If there is anything that Portland is known for, it's having a great food scene. Seriously, it's amazing. I can't say for a certainty, but I feel like I could eat at a different restaurant every day for months and have the best food ever.
Sunday was the first night we actually went out to dinner since arriving. This, on it's own, is slightly unheard of. In the past when we have visited P-Town, we have arrived ready to hit the restaurant scene with abandon. Given that it was usually for only a few days at a time, we really lived it up. So much so that my husband now knows several of the chefs by name, and they actually know him as well. In another town, that may not happen, but Portland is amazing in that it is unpretentious and generally accessible in way that is unique. I don't know of very many cities like that.
In any case, my husband picked a favored standby of ours. I didn't think it at the time, but in retrospect feel that it was a very thoughtful choice, given my present emotional state. I needed something familiar. Somewhere that I could eat great food and not have to think too hard about my choices. I'm sure we will be hitting a few of our favorites while here, but we also are trying to have behavior more on par with us just living here. That will be hard, (and such a first world "problem"). There are tons of great choices at our fingertips...Portland is like a food Mecca. I'm planning on us going out to eat a few times, and maybe even getting in a couple of date nights in the process! The rest of the time we are aiming for home cooked, which is not too bad, if I do say so myself.
It's a funny thing being married. Before I was married I would say that I had no desire to be "Betty homemaker", but now that I'm married I really enjoy cooking.... or more accurately... I usually enjoy cooking. Neither me or my husband started out with much culinary skill. He had a total of three, fairly impressive dishes that he would attempt to woo women with. I kid you not, he had a laminated menu he would pull out when he had guest over. I don't remember what three things he claimed to cook, but in keeping with his Ecuadorian roots he would direct people to the dish that he wanted to cook. Everything thing else would be "unavailable" that evening. He has always had a love of food and and adventurous attitude towards eating it. I, on the other hand, didn't care that much about food when I was single. I firmly believe there are two kinds of people in the world.... those who live to eat, and those who eat to live. I fall into the latter, while my husband is definitely in the former category. We've had to learn some compromises, but he still hates my salads.
Cooking was a lot more fun before the expectations started in. To be clear, I have no training, but I also have no fear. I guess I think, "What's the worst the could happen? It's not like I'm attempting Puffer Fish. We can always order Pizza!".My husband is notorious for bringing home some random meat or vegetable that I have never heard of, and expecting me to know what to do with it. For the most part, it usually ends up edible, if not really good. Who knew I could make such fantastic sweet meats? In fact, there is a small non-verbalized side of me that at times enjoys him doing the shopping for this very reason. It's guaranteed to put a twist in our culinary experience. Now however, I sometimes feel like I'm living in a Chopped episode. Most of the time it's great, but every now and then you get some really hideous, secret ingredient. Then, I get irritated. When I get too irritated I just tell him it's his turn to figure out dinner. Unfortunately... or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, he now enjoys cooking quite a bit. I'm slightly put out by this, but thankful at the same time. I can't explain it.
I think it's the fact that he no longer will opt for making reservations as his first choice.
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