New Camera!

Check it:


Some snapshots from Bye Bye BridgePort party last night:

My beer card. No more free beers for me and my loved ones.


At the Aalto Lounge.

Retrospecting

The service industry is fickle. Restaurant-hopping is common-place and relatively emotion-free. Most people pick up a job as a bartender, server, busser, or host to make a little extra cash while in school. Some like it so much they stick with it, year after year. Even after their "real" jobs kick in, or they discover their passion, or start going to grad school. Even when this is the case, a serving job can seem pretty interchangeable.

Today is my last day with BridgePort. I've been with them for almost four years. That seems a lifetime to me-- and most of my generation, I’d bet.

I've worked for four different restaurants. They all had their ups and downs.

McMenamins Grand Lodge was my first job in the service industry. I had just came back from studying in Northern Ireland my junior year of college and needed money. I served, bartended, cooked, worked in the wine bar, managed... as all you know who have worked at a McMenamins (1/2 of Portland? Probably a pretty accurate guess), they don't require a certain skill. If you're passable in one aspect of serving, you're in. It was a great place to start, only to see how not to run and manage a restaurant. Everything there, and at every other location, is so cluster-fucky that there is almost no possible way for you to give good service.
It was loads of fun working there though. An old Masonic lodge with a movie theater, soaking pool, 5 different bars, and huge green grounds where you could watch the most ridiculous weddings. (One had Moulin Rouge be their soundtrack for their entire reception. Kid you not.) I was there for almost 2 years.
I left for the world of non-profit and children in Connecticut, followed by a stint in San Diego. Both jobs intense and draining. Moved back to Oregon and back to the Service Industry.

McCall’s on the bank of the Willamette River had the worst owners you could ask for. Tim and Laurie, the owners, bought their food in bulk from Costco. The nachos were made with dehydrated beans. Tim threatened teenagers in the parking lot with a baseball bat. On a regular basis. He would also drink several frozen slushie-type drinks, heavy on the booze, and then start slurring his words and start ordering everyone around, even the guests.

But the people I met there were some of the nicest people I've ever worked with. I helped open this one. That means that you get to know everyone so well because you spend one or two weeks in orientation, putting the restaurant together, taking classes, learning the menu, sampling the drinks and basically bonding. One of the girls, in fact, is my beloved Ingrid who was my roommate this past year.

That job lasted about four months. The funny thing is, out of a new staff of 15, I lasted the longest.


On Deck Sports Bar? Not much better.
It was so bad that every single server there cried at least once. I helped open this one too. A sports bar in the Pearl District doesn't attract sports fans so much as it attracts douche bags. Big, obnoxious loud D-bags.
Customers would regularly yell in your face. Some would bring their stupid little sports whistles and blow it at you when they wanted another Bud Light, extra lime.
The sections were so unrealistically big that we would spend entire shifts literally running. One busy summer day I had the entire 1/2 of the restaurant--about 35 tables, all full, not to mention a 20-top reservation that was just standing around drinking. That memory still gives me nightmares. (Though I did make bank that day. $400. Holy shit.)

I made it here about a year, and my only saving grace was my good friends I met here. Joette, Erin, Kirsten, Anna, Ivy... I'm still incredibly close with each of them. They're my ladies. We had a blast drinking "diet sodas" every night--crown and diet, or sometimes 3-olive Cherry Vodka and diet. We would start drinking towards the end of our shift, and continue on after work til last call. Last Call in Oregon is 2:30am. We did this at least 6 days a week. When I left there, my liver rejoiced.

From On Deck I moved to BridgePort Brewpub. The oldest brewpub in Oregon, its doors had been closed for about a year doing an extensive remodel. They hired a huge crew of people, and we had to sit through an incredibly in-depth orientation process. We could tell how much work and love everyone had put into it. The knowledge and passion that our managers had was instilled into us from day one.
I loved working there. I hadn't felt such support from my place of employment in, well, ever. I happily waited tables and bartended.

(that's my good friend Jason bartending in this picture)

After almost two years, my good friend Laura approached me. She had transferred over to the BridgePort Ale House on Hawthorne about a year before as the Assistant Manager. She got promoted to General Manager and asked me to step into her recently vacated role.

I gladly accepted. Bye bye tip world and late nights, hello salary, hard work, benefits, and vacation hours.
I had a blast. I learned so much during the last two years. I learned about running a business, I learned mad office skills, learned how to communicate more effectively with people, how to interview people, how to tell someone in a nice way to work a little harder and stop filling the damn ketchup bottles when it's busy, I learned how to tell someone in a mean way to not complain quite so loud about your tips on the floor; but most of all I learned about myself.

I've grown so much with BridgePort. I've had an awesome time working here, and as I type this, I'm thinking about heading into my last day there. I have nothing but love for this place. The service industry is a mercurial beast, and I'm thankful I found a nice home within it for the last four years.

Crazy Rumors

No, not the illicit juicy sexy kind of crazy rumors.


The completely legal juicy sexy chapstick kind.

I know, I know, you may not think it's as titillating as the former, but I promise you, this is even better.

Yes, that's right. This is a PRODUCT REVIEW.





Here's a little bit about Crazy Rumors, from their website:

Who says Natural can’t be Fun!?

We certainly believe it can be and we’re here to prove that this is not just another Crazy Rumor!

Crazy Rumors gives your lips a healthy dose of super vitamin enriched kissability, blended with your favorite and delicious, naturally derived flavors and fabulous packaging, all while changing your view on how simply natural can be sensational for both you and the environment!

