I have a ton of photos and foodie ideas to share from our Alaska/ Vancouver/ Portland trip, but right now, all I can think about is the
Sacsayhuaman (pronounced "Sexy Woman") cocktail that my friend Sue introduced me to at
Andina Restaurant in Portland's Pearl District. It's made with
habenero-infused vodka with passion fruit puree and cane sugar in a sweet/sour sugar-rimmed glass. Sound weird or foo-foo? It's really not... at first sip it's sweet and sour, then the heat kicks in... then you find yourself licking off the sugar-rimmed glass... super addictive stuff!
This Peruvian hot spot in the Pearl District also has wonderful tapas which we shared for appetizers. To make the most of our couples' date-night, we had appetizers and drinks at Andina, then moved on to
Fenouil for dinner. The four of us shared medium-sized plates of
Pimiento Piquillo Relleno: piquillo peppers stuffed with cheese,
quinoa and Serrano ham; and
Empanadas Caseras de Carne: flaky pastry filled with slow-cooked beef, raisins, and
Botija olives. They both were REALLY GOOD (and when I use ALL CAPS, that means REALLY, REALLY GOOD). It was
uber kid-unfriendly (
yay!) and the perfect start to our much anticipated couples date night. The next time we visit Portland, Andina will be at the top of my "must visit" list.
