PDX Sites & Eats – Naturally Lindsay

Broadway in Portland | Aladdin

April 4, 2019 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

Moms’ night out in Portland! These nights don’t come around very often but when they do we embrace them. We started our night out with Happy Hour at Luc Lac a great Vietnamese spot in downtown Portland. It’s a busy spot so plan to wait a bit for a seat but it’s worth the wait. It’s also the perfect spot for a pre-theater drink or meal because it’s just a few blocks from Keller Auditorium, our second stop for moms’ night out.

You may not know it but I am a huge musical theater fan. I spent most of my middle school and high school days memorizing the songs from my favorite musicals, RENT, Aida, The Music Man, so when an opportunity to see Aladdin came I couldn’t pass it up. Aladdin was a favorite of mine growing up and it see it preformed live on stage was a dream come true.

I’ll be honest I expected the show to be a bit closer to the Disney movie of my youth but there were a number of changes and tons of new songs. However, it all worked and the show was wonderful. It was interactive, comical, and magical. While there were new songs I didn’t recognize they still had some of my favorites including Friend Like Me which was my favorite performance of the night.

I couldn’t end this review without talking about the set. I have been to a number of broadway shows and off-broadway and the set for Aladdin was one of the most incredible I have seen. It felt like we were there in Agrabah with everyone and when Aladdin went to retrieve the lamp from the cave; it perfectly catered to the child in me.

So if you are looking for something to do this weekend in Portland find yourself a pair of tickets and head to Keller. Not in Portland? Check out the Aladdin website to see it in a city near you.

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TICKET AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Aladdin will be at Portland’s Keller Auditorium for sixteen performances. The full schedule for the Portland engagement is:

Thursday, April 4 7:30pm – ASL Interpreted Performance

Friday, April 5 7:30pm

Saturday, April 6 2:00pm – ASL Interpreted Performance & 7:30pm

Sunday, April 7 1:00pm and 6:30pm

Tickets can be purchased:

www.BroadwayInPortland.com
or at Portland’5 Box Office: 800-273-1530

Accessible seating for patrons using wheelchairs and their companion(s) is available at all performances. You can purchase wheelchair seating by phone, in person, and online. Ample seating chairs are available upon request. Assisted listening devices are available at all performances.

For additional information on ADA seating and services, personal assistance selecting accessible seats or for more information about accessibility, please contact the Broadway in Portland Box Office by phone at 503-417-0573 (M-F, 10am-5pm) or email Broadway@PortlandOpera.org

*Broadway In Portland generously provided me with 2 tickets to the show in exchange for my honest review. As always all opinions are my own.*

[PDX Eats] Plant-Based Snacks & Treats at Tiny Moreso

June 22, 2018 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

You may remember the time that Jenn invited me into the Rawdacious Kitchen for a sneak peek at how she makes her amazing vegan cheesecakes. Three years later she has moved out of her tiny basement commercial kitchen and into a beautiful, bright space that not only is home to Rawdacious Desserts but also Tiny Moreso, a plant-based cafe.

Tiny Moreso serves up Rawdacious Desserts which has expanded from vegan cheesecakes to a variety of sweets including some amazing truffles. Tiny Moreso is also serving up a menu filled with toasts, smoothies, juices, salads, sandwiches and snacks.

On this trip we were feeling particularly hungry and ordered a spread of food and drinks. Everything was of course delicious. Favorites for us included the purple potato salad which was a special the day we visited, the Eleanor smoothie and the kids were in love with the avocado toast.

Eleanor – Banana, almond butter, mylk, maca, dash of maple

Ablis Blood Orange CBD Soda

Salad with Purple Potatoes and Snap Peas

Kale Caesar Salad
Sandwich with Cashew Cheese, Avocado and Veggies

Sandwich with Cashew Cheese, Avocado and Veggies

Of course we couldn’t leave without having a mini vegan cheesecake.

It’s Portland Veg Week 2017 + VegFest!

