After nearly seven months that went by way quicker than I’d even realized, I find myself back in Portland, Oregon.
In the five days I’ve been here I’ve found that the weather is even more beautiful than I’d hoped, the beer is even better than I remember, and having a flexible lifestyle in the States is going to be even more enjoyable than I’d imagined.
Over the past three days I’ve done something that I haven’t done in, well, I can’t remember how long.  I’ve been completely shut off from the internet …

I will apologize in advance, this post is a little more personal, as I have found myself doing a lot of reflecting this weekend.  On Sunday I turned a quarter of a century old, and today marks the day that I’ve been traveling for three months.  So if this doesn’t interest you at all, feel free to move on, and I will have something more relevant for you later this week!
Today I’m able to officially cross #44 off my Bucket List: Travel for 3 Months Straight.  While I may not …

Well I did it.  I joined the legions of car-less Portlandians, who despite their predisposition to motorless travel, still shun umbrellas during the dreariest months of the year.
Sure, in the next 6 weeks I would have been trading in my car for a tuk tuk anyways, but it will certainly be a test for me to go this long with only my two feet for travel.
If you have been following my journey, you know that I have been talking about and advocating for selling your car for months.  The benefits …

This week we are featuring another fantastic off-the-beaten-track happy hour.  The place is called Le Happy.  Located under the 405 next to Slabtown on NW 16th and Marshall, you would never guess the joys that await you inside this crepe oasis.
Le Happy features a wide variety of savory and sweet crepes, that are some of the best I have ever had.  Second best to be exact (the crepes at Chez Michou in Buzios, Brazil take the top prize).  But these are fantastic nonetheless.  During their happy hour from 5-7 you …

Located on a random street corner in NW Portland, Cafe Nell may very be one of the best kept secrets in Portland.  Last week I decided to go here on a bit of a whim, after driving by and getting curious.  It used to be a completely ivy covered building that housed Hurley’s restaurant.  Well now Hurley’s and the ivy is gone, and what is left is one of the best happy hours in Portland.
One of the first things you notice when you walk in is the chalkboard by the …

Since their August 2008 opening, I have heard nothing but good things about 50plates (a play on “50 states”).  This past week I was finally able to head down to the Pearl District to check it out, and was treated to one of the more unique restaurants I have been to in awhile.  I do need to preface this with the fact that I did not actually attend happy hour.  However, I felt ok making this the H.H.O.T.W. because it has some great food, and the dinner prices are nowhere …

Alright, it was only a matter of time before I wrote about an old favorite of mine, the Rock Bottom Brewery.  Maybe it is just the fact that they are located accross the street from my office, but I have probably been to happy hour here, more than any other bar in Portland.
So what makes it so good (aside from its close proximity to me)?  Well lets see, for starters they have some fantastic beer.  I almost always go for the Sunny Day IPA, but they often have some great …

Nestled in a tiny pocket of SW Portland is one of the most storied and long standing restaurants in town, The Leaky Roof.  Sitting on the corner of SW16th and Jefferson, “The Roof” has been around for over 50 years, and is a staple in the Goose Hollow neighborhood.
Over time, it has progressed nicely from a rundown pub (hence the name) to an establishment that is known around the city for great food, a really great happy hour, and for having the largest collection of Irish whiskey in town.  You …

There is a restaurant nestled in the heart of NW 21st street that seems to rarely go noticed by many people in the neighborhood.  Lucy’s Table is a restaurant that has been around for quite some time, yet it took me almost two years of living in the neighborhood to actually go in and check it out.  My only regret is not going in sooner.
Social  Hour, as they call it there, consists of a wide variety of items that I think would be best categorized as “American gourmet”.  For $4 …

While I usually try not to feature bigger chain restaurants, the happy hour at McCormick and Schmicks is too good to pass up.  McCormick and Schmicks isn’t your typical chain restaurant though, as there are multiple locations around Portland, each with a different feel, and in some cases a different name.
Whether it is patio seating on the banks of the Willamette River at McCormick and Schmick’s “Harborside  at the Marina” or relaxing at Jake’s Grill, one of the most historical restaurants in town, you won’t see the happy hour menu …