats are delicious. I won't even talk about the fudge options - seasonal pumpkin pie.  Love.