Salem Beer and Cider Festival

Mmm. Local beer and cider. What could be better on a balmy September evening? I hope this event is an annual one like they're planning.
The third floor of the Mission Mill Museum is a good spot for it, with the windows open to the breezes. It would be great to have it outdoor since its so warm, but at this time of year I understand the need to prepare for inclement weather. One way or the other, it's a fun event, where I have run into all kinds of friends and acquaintances.

Oh, Salem, you're growing up!

The f/stop Fitzgerald - A Gem in Salem

I've been meaning to write this post for the last week, but life got a little busy and time got away from me.

Salem's teeny, tiny, cozy little pub with the great patio had it's one year anniversary this month. Yay for f/stop Fitzgerald! It is a wonderful and welcome addition to Salem's beer and cider scene. They now have eight beer and cider taps and have a great selection of local brews. Plus, its where all the cool kids hang out.

If you've never been to f/stop, you should really make it a goal to get there and check out the laid back, cozy atmosphere with a friend, a group, or just by yourself. People are friendly and welcoming in this little establishment and on most evenings you will find a fire out in the firepit on the patio.

The f/stop is a little off the beaten path, but that's part of what makes it so neat. It is a neighborhood pub, north of downtown, smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood and an industrial area. It's in an old house, so it fits right in and its hardly noticeable unless there are a load of people drinking around the firepit outside.

It's a destination pub, if you don't happen to live in the neighborhood, but, in my oh-so-humble opinion, it hovers right up there at the top of the best places to hang out in Salem, Oregon.

So, check it out. Just don't steal my seat by the firepit!

f/stop hours: Wednesday through Sunday 4:00-Whenever people wander home (11 or 12ish or later if its busy)
Location: 335 Grove St NE Salem, OR 97301

Car Washes and Chocolate Surprises

Ladies Night isn't just for drinks anymore. Now, at the Blue Elephant Car Wash in West Salem, you can get a car wash discount on Tuesdays, just for being a lady! (I don't know what requirements they actually have to be considered a "lady").

I had seen the advertisement for their Tuesday Ladies Special, so I waited patiently, letting my car get dirtier and dirtier. Then after work today I swung by to get my car washed and lo and behold, I got $2 off, PLUS a piece of dark chocolate with almonds. Seriously, I don't know why, but that little piece of chocolate totally made my day. It's the little things in life that bring me joy, I guess.

My Go-to Places

What are your go-to places for dinner/drinks in Salem? When a friend asked for happy hour ideas the other day, the first three places I thought of were La Capitale, Venti's, and Boon's. Those are kind of my go-to places, I guess. I never really thought about it before, but I started to wonder what made those my go-to spots. All I really know is that I feel happy and comfortable in each of those places. Of course there are many other spots I love around town - f/stop Fitzgerald, Pete's Place, Sushi Kyo, La Margarita Express, Thai Beer, Vietnam Restaurant, etc, etc.

But when put on the spot, my first three spots were La Cap, Venti's, and Boon's. And I know I'm not the only one who loves these places. Tell me, friends and Salemites, why do I love them so much?

By the way, we ended up at Venti's, drinking Anthem's Cherry Cider. OMG. Just try it. That's all I can say.

Camping Trip to the San Juan Islands

So you want an island vacation, but you don't want to buy plane tickets? Here's an idea. Drive up to the San Juan's off the coast of Washington and have yourself a perfect island vacation. Okay, so it isn't Hawaii or Fiji or anything tropical, but it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It actually reminded me a lot of Scandinavian landscape in countries like Norway and Finland.

I just happened to pick a weekend that had absolutely gorgeous weather! I'm pretty sure it was up in the high 80's most of the time we were there. Being so far north, and on the water, it doesn't always get that warm.

We camped at Odlin County Park on Lopez island which is right on the beach and was perfect for watching the sunset, the meteor showers, and just chilling. It is a primitive campsite with pit toilets and water, but the friendly little town of Lopez Village was only 3 miles away and supplied public showers in the park in town. It was so nice to be able to get clean after a day of hiking and exploring in the warm sun!

One of my favorite parts of the Lopez Village was a bakery called Holly B's. While we were waiting for the shower we'd head over for some coffee and a bakery item and sit on the porch with the other tourists and locals. We also checked out the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and learned a little about the island and its inhabitants (lovely, quirky people).

Inter-island ferries were free to walk on, so we made a couple of trips to Friday Harbor to eat dinner and take in the sights. The marina there is beautiful and there are lots of restaurants and bars along the waterfront to have a beer or a bite to eat and watch the world go by.

