0 Best Ever Concert Series: The Dandy Warhols, Typhoon and Y La Bamba

By Unknown | At 21.22 | Label : best ever concert series , best evers , portland | 0 Comments

To wrap up our Best Ever Concert Series, The Dandy Warhols, Typhoon and Y La Bamba took the stage last Thursday at the University Chapel in Portland, Oregon. Several hundred people gathered in the church's pews and choir lofts to watch an amazing night of music, including a psychedelic light show by The Dandy Warhols.

Here's video of Typhoon's performance:



And here's the full gallery of photos from the night:

In case you missed it, here's past coverage of all three of our shows, including photos and video of The Thermals, Lifesavas, Red Fang and The Builders and the Butchers.

A big thanks to the Official Manufacturing Company and crew for putting on such an awesome series of shows!

Rock on, Portland.

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team. Video by Chris Hornbecker, Jeff T Smith and OMFGCO. Photographs by Jeff T Smith and OMFGCO.

0 Best Evers: Stephanie Stricklen

By Unknown | At 12.23 | Label : best evers , portland | 0 Comments

Editor�s Note: While we�re in Portland, we wanted to bring some local flavor to the blog by asking writers who live in the area to contribute Hotpot-style city guides: recommendations on where to eat, where to shop, where to hang. Below, locally based writer Geoff Kleinman sits down with Stephanie Stricklen to discuss Stephanie�s Portland Best Evers.

In addition to rating and reviewing businesses on Hotpot, you can give your 10 favorite businesses a Best Ever award. We thought it would be fun to talk to a few prominent Portlandians to see what businesses they're giving their Best Ever awards to and why.

Up next in this ongoing series is Stephanie Stricklen, who hosts a quirky, geeky, fast-paced show called Live @ 7 on KGW Newschannel 8. She's worked at KGW for more than a decade and loves it; she has interviewed amazing people like the Dalai Lama and gotten to do amazing things like fly in an F18 with the Blue Angels and cover the Olympics all over the planet. You'll also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Here are Stephanie�s 10 Best Evers:

Mint Tea
This tea shop is crazy awesome. If you're either looking for a place to take an out of town guest or need a one-of-a-kind gift, stop by. Try the Moroccan mint tea and say hi to Jenna and Abdul.

Cinetopia
No better place to check out a movie on our side of the river in Vancouver; the husband and I go early and I check out Cinetopia's wine room and then order appetizers and settle in inside the Living Room theaters.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters
What can I possibly say about this killer coffee that hasn't been said before? Maybe that I love, love, love it (and I drink decaf)?


Sushi Tsunami
You never really know what you're going to get at a sushi-go-'round joint, except at Sushi Tsunami.  Consistent, quality, pocketbook-friendly delicious sushi.

McMenamins Edgefield
Had many stellar overnight trips here.  From the fun, eclectic bars to the overnight accommodations, this is an all-around win IMHO.

Lauro Mediterranean Kitchen
A (relatively-speaking) old-school standby for me. The food here is always great.

Shigezo
Stumbled across this Japanese bar and grill on a downtown walk. Fell in love with the food, the atmosphere and the fact that every time I've been there more people are speaking Japanese than English.

Powell's City of Books
Books. More books than you have ever seen in your entire life. You're welcome.

New Seasons Market
The folks at New Seasons joke about the friendly service there, but they're not kidding. They'll help you pick that perfect pastry, or deli gem to set your party apart. I spend too much time surfing the cheese counter. If you see me there, please remind me that I am on a perpetual diet and should keep moving on.

Uwajimaya
Any place that boasts veggies that come with a "Caution: May burn skin if handled raw" warning is aces in my book. ACES. I could spend a fortune there sampling wonderful foods not normally available in your local grocery store.

Which businesses will you give your 10 Best Evers to?

Posted by Geoff Kleinman. Geoff is the editor of DrinkSpirits.com, a national blog helping people figure out what to drink, and OnPDX.com, helping people figure out what to do in Portland.

0 We're On a Boat: Sailing With Red Fang and The Builders and the Butchers

By Unknown | At 09.05 | Label : best ever concert series , best evers , portland | 0 Comments

Update 3.11: We've got video of the show! Film and editing by Chris Hornbecker & Caleb Plowman in collaboration with Official Mfg Co.:



Last Thursday, we hopped aboard The Portland Spirit in Portland, Oregon, to rock out at our second show in the Best Ever Concert Series. Red Fang and The Builders and the Butchers played to a packed boat as it sailed down the Willamette River.

Here's a bunch of photos from the night:

The next gig? This Thursday at the University Chapel � yep, a church! � with The Dandy Warhols, Typhoon and Y La Bamba. 

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team. Photos by Chris Hornbecker.

