SUMMER VACATION IN OREGON PART 1 — PORTLAND

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We just returned from the dreaded eagerly-anticipated family vacation.  This year our daughter has an internship that sadly prevented her from joining us (I don’t really think she was too broken up about  it).  Each summer we look to vacation somewhere that has significantly cooler temps than Houston, and this year we headed to Oregon, spending a few days in Portland before heading to the coast.  Unfortunately, Portland was in the grips of a heat wave with record-breaking highs, so that kind of sucked.

vacation fail

But this was vacation, and we weren’t going to let a little hot weather ruin our fun.  We stayed at the Hotel Vintage, where we enjoyed our reasonably-priced spacious suite, nightly wine tastings, and convenient downtown location:

Our first stop was the Portland Japanese Garden, “a haven of serenity and tranquility” for more than 50 years.  It’s considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan.  It was beautiful:

I was especially enamored with these tiny-leaved maples, which looked like stars against the sky:

We spent quite a bit of time just looking at the Sand and Stone Garden, referred to as a karesansui garden, which translates to “dry landscape.”  The aesthetic principle underlying these dry landscapes is known as yohaku-no-bi, meaning “the beauty of blank space” (a principle I’d like to see some of my more wordy opposing counsel adopt).  This style of garden is intended for contemplation, not meditation, and so we sat and contemplated.  (My son informed us that every principal’s office he’s ever been in has one of these gardens on the desk, complete with itty bitty rake.)

Our favorite part of the garden was the Strolling Pond Garden.  The huge Japanese Iris were unlike any iris I’d ever seen before, and of course, now I must have some for my garden:

Directly across the street is the International Rose Test Garden.  The garden has been there for about a century, and features more than 10,000 roses (Portland’s nickname is the City of Roses).  The garden is stunning, with the biggest, most perfect, gorgeous roses I’ve ever seen, and although we were wilting in the heat, the roses were not.

We spent the better part of the next day at the Portland Saturday Market, an arts and crafts open-air marketplace started in 1973, which is held every Saturday from March through Christmas Eve.  All of the items sold at the market are made in and around Portland, and are sold by the people who make them.  We found so many interesting and unusual items there, including jewelry, purses, apparel, woodcrafts, paintings, and handpainted scarves:

Gotta have tie-dye!

Purses made from coffee bean sacks and vintage fabrics

Carnivorous plants

Beautiful soaps — eucalyptus mint was our favorite

Star Wars art

The next day we headed to Mt. Hood, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Portland.  First, a quick stop at Vista House at the Crown Point State Scenic Corridor, to take in the scenic (and very windy) views from 733 feet above the Columbia River.

Continuing on, we stopped to see several waterfalls.  First was the 249-foot Latourell Falls:

Next we stopped to see the 242-foot tiered Wahkeena Falls:

From the Wahkeena Falls we followed the short (unpaved and rocky) trail to hike to the Multnomah Falls, which took about 15 minutes (but seemed like an hour).  The Multnomah Falls are split into an upper falls of 542 feet and a lower falls of 69 feet.  There is a short but steep paved trail up to Benson Bridge, which spans the upper and lower falls.

In addition to being the tallest waterfall in Oregon, Multnomah Falls is also the “most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest with more than 2 million stopping by each year to take in the views.”  Now, I’m not saying it was crowded . . .

Snow-capped Mt. Hood was a welcome sight on this hot day:

We threw a few obligatory snowballs at each other, and then went to poke around the historic Timberline Lodge, a Works Progress Administration project built in the late 1930s.  “The lodge’s design mirrors the lines of the mountain, and was constructed out of stone and wood from the surrounding forest.”

The lodge is filled with art and crafts, including wrought iron features:

Wood carvings:

And oil paintings and mosaics:

We enjoyed lunch at the lodge’s Ram’s Head Bar, centered around a huge stone column with giant beams, and which had a great view of Mt. Hood.

