I Love Poke Festival OC

Ready for a culinary vacation? Sometimes you don’t have to fly to paradise to surround yourself with island vibes and tastes. Last weekend, I got to experience

ONO YUM

’s I Love Poke event in Orange County, and got to try the BEST poke prepared by award-winning chefs! With the poke bowl craze taking over southern California by storm, I was super excited to expand my knowledge about how poke is actually crafted. There are so many other ways to eat and enjoy raw fish, poke style. The event took place in

Irvine Hotel

’s backyard. It was such a fun place to chill, play lawn games and enjoy all the food samples. The venue even looked like Hawaii, with lush tropical plants and palm trees around the perimeter. Each ticket cost $75, which included unlimited tastes from over 20 vendors.

Throughout the day, there was live music, performances and poke demonstrations on the center stage. There was also a panel of judges that got to decide which chef took home the title of Best Poke!

Foodland vendors filled the outdoor section, so we decided to try some dishes out before getting poke inside. Our first stop was the Pocky booth! We got to sample different and unique flavors of Pocky, I liked the corn flavored one a lot surprisingly. L&L Irvine had mini saimin bowls, my favorite comfort food.

Next we entered the Pokeland section, there were tables and tables of poke samples, it felt like foodie heaven. Each vendor had a unique take on their poke, no two dishes were the same. Each table we visited was a new experience in presentation and taste. Each explosion of flavor represented their restaurants well, props to all the amazing chef's for all their hard work! We stopped by Zarlitos from San Diego, their spicy garlic poke was my absolute fave!

Next we caught Sushi Studio Arts arranging their samples on skateboard decks! Loved their presentation and their ahi tuna poke was so delicious. Next we had Poke OG and their refreshing watermelon and poke with cucumber.

ILNLYF Foods served their poke in mini coconut shells. They definitely brought island flavor to OC!

Here are more shots from all the other vendors, notice how fresh and vibrant the dishes look!

To top off all the poke, we indulged in pineapple flavored cotton candy and Rainbow Shave Ice with condensed milk drizzle from Hula Girls! The perfect way to end the day.

Overall, I loved everything about this festival, the ambiance, the music, the food and especially the people. Everybody lived and breathed poke and the Hawaiian lifestyle. I had such an amazing time, I’ll definitely be visiting some of the shops when the festival is over for a full bowl of poke. Till next year!

Drink Creatively with Paint Nite #ReigniteYourNite

If you’re looking for something to do,

Paint Nite

is the perfect event to attend. Anyone can join, even if you don't think you can paint! It's the perfect hangout with friends or loved ones, and you get to drink! It’s really cool to see all the different paintings that people come up with at the end.

This past weekend, I got to paint with Paint Nite again! This event was located at Famous Dave’s BBQ in Irvine, and the best part was that they had Happy Hour pricing for drinks at that location. The title of our painting was Fallilicious - a pretty blue sky background with autumn leaves and trees framing the canvas. Roxanne, our teacher, was enthusiastic and was willing to help everyone out. This time I decided to mix some colors up to create a little twist to the painting, and it turned out amazing! Even Roxanne said she loved it! My boyfriend started to go a different route too and made a Pok

émon themed painting using the tree as a base. Here at Paint Nite, there are absolutely no rules, so you're free to paint whatever your heart desires. You get ample time to finish each step, and by the end of two hours you have completed your very own masterpiece!

Paint Nite is fun for both beginners and experts alike! Every Paint Nite is a new experience.. I’ve joined 4 times, and I still love going. It’s always a great time to drink creatively, and it inspires everyone to express themselves through art. Check out their website to see if they’re hosting a location near you. If you’ve already gone, share your paintings, I’d love to see them!

3 Days in Portland, Oregon // #traveljournal

This past Labor Day weekend, Andy and I explored Portland, Oregon and enjoyed what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. We spent three days eating our way through the city, getting taster flights for everything, hiking along the gorge, and shopping tax-free! Here is our itinerary for all the spots we visited and dined at.