I would definitely recommend a road trip up to the San Juan's. It takes about 5 hours to get to Anacortes, WA where you pick up the ferry and if you're lucky you won't have to wait 6 hours for the late ferry like we did! Be advised, ferries run on island time and are often full, late, or otherwise inconvenient to modern timetables. But totally worth it!

The Torta Report 2

So far this Torta from Jr's Taqueria on Fairgrounds Rd has the tastiest tortas! I got the carne asada with everything on it. The "everything" includes tomato, lettuce, onion, avocado, and jalepenos. The bread was toasted but could have been toasted a bit more for a crispier texture, in my opinion. All in all I would eat a torta here again... except I have so many other places to try!
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Support Salem Cinema

All right folks, by now many of you have heard that Salem Cinema (and theaters in general) are having a hard time staying in business. Personally, I love being able to see an array of films for a reasonable price right in my little ol' hometown of Salem. I would like to continue doing so. With that in mind, I'm organizing a little Support Salem Cinema event or two. The local Twitter gang has been chatting about times and dates that might work for the most people. Obviously, we can't fit everyone's schedule, but it looks like the most popular times are this Thursday, August 5th, and next Tuesday the 10th (this date has the most votes so far). Here is what I'd like to propose:

Two Salem Cinema support groups. One Thursday for anyone who is available on short notice, and one next Tuesday to give you a week to prepare. I know this is quite a radical suggestion, but I think it might work. :) You can come to one or both nights. Doesn't hurt to support them twice!

Details

• Meet at Salem Cinema at 7 PM for snacks and socializing
• Pick a movie (There are 3 that start at 7:45)
• Watch your movie
• Discuss with friends afterwards at Boon's if you wish (optional, but always fun!)

Leave a comment below to RSVP. Hope to see you all at one of these nights!

P.S. They have some deals going on. Check the website before you go so you don't miss out. Go to http://www.salemcinema.com/index.html or click on the image at the top.

The Torta Report

I recently had one of the best sandwiches of my life in a little hole-in-the-wall in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico called Lupita's. Since I've come home I have decided to start a search for something as delightful as the one from Lupita's.

Here is the first installment of my torta search.

I'm not sure what the official name of this taco cart is, but it is located on Portland Rd in the parking lot of an old gas station/auto shop just across from the bingo hall. It is a silver truck that says Burritos Y Tacos across the top. It sits back off the road under some shade trees and usually has a barbeque smoking out front.
The torta was not the best in my life, but it wasn't bad. I like more fresh veggies like tomato, onion, and avocado on mine and this one was mainly pork and jalepenos. It was definitely spicy and flavorful, but I think I will continue my search.

Keep your eyes peeled for more torta reports soon!

I also had a yummy chicken taco which doesn't look like much, but had great flavor.

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How to Beat the Heat In and Around Salem

For the most part, Summer in Salem, Oregon is just about perfect. Warm days, cool nights, little humidity, and a few bugs. But then every once in awhile we get a "heat wave", as Oregonians call days in the 90-100 degree range. The reason it really feels like a heat wave is because almost no one has air conditioning since its really more of a luxury than a necessity around here. Since I've been surviving Oregon "heat waves" for my entire life, I thought I'd share some of the local secrets to staying sane in the heat.

1. First of all, there's the window/door air-conditioning trick. Open all the windows and doors early in the morning with the fans blowing the cool air in, then close them up quickly when the temp outside starts to rise above the temp inside the house. My mother is an expert at this, standing in the middle of the doorway one arm held outside and the other inside to test the temperatures. :) Then make sure you keep all your windows closed and blinds and curtains closed until the temp drops in the evening again. 
2. If you have a basement, move your mattress down there and sleep in it on the hottest days. My entire family and an assortment of friends would have slumber parties in our basement on the days that just wouldn't cool down. 
3. Go to the beach or up to Detroit Lake. Both the mountains and the beaches can be 20-30 degrees cooler than the valley. So pack a cooler and head out for the day, just remember you won't be the only one, so expect traffic.
4. Go shopping. The one place that is always air conditioned is the mall. 
5. Go to a movie. Pick a long one and make sure its about mid-afternoon so you miss the worst of the heat. (The hottest part of the day in these parts is usually between 4-6 pm).
6. Make friends with people who have pools (pretty uncommon around Salem) or join one of the community pool clubs. I know there are a couple in Keizer, one in West Salem, one out south and I'm sure lots of others. They can be pretty spendy, but non-members can sign up for lessons which are MUCH cheaper. You don't get full access, but you can stay cool for awhile.
7. Head over to one of the splash fountains around Salem. The largest fountains are at Riverfront Park and River Road Park. There are smaller splash fountains at Fairmont, Northgate, Wes Bennett, West Salem and Englewood neighborhood parks.
8. If all else fails, take a cool shower and then sit in front of a fan. Repeat as needed.

