GNO in Portlandia

As they say, "The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland."




Saturday morning found 3 tired Washingtonian girls making their way to Bedlam Coffee in Belltown to grab some much-needed caffeine to fuel the road trip ahead. Koko, Liz and I were making our way south to the foodie paradise of Portland, Oregon.

The car ride was tiring, but it went by quickly and we soon found our way to the lovely (if a bit dated) Mark Spencer Hotel. I'd gotten a groupon a while back, so we had an executive suite at a very affordable price. After unloading our luggage, we wandered up the street to Powell's Books, which is a must for any visit to this fair city. I lost my friends more times than I found them, but we all came out with at least one literary snack.

Unfortunately, our physical hunger now needed abatement, so we trekked up a couple streets to Andina, a lovely Peruvian restaurant.

Mariko soon had to part ways to meet up with her friend, but Liz and I explored Chinatown before attending the hotel's wine hour. It seems Portland hotels all know that this is expected of them, as the Monaco also provides this to its clients.

Following our complimentary libations, Liz and I went up to our room to get ready for what would be an amazing girls' night out. I discovered that night how fabulous well-connected friends can be. My friend Emily, who lives 15 minutes outside Portland, had arranged for us to hand out fliers for a limo service in exchange for use of the limo. Thus we received complimentary luxury transportation, free cover for three different clubs, and some very expensive champagne.

Despite having cover for three clubs, we ended up staying at just one. It was a bit packed, and it would have been a complete wash if we hadn't kept receiving free drinks and then being given free admission to the VIP area. Thankfully, the VIP area provided us with room to breathe as well as seats to rest. Once there, we were again given champagne (evidently people know us girls like our bubbly!).

By the end of the night, we were quite ready for bed and the limo came around to take us back to the hotel.

All in all, the entire trip was a blast. The only truly unfortunate event was the next day when Liz and I made our way to Voodoo Donuts. These donuts are sought out by locals and tourists alike, and there is always a line out the door with at least a 30 minute wait. We showed up, noticed that there wasn't a line (hooray!), and quickly walked up to the door. That is when we began crying like babies...or at least we wanted to. The sign posted on the door stated that Voodoo was currently closed for construction until June. Sigh.

And so I remain donutless in Seattle.

~K