My fiancé and I were fortune enough to spend Memorial Day weekend with friends in Portland, Oregon. We had just gotten engaged the weekend prior, so we were excited to celebrate with good food, good drinks and good company.

Portland's food and beverage scene did not disappoint: we had craft beer and schawarma fries at Base Camp Brewing Company, dinner and drinks at the Doug Fir Lounge, coffee at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, ice cream at Salt & Straw, and obligatory doughnuts at Voodoo Doughnut, among others. We also hiked past waterfalls near the Columbia River Gorge, and found a vista point at Pittock Mansion.

If you're a craft beer enthused, leisure loving, nature baby like we are, PDX is sure to jive well with your soul. Where better to toast than in the city where 20-somethings go to retire? Cheers to you, Portland!

Portlandia

Columbia River Gorge

Hike past a waterfall near the Columbia River Gorge

Bridge city

Since moving to California, there's nothing I love more than cooking clean eats with fresh ingredients grown locally. Recently I whipped up this particularly gorgeous summer salad, which turned out as mouth-wateringly good as it did photogenic.

Flank Steak Summer Salad

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Wild arugula (~7 oz.)
Flank Steak (~12 oz.)
Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette
Mini heirloom tomatoes
Blue cheese crumbles
Avocado
Hard boiled egg
Shallot Gold

Directions:

Season your flank steak with salt and pepper, then grill or pan-fry to perfection using your favorite technique (my go-to for pan-fried flank steak perfection is here). Let the steak sit 10 minutes before cutting, then slice thin strips against the grain.

Lay down a bed of wild arugula and top with sliced avocado, sliced egg, tomatoes, shallot gold, flank steak and blue cheese crumbles. Dress lightly and serve.

Pairs well robust red wine. Cheers!