Quirky Little Food Carts in Portland

As a wedding and portrait photographer in Sonoma, I use my eyes to discover the character of a place. In my recent trip to Portland, Oregon, I was amazed by the bountiful creativity in the decor and merchandizing in the retail shops, the designs and materials used in the city parks and in the diversity of the flavors and aromas from the fare served by the food carts. There has been an explosion of these carts all over the city.

With my friends, we discovered Portland by foot and at the end of each evening I indulged in a book, Cartopia, by Kelly Rodgers and Kelley Roy, an excellent read for understanding the sociology, the culture and the economy of Portland and how the combination of all three factors created a fertile environment for the ubiquitous food carts.

The authors explain that the city's independent culture and it creative entrepreneurial spirit nurture these “quirky little mobile eateries”. The pods of food carts provide a “natural extension of the intimate, yet vibrant ground floor street experience that the locals value. These pods contribute to the urban DNA that is intimate in scale and highly integrated in its setting.”

The carts have provided an opportunity for residents, particularly immigrants to start their own businesses with little investment money required upfront. This business appeals also to creative spirits and those longing for an independence they could not find in a corporate jobs. We chose to eat at Ziba's mainly because she offered a table for us to enjoy our food. Ziba is a Bosnian immigrant who came to the city, speaking no English in 2002 after the Balkan war. Her meat and spinach pies served with a cucumber salad and avatar were divine. On her cart is posted an excellent review from the New York Times.

CNN/Budget Travel has named Portland the top destination for street food, raving about the “spectacular rainbow of tastes, aromas and colors. Simple food, simply executed to be delicious”.

Culinary Jewel in the Sonoma Valley Wine Country

As a wedding photographer in Sonoma, CA, I am always in search of unique treasures in our valley to attract more destination weddings to our area. Last night I experienced a real wine country jewel. My friends and I were celebrating my brother Macon's birthday by going to Catherine Venturini's new place, Olive and Vine which she transformed from a popular cafe to an elegant restaurant in Glen Ellen.

The moment, we arrived we knew that we were about to embark on a magical dining experience. At the door we were graciously greeted by John Burdick, the host who is Catherine's partner both at the restaurant and at home. John also conducts top-of-the-line custom wine country tours companioned with exquisite foods prepared by Catherine. Catherine met John many years ago when he was a sommelier at the Farimont Hotel.

John exudes this quirky charm that makes his customers feel that they are part of an incredible adventure. An adventure that delights all of the senses. The atmosphere telegraphs understated elegance in a relaxed country style: chandeliers above country pine dinner tables, white linen cloths paired with burlap table skirts. Each dining chair has a different style; all are painted flat black with seats all covered in a high-end chic fabric. The background music is smooth, sensual and sophisticated.

The menu is divided into NOSH, MIDDLES and SAVOR. I have always thought that Catherine's food was based on Mediterranean cooking. However, the black cod and dumplings dish under NOSH had a delicious broth with an Asian flavor and a surprise kick from the chili infused oils. Our table ordered the lemon and sage roasted chicken with farro risotto, a coulette steak with fingerling potatoes, the lamb chop with sweet corn risotto cakes and the salmon. Every entree was superb; some were served with a medley of grilled vegetables including asparagus and carrots.

I forgot to mention that at the beginning of the dinner, Catherine sent small plates to our table with an appetizer: a lightly fried round dough with crème fresh and a savory on top.

Catherine and John are talking about doing a fried chicken dinner in midweek for the locals. As we were leaving the restaurant, Catherine's last words were: “If you like the fried chicken at Ad Hoc, you will be blown away by my fried chicken!”

Catherine and John are true professionals who have mastered their craft and are on top of their game!