0 Rocking and Rolling to The Thermals and Lifesavas

By Unknown | At 21.57 | Label : best ever concert series , best evers , portland | 0 Comments

Update 3.3: Here's a video capturing all the fun at The Rink. Film and editing by Chris Hornbecker & Caleb Plowman in collaboration with Official Mfg Co.:



Last night, we got our skate on in Portland, Oregon, as we kicked off our Best Ever Concert Series at Oaks Amusement Park Roller Rink. Portland favorites The Thermals and Lifesavas rocked out on stage, while concertgoers relived their grade school days working up a sweat in tan and white roller skates. There was cotton candy, a Wurlitzer organ, a giant Place pin balloon � basically, everything that is cool and awesome.

Check out a full gallery of photos from the night:

Photo by Fritz Mesenbrink 

Photo by Chris Hornbecker

Photo by Fritz Mesenbrink

Photo by Fritz Mesenbrink

Photo by Chris Hornbecker

Next up? Red Fang and The Builders & The Butchers this Thursday aboard The Portland Spirit. See you on the high seas, mates!

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 You Can�t Spell Hydrate Without Rate

By Unknown | At 08.22 | Label : portland | 0 Comments

Come on down to your local Powell�s Books, our latest Portland, Oregon, partner in crime. Show your app for Android or iPhone with any purchase of $10, and get a super nifty Klean Kanteen � on Google.

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 Hotpotters Cheer for the Trail Blazers in VIP Style

By Unknown | At 13.51 | Label : hotpotter , portland | 0 Comments

Last week we held a little contest on our Portland Twitter channel, @HotpotPDX. We asked you guys 10 questions related to Hotpot and our Portland marketing campaign. The first person to @reply us with the correct answer would win two tickets to see the Portland Trail Blazers take on the Lakers from a fully catered suite at the Rose Garden. Pretty sweet if we do say so ourselves!

You guys floored us with your enthusiasm and the speed at which you responded. A few of the questions and answers:

• What team did the Trail Blazers play against the night Google gave away all those sweet red t-shirts at the Rose Garden? Answer: Orlando Magic.
• What are we calling the snazzy new technology built into all the shiny �Recommended on Google� stickers popping up around town? Answer: NFC. 
• How many Best Ever medals does Powell�s City of Books have on their Place page? Answer: 121 (though that number has since gone up!). Side note: We�ve even teamed up with Powell�s this week: Show a cashier your Hotpot app for Android or iPhone, get a super cool Klean Kanteen � on Google!

A big thanks to our contest winners � Tyler, Scott, Joe, Erik, Lauren, Alex, Brian, Derek, Olivia and Rachel � and their guests for joining us at the big game!

Photo courtesy of Joe Morris.

Leo and Joe. Photo courtesy of Joe Morris.

And an extra special thank you to our friends at the Trail Blazers for having us.

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 Get Ready to Rock, Portland: Presenting the Best Ever Concert Series

By Unknown | At 23.02 | Label : best ever concert series , best evers , portland | 0 Comments

Update 3.1: The Red Fang and The Builders & The Butchers show is SOLD OUT. See you on the high seas!

Update 2.26: The Thermals and Lifesavas show is SOLD OUT. See you at The Rink!

Update 2.25: We've added distribution locations to the My Map for the second show featuring Red Fang and The Builders & the Butchers.

Update 2.21: We've created a Facebook event so you can RSVP and spread the news about these awesome shows to your people. Word.

When we first hit Portland in December to experiment with a new marketing approach for Google Places, we knew the city had an amazing music scene, full of great musicians and venues. And, well, just like Portlanders, all of us on the Hotpot team really like to rock it out.

So starting Feb. 28, to celebrate the sounds of Portland, we're bringing PDX something extra special. We're calling it the Best Ever concert series � named after one of our very favorite Hotpot features, the Best Ever medal � and here's what's going down:

How to Get In

So how do I get into one of these shows, you ask? The shows are free and all ages, but you have to show us a special wristband that�ll be given out at specific times at various locations throughout the city.  

For the first show at The Rink, locations include Compound Gallery, The Fix at Someday Lounge, Ace Hotel Portland, Fresh Pot Mississippi, and Hawthorne Burgerville.

For the second show on The Boat, locations include Trade Up Music, Jackpot Records, The Rebuilding Center, Music Millennium, Chopsticks II and the Peoples' Sandwich of Portland.

Details for the third show to be announced soon!

Here's a handy My Map of these locations:


View Wristband Pickup Locations for Best Ever Concert Series in a larger map

When To Get These Wristbands

As for when the wristbands will be available, and for which show, this is where it gets fun. You need to follow us at @HotpotPDX on Twitter to find out exactly when the wristbands will be made available. And then it's up to you to run, jump, bike, or swim as fast as you can to make sure you get one. No wristband, no show entry. Sad face.

Bonus!