October 11, 2017 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…It’s time for Portland VegFest!

We have been every year since we moved here back in 2013 and we always have a blast listening to speakers and trying as many samples as our stomachs will allow. However, I think that this year might just be the best one yet. The line up of speakers this year is one of the best with Jenny Brown Co-Founder of the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, Scott Jurek an incredible ultrarunner and author of Eat and Run and Genesis Butler who is an inspiring 10 year old activist and even has her own TED Talk.

The full lineup is here: https://nwveg.org/vegfest-program-2017.

VegFest 2017

Of course one of the best things about VegFest is trying all the vegan food options that are out there. I love having the opportunity to find new foods and to sample ones that I have been curious before I buy them – also many of these vendors have special pricing for VegFest so bring your cash. Some of the vendors I’m excited about include LightLife, Miyoko’s, NU Culture, and Toby’s/Genesis.

Here is a link to all of our sponsors and exhibitors: https://nwveg.org/vegfest-sponsors-exhibitors-201

VegFest 2015

Hope to see you at VegFest!

Disclaimer: Neil and I were provided with weekend passes for VegFest in exchange for sharing about the event.

PDX Eats | Virtuous Pie

June 9, 2017 by Lindsay Ingalls 4 Comments

Months ago I was watching an Instagram story that featured Virtuous Pie in Vancouver BC. I was seriously salivating over all the pizzas that were featured and then at the end the person made mention that they would be opening a location in Portland OR. Well months went by and I just completely forgot all about it until we happened upon the Portland location when we tried The Baker’s Mark a sandwich shop just next door at SE Division and 12th. Since that day I have been anxiously waiting for Virtuous Pie PDX to open and that day has finally come! This week they had a soft opening and tomorrow June 10th they will have their grand opening starting at 8am with coffee and pastries from Shoofly Bakery.

Tonight we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to stop by and try out a few pizzas and ice creams. I should note that everything is 100% plant-based.The 100% plant-based pizzas combine unique flavor pairings using three-day dough and house-made nut cheeses, including cashew mozzarella, almond ricotta, and non-GMO tofu feta. The full menu can be found here. If you are gluten-free you’ll be in heaven because most of their pies can be made gluten free and they even have gluten-free waffle cones for their ice cream.

We struggled to narrow down which pizzas to order for our first visit but initially settled on the Meatball & Chevre and the Stranger Wings. To go with the pizza Neil chose one of the local beer offerings and while I wish I could have joined him I decided to start with water. Now I maybe a total geek but I was so excited to see that they had both still and sparkling water for you to serve yourself.

We chose a table outside and within a matter of 6-8 minutes our pizzas were ready and after getting my Instagram shots we dived in and those pizzas were gone in about the same amount of time it took us to wait for them. At first bite we were a bit underwhelmed with the Stranger Wings but the second slice completely changed both our minds and we were sold. It had a bit of spice (although could maybe have used a touch more for my personal taste) and the blue cheese sauce was seriously amazing. If you are from Maritime Canada I would closely relate the blue cheese sauce here to donair sauce. Neil couldn’t get over how close he thought it tasted and we are considering buying up a few sides to have with homemade vegan garlic fingers (again a Maritime thing).

Stranger Wings | Bianca, Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower, Crisp Fried Shallots, Blue Cheese Drizzle, Scallion

Our second pizza was the Meatball & Chevre that came out with a vegan parm that not only looked like freshly grated parm but SMELLED like parm as well. This pizza was packed with so much flavor and we instantly fell in love. The meatballs were so flavourful and lemon herb chevre was like nothing I’ve ever had. Seriously amazing.

MEATBALL + CHEVRE | San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Baerlic Brewing Chorizo Meatballs, Creamed Spinach, Lemon Herb Chevre, Basil, Fresh Parm.