Stay:Crowne Plaza Portland Downtown

Only a few minutes from downtown, this hotel has many amenities to make your trip easier! I’m a Spire Elite IHG member so we got complimentary drinks at the bar at arrival. The front desk agents were very accommodating and worked out a few kins we had about transportation and the room. They have a hot tub and pool on site, which was the perfect way to wind down after a long day exploring the city. The best part was the complimentary shuttle service that takes you anywhere and picks you up within 3 miles of the hotel. This saved us a ton of money since we didn’t have to uber much!

Day .5 - Night

Base Camp Brewery: We tried the Taster Log which consisted of 6 beer samples. My favorite was the S’mores Stout! They added a marshmallow garnish to the rim of the glass. It tasted like the perfect blend of smoke, chocolate, and campfire goodness.

Voodoo Donuts Too: Definitely had to try the hype! This location is on the other side of town so the lines were a lot shorter. They have a huge menu listing all of their confections, if you need a tip on which to get, try the Voodoo Doll, Captain My Captain, Double Bubble, and the Bacon Maple Bar. If you go towards the back by the parking lot, there’s a mural perfect for taking photos with your new treats!

Day 1

Multonamah Falls: If you only want to explore these falls, I highly suggest you buy a ticket for the Columbia Gorge Express online. It’s super affordable, and it takes you straight to the falls from downtown! The falls were beautiful, and you can take a 1 mile hike to the top (consists of 11 switchbacks). It’s worth it if you want to touch the water, it’s closed off at the bottom.

Brunch at East Burn: They have a few swinging chairs available, try to snag those if you want a unique dining experience. We tried out their Brunch Cocktail Flight, mini glasses of mimosas, coffee shot, greyhound, and a bloody mary!

OMSI: We ended up going on a $2 admission day, so check out the specials they have ahead of time! This museum is a coolinteractive place for kids and kids at heart.

Keep Portland Weird Sign: Pics at this wall mural is a must! Photo moment to document all the weird stuff you did in Portland haha.

Dinner at Portland City Grill: If you was a good deal and an amazing view, go here for happy hour. You can see Mt. Hood and perfect sunset skies.

Deschutes Brewery: Definitely hit this place up if you’re walking downtown, it’s one of the popular ones so it does get crowded. They have a lot of good brews on tap! And a taster flight as well.

DAY 2

 

Salt & Straw Ice Cream - Get an ice cream flight to share, you get 4 kids size scoops for about $9. We tried the cocoa coffee cocanu craque, honey lavender, almond brittle salted ganache, and strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper. They have so many unique flavors available, ask for samples! My favorite was the honey lavender, so refreshing!

Next we took an Uber to The International Test Rose Garden. Admission is free! There are rows and rows of roses in different shapes and colors.

Shopping in downtown near Pioneer Place: Portland is tax-free so take advantage of shopping!

Food Carts: There are a lot of food carts lining the streets of Portland, some were closed on the weekend, but we were able to try out two. The first one was SawasdeeThai, which had yummy and a surprisingly sweet pad thai. The second one was The Grilled Cheese Grill, where we got the glorious Cheesus. Two grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun, ⅓ lb burger patty, lettuce and tomato.

Ground Kontrol: Next was this super cool barcade, perfect for all the video game lover. They have a bunch of retro arcade games and pinball machines! Drinks are reasonable and games start at 25 cents. Such a fun place to kill some time.

Bailey’s Taproom: So many craft beers on tap here. I tried out the Sasquatch Watermelon Degeres and the Mother Earth Cali Creamin. Great place to hang out!

Ex Novo Brewery: This non-profit brewery blends craft beer and social change! We ordered a flight, and they had an $8 special for a beer and a whisky shot.

DAY 3

Brunch at Tasty N’ Sons. The food here is simply amazing, it’s one of the popular brunch spots in Portland so try to go early! Our starter was the Potatoes Bravas, next we ordered the Shasuka and the Burmese Red Pork Stew! Everything was so flavorful and delicious. We got to sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen, it was so cool to see your food being prepared fright in front of you!

Nike Factory Store: Bought some Nike Free Runs for $70 and no tax! If you have a little bit more time to shop, check out this oulet store for deals on shoes, clothing and accessories.