Last Thursday

I'm not quite sure how I've managed to live in Portland for six months and only just now learn about Last Thursday on Alberta.  If I didn't follow so many PDX lovers on Twitter, I might not have found out about this wonderful event at all.  On the last Thursday of every month, a big 25-block section of NE Alberta is shut down for pedestrian traffic only - at least during the nice summer months.  I have not been able to confirm if this will continue throughout winter.  Artists & performers gather in the street to show off their talents while local business stay open late to accommodate the crowd.  Eddie and I arrived a little too early, but we made the most of it.  We happened to park near the Grilled Cheese Grill so we thought that would make for an excellent first stop.  And it was.  We decided to split a plain "kindergartner" which is your choice of bread (white) with cheddar or American cheese (American).  It was so hot and gooey.  Mmmm...

Eddie wanted to check out a restaurant at the end of the strip for dinner so we started walking that way.  It still wasn't crowded out but they shut down the street while we had been waiting on our grilled cheese.  We walked about two blocks and were sidetracked by the allure of Every Day Wine bottle shop and bar.  The bartender suggested we start with glasses from the bottle of Côtes du Rhône (French syrah) she had open.  It was very tasty.  We were just finishing up and planning to get the bill to leave when she came around with another open bottle of wine and suggested we try this unoaked cabernet sauvignon.  Eddie and I were intrigued so we had a glass of that and a glass of sherry to finish up.  I never saw a price list, but we were only charged $25 - $6 for each glass of wine and $1 for the beautiful milk chocolate square you see in the picture.

So we continued on our way toward Binks where Eddie wanted to eat dinner.  Unfortunately it was packed when we got there so we just kept walking.  We were having too much fun watching the drummers, the jugglers, the musicians, the hula hoopers, and the stilt walkers anyway.  But pretty soon we reached the end of the strip which is where we found Lolo - a cute tapas bar.  We weren't very hungry so we just ordered fresh local bread with oil and a side of fried & seasoned almonds.  They had some really yummy desserts listed on the menu so I definitely want to go back when I'm hungry and can afford dessert - churros with honey, chocolate mousse with something delicious on the side, and almond ice cream.  Some day I will get around to trying those...

So I'd have to say our first "Last Thursday" event was rather successful.  I wish I had some extra money to spare because then I'd actually pop in the art galleries and look at the work done by our local artists.  My media mention for tonight was inspired by a group of musicians I heard on the way back to the car.  They were playing an odd cover of Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street."  I didn't really care for their rendition, but it did get the song stuck in my head so there you go.