Highlights of our lunch were a grilled cheese sandwich made with fromage blanc, Tillamook cheddar, and Swiss cheese on sourdough with a cup of cream of smoked tomato soup, and cheese-stuffed kasekrainer sausage on a pretzel bun with beet sauerkraut, pickled mustard seeds, and potato salad:

The next day we left Portland and headed to the coast, which you can read about in Part 2.  But before leaving Portland, I have to say that we were excited to discover that Portland is a foodie town.  We had great meals in Portland, highlights of which were lunch at Grassa that included radiatore with beef and pork Bolognese, pancetta, and pecorino; and chicken cacciatore with rosemary pappardelle, pancetta, tomato, and nduja ricotta (seriously delicious):

Dinner at Nostrana that included antipasti di mare (ahi tuna crudo lettuce cups with avocado crema & crispy spring onions; pink shrimp fritters with green goddess mayo; and grilled octopus and potato salad with capers,  oregano and mama lil’s peppers); grilled copper river sockeye salmon with aioli, spring onion and green garlic risotto cake, sautéed spinach, fava greens, and morel mushrooms); and tagliata flat iron steak with arugula and garlic-rosemary oil:

Great Thai lunch at E-San Thai Cuisine (recommended by a Lyft driver) — we had som tum (papaya salad); gaeng kiew wan (green curry with beef); and Mao special (rice noodles with red curry):

Dinner at Higgins, where we swooned over a beautifully composed salad of summer greens, toasted hazelnuts, and herb vinaigrette; charcuterie board; halibut over quinoa with lemon vinaigrette; summer vegetable fisherman’s stew with sauce vert; and cherry pie:

And an inventive and outstanding dinner at Irving St. Kitchen of meatballs over mashed yukon potatoes with green peppercorn sauce; black garlic butter steamed clams with chicken liver mousse toast; chicken fried oysters; pan-roasted porcini with ricotta blinis, zucchini, shaved porcini, and peas; carrot butter poached halibut with green garlic puree and pickled ramps; buttermilk fried chicken with collard greens, smashed potatoes, and tasso bacon gravy; and dessert of cherry sorbet gel, almonde tarte, meringue, salted honey chiboust, and red wine syrup:

Before we left Portland, my husband went and stood in line for about an hour at the much-hyped Voodoo Doughnut:

Although they were fun to try, I think we all agreed that they were too sweet for our tastes, as in make-your-teeth-hurt too sweet.  Reeling from our sugar high, we departed Portland, having thoroughly enjoyed the city and looking forward to returning again one day.

RETRO DINING: MOLINA’S CANTINA

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Molina’s Cantina is Houston’s oldest family-owned and -operated Tex-Mex restaurant.

 

In the 1920s, Raul Molina moved to Houston from Mexico, in search of a better life.  He worked in small restaurants, working his way up from dishwasher, to busser, to eventually opening the Old Monterrey Inn in 1941 with his wife Mary, which was one of only a handful of Mexican restaurants in Houston at the time.  Eventually, the restaurant evolved to become Molina’s.  Today there are two locations in Houston —  3801 Bellaire Blvd. (or as we call it, “our Molina’s,” where we have been dining for almost a quarter of a century) and 7901 Westheimer.

A sampling of menus over the years

Molina’s is currently owned and operated by brothers Raul III, Ricardo, and Roberto Molina, Raul Molina’s grandchildren.

One of the things we admire about Molina’s is the loyal and cheerful staff.  Two of our favorite waiters are Art and Joaquin, both of whom have been there 26 years:

A frosty margarita — frozen or on the rocks — is always a great start to a Tex-Mex meal, especially this time of year, and Molina’s makes one with a nice sweet/tart balance:

Frozen or on the rocks (photos courtesy of Kimberly Park)

Before you can whip out your phone and check in on Facebook, a complimentary basket of crispy tortilla chips, several salsas, and carrot escabeche will appear on your table.  Molina’s was the first restaurant in Houston to offer escabeche, a zesty carrot relish Raul discovered in Mexico City.