Available at each show will be a custom Scout Book. This book includes a digital download code to get the Best Ever Mixtape, featuring exclusive tracks from some of Portland�s favorite bands. The book also lists some of the places in town considered Best Evers by the band members. A limited edition of 5,000 books will be produced and distributed.

Think that just about covers it. Be sure to stay tuned to @HotpotPDX and the Hotpot Blog for more information before, during and after the shows � lots of good stuff in store.

A Special Thanks

One final note: These concerts would not have been possible without the help of the amazing (and dashing) Portland-based Official Manufacturing Company. So make sure to thank, high five and hug, these three fellas next time you see them around town.

See you in the front row!

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 The Next Round�s on Google Hotpot

By Unknown | At 11.12 | Label : portland | 0 Comments

Free beer. Who doesn�t love it? So we thought it�d be fun to buy a round of beers last Friday for Portland, Oregon�s, chapter of Beer & Blog � a group of folks who meet up every week to discuss blogging over beers.

About 80 people joined us at The Green Dragon, and shared with us their great feedback on using Google Places and Hotpot. A big thanks to all for stopping by, introducing yourself, and sharing your thoughts!

And an extra special thank you to Michelle and Robin, the amazing ladies who head up Beer & Blog, for helping to make the evening such a success.

Cheers!

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 Best Evers: Corey Arnold, Photographer

By Unknown | At 16.57 | Label : best evers , portland | 0 Comments

Editor�s Note: While we�re in Portland over the next few weeks, we wanted to bring some local flavor to the blog by asking writers who live in the area to contribute Hotpot-style city guides: recommendations on where to eat, where to shop, where to hang. Below, locally based writer Audrey Van Buskirk sits down with Corey Arnold to discuss Corey's Portland Best Evers. Be sure to join the conversation in the comments below.

Photo courtesy of Corey Arnold

In addition to rating and reviewing businesses on Hotpot, you can give your 10 favorite businesses a "Best Ever" award. With thousands of businesses to rate and review, and only 10 Best Evers, it can often be tough narrowing down which 10 represent the absolute best of the best. We thought it would be fun to talk to a few prominent Portlanders to see what businesses they're giving their "Best Ever" awards to and why. Look out for more of these lists in the coming weeks.?

We checked in with Portland-based photographer Corey Arnold in between his traveling the world, shooting magazine assignments and taking on personal projects. He also moonlights as a commercial fisherman in Alaska two to three months per year. His photographic chronicles of the commercial fishing lifestyle have been exhibited in galleries worldwide, and in publications such as The Paris Review, Artweek, Esquire and Outside Magazine. Corey has just released Fish-Work: The Bering Sea. He gave us nine Portland Best Evers and one from San Francisco.

Rontoms: This East Burnside bar boasts the cutest ladies in town, a huge space for outdoor seating and a good selection of booze. It�s big but it has the feeling of a cabin.

Charles A. Hartman Fine Art: The finest photography gallery in the Northwest is a tightly run ship with a super friendly owner.

Ned Ludd: Another Portland place with a cabin-like vibe, this Northeast Portland restaurant has great service and served me a smoked cod dish that was my most memorable meal of 2010.


Clyde Common: Find Portland�s best atmosphere, a great scotch selection, smart bartenders, and strange and tasty meals at this downtown restaurant in the Ace Hotel.

Flower of Life Massage: I don�t really want to tell anyone about the amazingly inexpensive and relaxing massages provided by Rebecca Ellis.

Digicraft at Udevelop: The best place in Portland to make large photo prints, this place is super cheap, handles large scale projects as well as small and overall provides just the best photo processing and service.

Deadliest Catch Food Cart: Go here for real Alaskan seafood served by a real Alaskan crab fisherman and his wife, an intimate atmosphere with indoor seating and incredibly tasty king crab burritos.

Glenhaven Skatepark: Looking for the best place to collide with a BMX bike while riding a skateboard? You�ll find it here. It boasts the best use of space in a Portland skateboard park and is overall the city�s best medium-sized concrete bowl.

Arleta Library Bakery and Caf�: This sweet oasis in deep Southeast offers amazing baked scones, homemade catsup and jam, and the friendliest staff ever. A quintessential Portland neighborhood place.

Paxton Gate: My favorite place to buy stuffed toads and giant beetles. This San Francisco place is like a giant science lab and the best place to buy a dead anything.

Which businesses will you give your 10 Best Evers to?

Posted by Audrey Van Buskirk. Audrey has written for dozens of local and national publications including Willamette Week, Portland Monthly, Northwest Palate, The Stranger, Nickelodeon and Everyday with Rachael Ray. She manages three boys from Southeast Portland.

