Gracie's

In what seems like perfect timing, it is Dining Month in Portland! In San Francisco, there is a similar program that only lasts two weeks, but Portland knows how to do it right :)  For the month of June, lots of restaurants in Portland are offering 3-course dinner menus for a set price of $29. This is definitely going to change my restaurant list a bit!  Last week, I tried two different restaurants for the Dining Month special. On Tuesday, I went to Gracie's, which is a restaurant in the Hotel Deluxe.

When you walk into the hotel, there is a big screen with a picture of Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant! Such old-school glamor.

Entrance to the hotel

For the Dining Month menu, I got to pick one appetizer, one entree and one dessert. Usually restaurants only have one or two choices for these special menus, but Gracie's had a huge selection! I was pleased :)

Dining Month menu

I really liked the interior of the restaurant. It had nice curtains, chandeliers, and a mix of tables and booths. I got my own booth which was very nice.

Inside Gracie's

I started with sizzling forest mushrooms. These were great! They were sizzling in garlic and herbs and they were fantastic spooned over the crusty bread. Gracie's is known for these mushrooms, so I knew I had to try them, and they didn't disappoint!

Sizzling forest mushrooms

But the mushrooms were even better spooned over my steak! I chose the Double R Ranch New York steak, which was served with a red wine reduction, green beans and fingerling potatoes.

Mmm steak

The steak was nicely cooked, although a bit small. But for a special menu, I'm ok with that. I liked eating the steak with the mushrooms, and was happy that I ordered both of those as my savory options!  For dessert, I opted for the strawberry rhubarb crisp. It was the seasonal option and it was delicious!  My only complaint is that it was served VERY hot, so the ice cream melted before I really got to enjoy it :(  But it was tasty while it lasted!

Strawberry rhubarb crisp

I liked Gracie's a lot. I think I will go back, even after Dining Month ends!

Gracie's Restaurant
729 SW 15th Ave, Portland OR

Portland Timbers Game

I know this doesn't really count as a restaurant, but in lieu of a proper dinner last night, I suggested to my boss that we go to the Portland Timbers game! I drive past the stadium every day on my way back from work, and I noticed a big crowd heading to the stadium. Usually, Timbers games are on the weekends while I am not in Portland, so I was excited that a game was happening and I could actually go!

Outside the front gate

We grabbed tickets right at kickoff and headed into the stadium. The Timbers (an MLS team) were playing Wilmington, at team from North Carolina that is part of the USL Pro league, so basically, Wilmington got killed in this match.

Great field!

While the Timbers dominated 5-1, it was still a fun game to watch. The Timbers crowd is REALLY into it - lots of songs and cheering went on throughout the entire match. Every time they scored a goal, a guy with a chainsaw cut a slice off a big tree stump. The field was also great - it's right downtown, and was built to be a soccer stadium, so it had great seating (except for a very large pole that blocked my view to the left) and it was nice to see downtown in the distance, and be able to walk from my hotel.

As this is a food blog, I'll report what I ate :)  I had a "timber pie" which was basically a chicken empanada, but it was only ok. Next time I'll stick with the hot dogs.