Once we finished these two pizzas we opted to go for a third for one out of pure curiosity and also because neither of us had really eaten much all day. We narrowed it down to three options and ultimately went with the Kim-Jack a Korean inspired pizza. I have to say this wasn’t the one I would have chosen just based on the description alone because while I love Korean flavors I’m not big into jackfruit but it was suggested so I agreed. The pizza came out and it was love at first bite. The jackfruit on this pizza was incredible and combined with the cashew mozza it was even more incredible and ended up being both Neil and my favorite of the three pizzas.

KIM-JACK | Hoisin Crema, Cashew Mozzarella, Kimchi, Gochujang Braised Jackfruit, Roast Brocollini, Scallion

We ate most of the Kim-Jack before deciding to pack up the remainder to go and switching gears to something a bit sweeter. Since we really wanted to full experience we decided to go with an ice cream flight. I left the flavor choices up to Neil and he chose the Double Chocolate & Salted Caramel, Coffee & Donuts and Lavender & Meyer Lemon. All of these ice creams had really great flavor and out of the three my favorite was the Lavender & Meyer Lemon. Next time I’d love to try the Turmeric & Black Pepper and the Marionberry Cheesecake.

The Verdict? If you live in Portland (or Vancouver BC) you need to drop everything and head to Virtuous Pie. One of the best food experiences I have had in awhile and I already have plans go back tomorrow morning for a mug of Heart Coffee and Shoofly Pastries and again next week for a mamas night out so I can try another pizza and more ice cream (assuming this baby doesn’t come first).

Have you tried Virtuous Pie? Which is your favorite pie and/or ice cream?

[Dining Out Plant-Based] California Pizza Kitchen

February 17, 2017 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

Many years go when I was a student living in Boston I would go to California Pizza Kitchen on a semi-regular basis. Back in those days I was vegetarian so eating at CPK was super easy for me. Back in those days my go-to menu items were the Tuscan Hummus, Margherita Pizza and Chinese Chicken Salad (obviously hold the chicken).

Once I moved out of Boston I don’t think I visited a CPK again until this Fall when I was kindly invited to visit the Bridgeport Village CPK. One of the reasons that I never visited again was because my diet changed from vegetarian to plant-based and I had it in my head that there just weren’t enough options but I was oh so WRONG. The team at the Bridgeport CPK was super nice and they hooked us up with so many amazing plant-based options so let’s get started.

To start I went with a mojito mocktail however if I could have indulged in alcohol I would have gone for one of their many tasty sounding sangrias.

We started with the Tuscan Hummus which if you remember is one of my old go-to menu items and it’s seriously amazing. I would go to CPK just to get this and only this because it’s that good.

Next us is the White Corn Guacamole & Chips another really tasty starter. I loved the addition of jicama, white corn and black beans and both my littles gobbled up most of this guacamole and chips.

Next up another really delicious starter that could easily be an entree – the Lettuce Wraps done vegan. These were so delicious and was one of Neil’s favorite dishes we tried.

If that wasn’t enough food we also got two different salads – the Roasted Veggie and the Thai Crunch with Avocado (no chicken). I will put a disclaimer here that we eat honey and both of the dressings for these salads contain honey. If you do not partake in honey most of the salads can be made vegan by taking off the dairy and meat and they can do an oil and vinegar for salad dressing.

As for these salads I was really into the roasted veggie salad and Neil was all about the Thai crunch. The roasted veggies were just so delicious and exactly what I was in the mood for at the time. The Thai crunch had amazing flavor, a nice crunchy topping and the avocado was the perfect addition.

We were stuffed at this point but we powered through and tried a few bites of the Asparagus & Spinach pasta. Now this pasta was probably my least favorite dish because without the salty parm that normally would be on it it was lacking a bit of flavor. I would personally recommend asking for a few lemon wedges to squeeze over the pasta to brighten it up and give it just a bit more flavor and then it would be practically perfect.

We also tried a few bites of the California Veggie pizza (no cheese) before packing it up and finishing it off the next day at home. This pizza was really delicious. I loved the crust and the veggies were super fresh. A great option.