Peruse our parade of all natural and vegan, beneficial ingredients and you’ll be sure to find only the best and most desirable make their way in! Vitamin Enriched and Moisturizing Organic Shea Butter, Silky Smooth and Soothing Jojoba Oil, perfectly blended together with Organic Natural Flavors and Pure Essential Oils. Best of all, we slightly sweeten everything with a hint of Natural Stevia - an amazingly awesome combination that will leave your kiss in bliss!

Available in 5 fantastic lines:

For the Coffee Lover:
Perk available in 6 Captivating Coffee Flavors

For the Tea Lover
Brew available in 6 Rejuvenating Tea Flavors

Still screaming for Ice Cream?
A La Mode available in 6 Indulgent Ice Cream Flavors

Chew on this!
Gumball available in 3 Bubble Gum Inspired Flavors

I love them. I went on a spree a few months ago--1/2 off all flavors. They're usually pretty reasonably priced at $4 a pop, but when you throw 1/2 off into the deal, it's silly to stay away. They just added another line: fresh-squeezed. Um, yum?!
There's also a Hibiskiss; a softly-tinted lip balm that runs for $6 each.

Why I love them:
* They are an all-natural vegan company. No testing on animals here. Though this is cute: "Occasionally one of our cats will get hold of one and use it as a hockey puck :) besides that we absolutely do not test our products on any animals, just ourselves, friends, family."

* No extra waste here! They use only recycled boxes and packing peanuts for their shipping orders.

* All their ingredients are pronounceable. Thank goodness. Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Candelilla Wax, Soy Wax, Natural & Organic Flavors, Vitamin E, Organic Carnauba Wax & Natural Stevia

* The flavors are AMAZING. My all-time favorite is peppermint lemongrass from the Brew line. With a sweet yet tart flavor, I find it hard not to eat the whole stick in one go.

Others that I've tried so far:

Orange Bergamot (Brew)
One of my faves. This one was definitely an acquired taste though. So strong and tea-like, at first, it was almost too powerful. I soldiered on though, and now have to struggle not to lick it off as soon as I apply.

Ginger Peach (Brew)
Good. The ginger flavor comes out a little stronger than the peach. This one is like a nice herbal tea that's been steeping awhile.

Amaretto (Perk)
Sweet and almond-y. Yum.

HibisKiss Pearl ~ HibisKiss Coral


Both these are slightly floral tasting and super enjoyable. The Pearl is a lighter color, and probably my personal favorite. The coral tint shows up a little darker.
~~~

If you sign up for the mailing list, you'll get semi-regular offers for special deals when ordering; I say TAKE THEM. They're worth every penny.

Blog changes and Mock tuna salad

My blog is now epicuriousvegan.blogspot.com. I had no idea there would be so much confusion by just changing a letter, (or adding a letter really. From "veg*n" to "vegan"). I lost my followers. Boo! I had to do some magic. But I think it's all back to good. My blog is still the same, just tweaked it a bit!
Anyway, I made some Mock Tuna Salad yesterday.
It was remarkably easy and deliciously tasty. Yes, deliciously tasty.

Here's how:

MOCK TUNA SALAD
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (we don't need all that salt that comes in canned food!)
• 2 T Wildwood Garlic Aioli
• 1 T Dill (I used dried, but fresh would be superb!)
• ¼ cup red onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 t mustard powder
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1t lemon juice
• ½ sheet nori, torn (seaweed paper)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
Throw (or toss, gently. Whichever.) everything into a food processor except the onion and celery. Puree. You may need to scrape everything once or twice.
Add celery and onion. You want to keep them whole so there’s that nice crunch. Optional: Throw in a few more chickpeas for a little extra somethin’.

*This was so good! I put it in a pita with some lettuce and salsa and made a sandwich. Then I just got some crackers and dipped. And dipped. And dipped.
Mmmmmm.

Oh yeah, I use a big T to indicate Tablespoon and a little t to indictate teaspoon. Something my mamma taught me years ago.:)


This picture is not mine, as my camera is still broken (!) but I borrowed it from my friend over at http://happyherbivore.com.

Meal Planning

I'm trying something new.

Meal Planning for the week.

This is not so much because I'm such a daredevil that I love doing new exciting things like pre-planning all my meals. No.
This is because I just spent a shitload of money at Fred Meyer, and I REALLY want to make sure I use up everything I bought.

Usually I end up having to toss quite a few things. Produce just seems to go bad so quickly. I'm sure we've all been there when we peer into the fridge, thinking "AHA! I finally know how to use all that ginger/spinach/pound of tomatoes/mushrooms/etc that I purchased a few days ago."
Only to find that it has actually been a week and a half and now you know why it smells funny in there.

So, here I go.

This is what I have so far:

Chickpea tuna salad in pita bread

Raw Romaine Lettuce Wrap with hummus, broccoli slaw, tomato, basil, carrots

Smoothies—carrots, ginger, blueberries, strawberries, spinach, nectarines.

Tacos—beans, romaine, spinach, tofu, green pepper, onion.

Salad—romaine, spinach, green pepper, cranberries, almonds, tofu.

Pizza—pepperoni , mushrooms, sausage, green pepper, black olives, red sauce. OR pesto pizza with almonds, ricotta, (something sweet)

Mac and Cheese with whole wheat elbow noodles, yeast/cashew cheese sauce, green peas, and soysauge

Roasted Brussels sprouts and Broccolini