katelin's closet

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

My Favorite Restraunts In Oregon: The Hotcake House, The Taco House and Helvatia Tavern

MY FAVORITE, AND CLASSIC PLACES TO EAT IN OREGON:

Most of these places I've been going to my whole life, so I can vouch they are the greatest places to eat in Portland!

THE HOT CAKE HOUSE

This is my hands down favorite place to eat in Oregon, thus it must come first. My dad has lived right up the street from this place, almost my whole life, so I've been going since I was just a tot. The man in the below picture has been working there for 27 years, this guy is The Hot Cake House. This place has amazing food, decent prices, it's just a short distance from downtown and open 24 hours. Obviously the perfect after clubbing munchies spot, or next morning hang over recovery center :) It's perfect anytime of the day. I love this place so hard.

Can't miss this sign

Um... Yes please!

Are you kidding me with this shit?! Do you SEE those biscuts and gravy in the background?!

THE ORIGINAL TACO HOUSE

After The Hot Cake house, just scoot up the road to my other favorite house, The Original Taco House. This place is money. Grew up not far from this place, so another place I've been going to since diapers. And once you see the below taco salad, you'll understand why. This place is my favorite in the winter with it's big fireplace you can cozy up to. Oregon does have some amazing Mexican food, and this is one of the best! Be sure to get some cinnamond things for dessert!! :)

TACO SALAD!!!

HELVASIA TAVERN

Talking about places not fucking around, Helvasia Tavern. I mean, I should have known when we had to drive through 15 min of corn and hay fields, and there were dirtbikes parked out front. If that wasn't a dead giveaway we weren't in Kansas anymore, the menu with three things on it (well, maybe a few more but...) this places isn't fucking around with their burgers. For an aspiring vegetarian, I could be a complete vegetarian if it weren't for damn burgers. I love burgers. Thus I like to think of myself as a burger, maybe not conosur, but lover definitly. That being said, the best burger I've ever had. Yeah, I went there. I said it. I hope you'll take me seriously, and make the huck out to Helvasia (near Hilsboro) for the best damn burger and onion rings on this planet.

RC sign and dirtbikes, really? Here's your sign they serve PBR on tap, and take cash only. But don't let that deter you!

Um, yeah.....

My kind of place.

Song Of The Week

Be sure to check out other music by Tiki Tane, my new favorite artist!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

My Favorite Bars/Clubs In Portland: The Departure, Aura, Henry's, and Dukes

MUST SEE EVENING HOT SPOTS IN PORTLAND, OREGON

Below are pictures and reviews of my favorite places I've been to in the last three weeks here in Portland. I hope you enjoy, and at some point get to visit, all of the below places :)

AURA

Yeah, this club had to go first. It was the first club I went to (as a mater of fact only a few hours after I got off the plane here :) and it is the club I have been to the most often since I've been here. Aura is awesome. That's why I'm having my birthday party there, Duh! You know it's bad when you've been here three weeks, and the bouncers recognize you. "Hey how's it going! You're brother coming?!" As you give them a hug, then walk by the line waiting outside, in the back door, and straight up to the VIP. Can't say I've ever done that with a group full of guys and been the only girl, but I did at this club. All because of the amazing John Kim. He works there and has been one of the most well connected , and most accommodating people I've met in Portland. If you come to Portland, contact my brother, John, or my new BF Matty, and I guarantee you will have a good time. Back to Aura, so obviously if John works here, it's the hottest place to be :) See pics below to solidify this fact.

Ummm... yes.

View from the upstairs

But beware when wearing a dress upstairs, you never know who's downstairs, and who wears underwear these days...

HENRY'S

This place is a great pre-party spot, thus, Henry's is where we'll before Aura on Friday for my birthday party :) It's a really chill, laid back place, tons of local beer on tap, and great food. Not to mention the wait staff should open their own modeling agency. Let's just say they're easy on the eyes. PLUS, the ice ledge on the bar. You may think this is trivial, but to a drinker, this is an epic detail. Think Cold Stone Creamery slab for your booze. Brilliant. Plus it's just blocks to Aura. Obviously, you should check this place out.

