Pacific Northwest, June 2019: The Trip

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Portland gave us books, doughnuts, beer, and a garden. Then we went down the Oregon coast and into wine country before driving north through Mount St. Helens, Olympia, Tenino, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, and Seattle. Nine days, two states, four wineries, and three wildlife stops: the Oregon Zoo, Wolf Haven, and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. I saw many wolves at Wolf Haven, but I didn’t keep an animal count.

Where We Ate and Drank

Portland

Place What I thought Rating
Lardo Brisket grilled cheese for me; pork meatball bánh mì for Ksenia. —
Blue Star Donuts Raspberry-rosemary for me, an O.G. for Ksenia. —
Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House Lunch, mussels, pretzel, and a six-beer flight. —
The Tao of Tea Lavender tea for me, Assam for Ksenia, with a view over Lan Su Chinese Garden. —
Clyde Common My burger with duck confit was wicked good, even if the truffle got lost. ★★★★☆
St. Jack Oysters, pasta, foie gras, and bone marrow; the marrow was too oily. —
Salt & Straw Lavender-honey for Ksenia, “Berries, Beans, and BBQ Sauce” for me. —
Schilling Cider House Cider flight for Ksenia and tots for me. —
Breakside Brewery A final round after St. Jack. —

Oregon coast and wine country

Place What I thought Rating
The Wayfarer, Cannon Beach Fish and chips for Ksenia; local salmon and chowder for me. The beer was OK. —
The Dundee Bistro, Dundee Anniversary Pinot and shrimp pasta. —
Thistle, McMinnville Farm-to-table dinner after a full day of tasting; rabbit for me. —

Washington

Place What I thought Rating
La Petite Maison, Olympia French onion soup was a favorite. —
Wendy’s, en route to Seattle A quick lunch stop. —
Reckless Noodle House, Seattle We enjoyed the five-spice duck confit, though it was not spicy. ★★★★☆
Super Six, Seattle Hawaiian breakfast and Spam. —
Gertie and the Giant Octopus, Gig Harbor Tapas: good for a mall restaurant. ★★★☆☆
Smith, Seattle Brunch on our last day. —

We also had fried papas verdes at the Oregon Zoo, breakfast at our Olympia B&B, pizza on our last night, and snacks from Safeway.

Wine Tasting

We visited four wineries on June 5. There was a lot of Pinot.

Winery Wines and impressions
Erath 2015 Willakia Chardonnay, fruity and dry; 2018 Oregon Pinot Noir Rosé; 2014 Pinot Noir, very fruity, with blackberry notes; 2012 Pinot Noir.
Archery Summit 2017 Renegade Ridge, toasted marshmallow; 2017 Archer’s Edge Vineyard, a little like French Burgundy; 2016 Looney Vineyard; 2016 Arcus Vineyard; 2016 Red Hills Vineyard; 2016 Summit Vineyard.
Colene Clemens 2018 Rosé of Pinot, clean, crisp, tart; 2017 Chardonnay, clean and very nice; 2015 Margo Pinot; 2015 Adriane Pinot; 2015 Victoria Pinot; 2012 Adriane Pinot.
Fairsing Vineyard 2018 Rosé, floral and “strawberry lemonade for adults”; 2016 Chardonnay; 2017 Chardonnay; 2016 Pinot Noir, nicely balanced.

We bought two bottles of rosé for friends and a 2016 Chardonnay for Danielle.

Where We Stayed

In Portland: The Inn at Northrup Station, with a rooftop deck where we drank our first-night cider and beer. In wine country: Le Puy, a Wine Valley Inn, near Newberg (now The Setting Inn Willamette Valley). In Olympia: a B&B. We stayed with family and friends in Seattle.

Places That Stuck With Me

Powell’s City of Books, Portland Art Museum, and Lan Su Chinese Garden made for a very Portland beginning. I liked the calm garden tea break, and the repeated trips to Powell’s were inevitable.

Haystack Rock and the green drive down the coast led us to wine country. Mount St. Helens was cold, clouded over, and then suddenly clear enough for great views. Wolf Haven International was a highlight: many wolves. We also visited the Oregon Zoo and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, then finished in Seattle at Ada’s Technical Books and Volunteer Park.

Day by Day

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