When my kids were little, they used to order Chicken Dinosaurs from the kids menu, which were dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets (I’m not sure if they’re still on the menu, and really chips and queso are so much better).  One day, my then-5-year-old daughter asked me “what’s Mexican about Chicken Dinosaurs,” which was pretty hilarious, and to which I had to reply, “nothing.”  I think that killed it for her, and thankfully, the kids have graduated from the kids menu to the regular menu, which has many dishes they love.

A number of Molina’s signature dishes are named after staff and guests.  Nancy Ames Nachos, for example, are named after Nancy Ames, a folk singer/songwriter/entertainer who had a morning TV show in Houston in the 70s.  Raul Molina, Jr. was a guest on her show demonstrating how to make nachos.  Nancy shared her favorite nacho toppings — each chip layered with refried beans, spicy beef, cheese, guacamole, diced tomatoes, and jalapenos — and Nancy Ames Nachos were born.  They remain a top seller, and we’ve enjoyed them many times over the years.  They’re colorful, delicious, and filling — it’s easy to make a meal out of them.

Nancy Ames Nachos (photo courtesy of Dragana Harris)

Then there’s the famous Jose’s Dip.  Decades ago, a former waiter named Jose began adding spicy taco meat to his guests’ queso.  Soon, customers began requesting “Jose’s Dip,” and it remains a staple on the menu.  In fact, it’s the password for Molina’s complimentary Wi-Fi.  Tip:  If you sign up for Molina’s E-News Club, you’ll receive a complimentary bowl of Jose’s Dip  (you’ll also receive an email coupon for a complimentary bowl each year for your birthday).

Jose’s Dip

Another popular item is Berly’s Burrito, named after long-time guest Jim Berly.  One night he came in wanting something different, and requested a burrito filled with fajita meat, smothered with chili con carne and topped with queso.  I assume Mr. Berly was wearing stretchy pants at the time.

Berly’s Burrito (photo courtesy of Dragana Harris)

Williams Special and C.W. Special are two of my family’s favorite entrees.  Williams Special gets its name from William Lyons, a cook who worked for the Molina family for more than 40 years.  One day, Raul Jr. asked William to surprise him with something different, and William brought him a plate filled with carne asada, grilled onions, and 2 cheese enchiladas, all topped with “William’s sauce” and Chihuahua cheese — the rest is Molina’s history.  The C.W. Special was created by Chris Wilson, a childhood friend of Roberto’s, after the two spent a night out on the town.  It includes a taco al carbon, cheese enchilada, rice, beans, pico de gallo, and guacamole.

William’s Special (photo courtesy of Dragana Harris)

C.W. Special (photo courtesy of Kimberly Park)

Enchiladas a la Michael are named after Michael Garay, a former manager who created a delicious salsa verde that he served on top of the restaurant’s chicken enchiladas, followed by Chihuahua cheese, cilantro, and avocado slices.

Enchiladas a la Michael (photo courtesy of Dragana Harris)

Of course there’s a variety of enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, and other Tex-Mex favorites to choose from.  One dish that I particularly enjoy, which I like to think is on the lighter side, is Raulito’s Shrimp — jumbo shrimp sautéed in garlic butter, served with frijoles a la charra, guacamole, and mango pico de gallo, accompanied by tortillas:

Raulito’s Shrimp (photo courtesy of Kimberly Park)

If you dine at Molina’s on a Saturday night, you may be lucky enough to be serenaded:

At the end of the meal, look forward to a sweet ending of complimentary pralines:

It’s not hard to figure out how Molina’s has stayed in business for over 75 years.  The cheerful staff, the family atmosphere, and the restaurant’s heritage certainly contribute to its longevity.  The food is always fresh, made from scratch in small batches, and is delicious and satisfying, with items to appeal to all ages.  The Bellaire location has a comfortable neighborhood feel, and it’s a rare occasion when we do not run into friends and acquaintances there.