Whole Bowl

The hardest part about moving from Portland to Montana...the food. I miss all the amazing restaurants in PDX. One of my favorite was The Whole Bowl. It was perfect for a healthy and delicious lunch. They have two food cart locations and itty-bitty restaurants. Since I can't have their delicious bowls in MT, Joel and I have started created our very own sauce here (see below). It's definitely not perfect but it comes pretty close.  So what's exactly in a Whole Bowl? Well, the basic ingredients include rice, beans, black olives, cheese, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and the sauce. The trick is nailing the sauce. We've also been throwing it into a tortilla with chicken and lettuce too. So check out the recipe below and give it a try. Enjoy.

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Sauce
Add the following items in a blender and go:

1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 garbanzo beans
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup large flake nutritional yeast
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon each of following:
    curry powder
    onion powder
    tumeric
    chili powder
    cumin
    cayenne pepper
    salt
    mustard powder

Recipe was adopted from Zeste Blog

Date Night

It's date night in Portland tonight. Joel and I are trying to enjoy some of Portland's fabulous restaurants before we move to the mountains. I've already had the pleasure of enjoying the delicious pizza and drinks at Oven and Shaker and now Joel must taste it. If you're ever in Portland, I recommend checking out Oven and Shaker. I mean, who doesn't love pizza and cocktails? And these aren't just any cocktails and pizzas. I also love the simplicity of their logo and the interior design of the restaurant. I'm hoping to do a "best of Portland guide" in the next month or so. It will probably be after we deal with the joys of moving. Stay tuned. Portland is a great foodie town.

// Oven and Shaker //

Sunny LA

I have arrived back from the Design Bloggers Conference in LA. I won't go into too many details of the conference...I don't want you to get too jealous (as you should be). The Design Bloggers Conference was awesome though! I met some amazing people and learned loads of awesome information. Hopefully, some of my new fellow bloggers are reading this now. Hello!

I do want to discuss the delicious restaurant that I had the pleasure of going to on Monday. It is called Playa located at 7360 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles. If you are in LA then you MUST go. It was seriously unreal. The decor was pretty awesome too. Very swanky.

Please order the Papas Salsa Verde: kennebec potatoes, avocado, chiles,

serranos, micro cilantro.

sea urchin lighting?

tasty!

bonus: loads of great alcohol.

Thanks to Monika, Carla, Rachel, and Courtney for the great evening out on the town.

Photos #1 & #3 via. Photo #2 via.

seersucker

Doesn't this restaurant have an awesome interior? How cares about the food when you have this as the design. (well, I do care if the food is delicious too). Yeah, check this place (Seersucker) out if you are in San Diego.

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Design and Eat

I am hoping to venture into the hospitality design industry! So cross your fingers it all works out and that I will soon be designing restaurants around the Pacific Northwest. Until then you can view some restaurant interior inspiration with me. Enjoy.

Abattoir in Atlanta

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DBGB Restaurant & Bar in NYC

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The French Window in Hong Kong

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So sad

You never think it will happen to you. I woke up yesterday morning to learn that my Uncle's restaurant, Emory's On Silverlake, had burnt down. Seriously, unbelievable. I have had so many good memories there and can't believe that it is actually gone. There is still no word on the cause of the fire. Emory's has been a local Everett, WA restaurant for 15 years. At least we will always have the memories.

My Uncle, Emory, drinking wine that was salvaged from the fire. Check out the news article here. And more devastating pictures here.

Clyde Common

I went to happy hour yesterday with my good friend and his dad (they have wonderful taste in food and alcohol). We went to Clyde Common. I highly recommend it! Its vibe is very Portland. The bartender, Jeff, has also been named one of the best bartenders in the US. His drinks were very good indeed!

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bloomers?

I am so fascinated by the lighting.
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WOW.

I honestly don't even know what to say. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

 The ceiling is made out of curved birch and the tables are from bamboo. Banq Restaurant located in Boston Massachusetts. It kind of reminds me of a topography map...just saying.

Dolce and Gabbana Gold

hello glamorous. 

These fabulous pictures belong to the restaurant, Gold, designed by Dolce and Gabanna. 

Dolce and Gabanna Gold here and here. 

Pierre-Yves Rochon

Luxury = Pierre-Yves Rochon

Design Philosophy: "Designing a luxury hospitality environment is a privilege. There is a profound responsibility associated with this privilege, as the environment is expected to enrich the lives of those who enter it, creating a framework for memories, and providing a climate for social gatherings or quiet reflection."

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