Have fun, enjoy summer, and be safe. And don't forget to hydrate!

Loving Salem

It's not always easy to do, to love your hometown. When you know it inside and out and can see all its flaws its often easier to criticize and complain than it is to love. Last night, though, was one of those nights that reminded me of my great love for this quirky little place.

I met with two retired coworkers/mentors for happy hour at the Wild Pear. We sat outside, enjoying the fine weather, catching up on our summer escapades, and just enjoying each other's company. Then we wandered over to Venti's for a glass of local cider and two of us stayed and ended up spending hours sitting on the sidewalk, talking, meeting people that I'd seen around town but never talked to, people watching, and enjoying summer.

We split up around 9, but I still wasn't quite ready to go home because the weather was so perfect for walking around, so I ended up stopping by Clockworks for a little bit of the open mic night and heard some GREAT guitar music.

Then, as I wandered along the streets, I ran into some acquaintances sitting outside at Brown's Towne who asked me to sit down and quickly moved from acquaintances to friends.

I finally wandered home around 11:30 and fell into bed. Happy.

Lady Who Lunches - My Summer Persona

During the school year, I rarely have to time to go out to lunch because I just have 30 minutes between classes in which to eat, go to the bathroom, etc. Ah, the life of a teacher. So, come summertime, I like to catch up on lunches with friends.

This summer I am really living it up, trying out different restaurants with other ladies who lunch. A true "Lady Who Lunches" meal consists of a long, leisurely summer lunch at an outdoor table with a cocktail in hand. But a picnic at the park with takeout from a deli works too. Or brunch with family members. Or a happy hour drink and snack with coworkers. Or a sampling of food from the farmer's market all by myself.

As you can see, I'm pretty easy. That's me, Lady Who Lunches.

Oregon Summer

What I love about summer in Oregon is the perfect outdoor weather! I also love the fact that downtown Salem is getting more and more outdoor seating. I've noticed that some of the restaurants that used to have only 2 or 3 outside tables now have 4 or 5. I'm sure this is due, in part, to the fact that the City of Salem has lowered the price on licensing outside tables. I hope the other part is that business owners are noticing more patrons out and about downtown and want to cater to them.
This is a picture of my Basil Rum Runner at La Capitale. Yum!
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The World Beat Festival

This is me dancing the Toshi Toshi at the World Beat. I have no idea how that is actually spelled, but the Toshi Toshi is a Bhutanese guest dance where everyone dances in a big circle. Its simple to learn and it was great fun to see how many people participated.

I must say I was really impressed with the number of performances throughout the day. And the quality! I had no idea we had so much international talent around here. One of my favorite groups was the dance troupe called Paradise of Samoa. They have found a great way to keep young people interested in their island heritage. The dancers ranged from little ones who were probably about kindergarten age, all the way to adults. Not only was it fun to watch them dance dances from around the pacific islands, but it also looked like they had a lot of fun doing it.

The music choices were also quite good and there were concerts in the amphitheater throughout the day and into the evening, including fire dancing at the end of the night. The amphitheater was a popular spot at the festival and I would say there were at least two to three thousand people in the amphitheater during the last couple of performances.

Now, this makes me wonder: why don't we have concerts at the Riverfront Amphitheater throughout the summer? Its a beautiful location for an outdoor amphitheater - on the river with views of the setting sun. Why aren't we, as Salemites, taking advantage of this? I think its about time to use that amphitheater for a summer concert series. What say you, people of Salem?


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Burlesque!

I went to see the Can Cannibals at The Space the other night! Oh my goodness! Burlesque is so much fun. I think we should have more of it around here. Anyone want to make some costumes and start up a burlesque troop?? Maybe it was just that these ladies seemed to be having so much fun, everyone just wanted to join in.

I Discovered a New Spice!

Okay, I didn't really discover it like Einstein discovered the theory of relativity. I discovered it more like Columbus discovered the new world; lots of people already know about it, but its the first time I've ever seen it.

Sumac is my new favorite spice. I picked it up at the new Downtown Market and Deli on Liberty. I noticed a giant bag of it and thought it must be really popular if it was sold in such large quantities. When I asked the proprietors about it, they enthusiastically explained that it was a spice that could be added to falafel, salads, meats and almost anything. So I decided to pick up a small bag of it and try it out. I got about a cup or so for $2.50 and took it home to try.

It's amazing! I'm serious. It has a fresh, lemony flavor without the sour citrus taste. I've added it to my chicken, sauteed onions with it, and yesterday I sprinkled it on zucchini and put it on the grill. My friends couldn't get enough of the zucchini!

It's actually a pretty mild flavor and just adds a fresh citrus taste to things. It is a pretty dark red/brown color and makes a nice garnish as well as adding flavor.