The infamous, and amazing gorgonzola fries

Cold drink all night?! I like it.

Too bad they don't have any beer on tap...

My favorite picture of my brother and I

THE DEPARTURE

This gem of a lounge sitting on top of the newly renovated Nine's hotel overlooks all of downtown Portland. Comparatively to the bars I've been to around the world, it's not the greatest. But for Portland, The Departure is unheard of. Swanky, laid back, amazing view, the kind of lounge I would have never thought my hometown could ever evolve to producing. It's funny because when talking to people that live here, very few have been to The Departure, which I don't understand. Perhaps it hasn't caught on? Perhaps Portland's not ready for a place you can't wear tennis shoes to?! None the less, with no cover, $7 Long Islands, and unvanquishable view, it's definitely one of the places to see and been seen in Portland.

Inside the lounge

Outside, rooftop view. So much more beautiful at night!

My brother and I dressed to the Nines :)

DUKES

Wow, were to begin with this one. I had to save Duke's for last, because it might be my favorite. And let me tell you why: 5 minutes after I walked into this wonderful shit show of a country bar for the first time, Wee Man walked by me. Oh yes, Wee Man. Pretty much you know you're in the right place when his 2ft ass walks by you and no one even flinches. I have partied in Guam, Hawaii, Miami, New York, DC and I have never been to anything like this! Let me explain: line dancing, Wranglers, mechanical bull, these people aren't fucking around. I mean $1.75 well drinks and PBR on tap?!? Yes. When you come in the door, show your ID, get your stamp, the tramp at the front door asks you "Jager shot?" Um...YES. If that doesn't convince you, the below pics hopefully will persuade you to make the huck out to Gresham to see this one of a kid bar.

Packed every night I've been!!

Cowboy hat, flannel shirt, American flag in the background. Pretty much, nuff said.

Wow.

My brother and I at my first visit, taken by the Duke's official photog

A special thank you to my brother for being so well connected, and knowing all the hot spots to take me to. Thank you Dangle!! :)

My New Favorite Movie: Grandma's Boy

My brother introduced me to this movie, and I've watched it five times since I've been here. Watch this clip and you'll see why.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Sunriver Photo Shoot With Lindsay

Location #1. Yeah, I made that dress.

Road to Mt. Bachelor

Second location upstream view

Downstream view

My mom's artistic shot ;)

Big bottom tree hugger

The location is sorta like inside at a DC studio...wait

If you've shot with me, you know I try to go balls deep. I saw this stump and said, how about I climb up on that shit?! Lindsay said-Do it! :)

Yeah, I'm stumped. The crazy sky reminds me of Carey Hess' shit.

Balls deep part 2. "How about I jump off this shit a couple times"

Look #3. 'Yeah I'm in Oregon. I'm kinda cowboy.'

The photographer Lindsay and I

The glamorous life of modeling. Changing and makeup in the backseat :)

So besides sunbathing, playing tennis, and shopping there isn't a lot to do in Sunriver :) My mom is going back to Alabama next week, and I thought it would be fun for my mom and Grandpa to see what I do. So luck have it, I searched Model Mayhem and found a photographer in Sunriver! He was kind enough to set up a shoot in short notice, and we were able to shoot today! Lindsay lives out here and knew of some beautiful local locations that he thought would diversify my portfolio. He was super easy to work with and gave great articulate direction but left room for improvisation. Something unique about his shooting style was early into the shoot he asked me what I though my best feature and my least favorite feature was. That way if say I didn't like my left side, he wouldn't send me a shit ton of my left side shots, etc. I thought that was really thoughtful. We shot essentially three looks, two locations. The biggest challenge was wardrobe. I hadn't planned on doing a photo shoot, so I didn't really bring the most fashionable clothes, but I hope he was pleased with the shit I threw together, it was fun to shoot again! :) Special thank you to Joanie, my mom, for all of the wonderful pics!