Before I wrap this up let’s not forget about the kids! At this point the kids were feeling pretty full as well but Edith was thrilled when her fusilli with tomato sauce came out and she ate about half of this huge portion. CPK can also do a simple fusilli with olive oil for kids as well if you little one isn’t into tomato sauce.

As for Alder he went with a super simple kids mushroom pizza (no cheese) and he thought it was pretty great. I love that there are some simple and tasty kids options available.

Overall we had a great dining experience, we really enjoyed the food and we will be back. Again we would like to thank the Bridgeport CPK for having us in and we are already making plans go come back for more of that Tuscan Hummus.

*Disclaimer: CPK invited us in to dine on them. As always all opinions are my own.

PDX Eats [‘Burbs Edition] | Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill

October 25, 2016 by Lindsay Ingalls 2 Comments

Disclaimer: Sharky’s provided me with a voucher to try their new location. I was not compensated for this post and I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

When it comes to eating out I tend to stick to local spots in Portland. I love to support local businesses, the ability to know where my food is coming from and unless we are traveling I don’t spend a ton of time in the ‘burbs. However there is the occasional time I cross the river and head out of Portland and when I do I need a go to spot to eat.

I feel like I have been searching for places that not only have great plant-based options but also quality of food and finally I have another great spot to add to my list – Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill. Sharky’s does their best to source organic, natural and local ingredients and they have so many plant-based options!

Before heading in to give them a try I did a little research regarding plant-based options and they actually do a pretty great job of labeling items on their menu. I also found that The Veganista Foodie had put together a pretty great cheat sheet as well – which I of course used.

We started out with chips and guacamole and of course took advantage of the salsa bar and tired just about every salsa available. I could have eaten a bowl of the guacamole and those chips – so good! While we waited for our meals the kids also munched on their mini churros which were okay but a bit too crunchy for their liking.

For meals the kids shared a kid’s bowl with organic tofu, organic brown rice and organic beans and a kid’s power plate with organic tofu, organic brown rice and organic yams. The went nuts for the tofu and while they weren’t so much into the yams Neil and I thought they were fantastic. In order to waste not I took the yams home and added them to a vegan mac and cheese and of course the kids gobbled it up.

As for the adults we shared the organic tofu and veggie burrito and an organic tofu and veggie taco plate. The burrito was massive and we could have easily just shared it because it was so much food. The veggie taco plate was delicious as well; we both loved the tofu and the veggies were cooked perfectly. Overall we were super impressed.

We don’t head to Tualatin very often but I have to say Sharky’s might just have me visiting a bit more often. Our trip also took us to a spot we had never visited before and we ended up visiting a nice New Season’s and discovered the Tualatin ArtWalk. So mini trips to the ‘burbs are proving to be a bit more delightful.

What are your favorite restaurants in the ‘burbs? Have you ever been to Sharky’s? If yes, any favorites?

PDX Events | 2016 Oregon Fermentation Festival

September 14, 2016 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

Pickles, kombucha, kraut, kimchi, miso….fermented goodies. All the amazing goodies we got to taste at the Oregon Fermentation Festival this past weekend.

Our house is one that is constantly stocked with delicious krauts and kombuchas and we often have something fermenting (some more successful than others). What can I saw we love fermented foods so when we found out about the Oregon Fermentation Festival we marked our calendars and purchased our tickets and prepared for an afternoon of funky foods.

We sampled some of our favorites like Kevita, Health-ade and OlyKraut. We also tried some new (to us) places such as Rawkstar Creations which not only has really great kombucha but an AAAAAMAZING raw BLT.

We dined on popsicles and the most delicious miso-lemon corn from Obon PDX. We loved it so much we shared 4 ears.

We even got to make a jar of pickled cucumbers and green beans! Which the kids thought was pretty amazing.

Overall we loved the festival and the kids couldn’t get enough kombucha so of course we ended up going home with a box of different varieties.

So fermented foods and beverages- love or hate? What are you favorites?