0 In Portland, Little Places with Big Ideas

By Unknown | At 07.08 | Label : portland | 0 Comments

Editor�s Note: While we�re in Portland over the next few weeks, we wanted to bring some local flavor to the blog by asking writers who live in the area to contribute Hotpot-style city guides: recommendations on where to eat, where to shop, where to hang. Below, locally based writer Geoff Kleinman discovers three local gems using Hotpot � little places in scale, but each with some very big ideas.

One of the great things about using Hotpot is discovering businesses that you may not already know about. We thought we'd profile three small Portland businesses that we found using Hotpot, each doing something pretty big and each with unique ideas about who they are and what they do. While these small businesses may be easy to miss (both because of size and location), they are just the kind of places you can discover using Hotpot � a recommendation based on your tastes or based on a friends� rating can lead you right to them.

Little Big Burger

Portland is known for having great hamburgers, so we wanted to find a place that we hadn�t tried yet. I had rated other burger joints in the past, and a quick Google.com search for �burger� turned up a personalized recommendation for Little Big Burger. The concept of Little Big Burger is very simple: Offer fantastic small-sized burgers with fresh and local, high-quality ingredients, plus a simple menu that supports it.

The Little Big Burger only has six items on its menu (including the Little Big Burger, Cheese Burger and Veggie Burger). This focused menu enables Little Big Burger to deliver each item to perfection and do it quickly. We've been to Little Big Burger several times now and each time it's been packed. Even with a line out the door, Little Big Burger manages to prepare their fantastic food quickly.

The real star of Little Big Burger is, of course, the "Little Big Burger,� which is larger and more appointed than your typical �slider,� but smaller than your typical �bistro burger:�

Little Big Burger owners Katie Poppe and Micah Camden have shown that when you pick one thing and do it extremely well, people really respond. 

Central Speakeasy

A recent google.com/hotpot search for �portland cocktails� pointed us toward a place called Central. Located behind the Perierra Creperie, there's no sign on the door or building to indicate that Central is here. Walk through the door next to the creperie and then through the black curtain and you'll find yourself in one of Portland's best hidden nightlife gems.

Don't call Central a restaurant � owner Dustin Knoxx will quickly correct you � as it's one of the few places in Portland where the cocktail is the focus. While Central does serve food from the adjoining Creperie (and we highly recommend the sopressata crepe and mushroom crepe), their true mission is to be masters of the classic cocktail.

Central often hosts some of the top bartenders in Portland who can be seen both behind the bar and in front of it.  Central also recruited Lydia Reissmueller from New York's PDT (Please Don't Tell), Wildwood's Jacob Foster, and The Farm Cafe's Daniel C. Osborne to create a team of bartenders who serve pitch-perfect cocktails seven days a week and into the wee hours of the morning.

Coava Coffee 

There are a number of well-known coffee shops in Portland, but we wanted to find one that we�d never tried.  Since we had given great ratings to places such as Stumptown, Google search recommended to us Coava Coffee. Co-located in the design showroom for Bamboo Revolution, Coava is another one of those Portland gems.

As with Little Big Burger, Coava is focused on picking one thing and doing it well. For Coava, the focus is buying, roasting and serving unique and high-quality coffee from around the world. Coava's menu is five items � no grande, extra-this, triple-that here � just five classic coffee drinks served to perfection.

For their coffee, Coava innovated by creating a custom-designed cone filter made from weapon's grade stainless steel. They did it in search of pouring the perfect cup of coffee from their beans and the result has been national media attention, including a write-up in The New York Times.

Coava treats its coffee like a seasonal product, so the coffees they roast and sell change from week to week, as beans from certain regions around the world go in and out of season. While they don't promote this, Coava Coffee owners Matt Higgins and Keith Gehrke typically put their very best coffee in the grinders. On the day we visited, Coava was serving the Ethiopian Kemgin which retails for a staggering $25 per pound, and yet it was being served at the same lower price usually charged for drinks.

Little Big Burger, Central and Coava Coffee are just a few of the great small businesses we've discovered using Hotpot. What hidden gems have you found in your city?

Posted by Geoff Kleinman. Geoff is the editor of DrinkSpirits.com, a national blog helping people figure out what to drink, and OnPDX.com, helping people figure out what to do in Portland.

0 Hotpot Jackpot Portland: Two Days Left to Rate

By Unknown | At 18.13 | Label : hotpot jackpot , portland | 0 Comments

Last December, when we launched our first local marketing campaign for Google Places in Portland, Oregon, we also kicked off Hotpot Jackpot Portland, a contest to reward our top raters in the area. The grand prize? A gourmet dinner for 10 at any restaurant in Portland. And you guys wasted no time rating your favorite spots, sharing with friends, and penning great Best Ever nominations.

Still really want that prize? You�ve got two days left to register and rate on Hotpot! We�re closing it down Thursday at midnight and announcing the winners around February 24.

Here�s the full prize breakdown again:

• 5 Grand Prizes � Dinner for up to 10 people at any restaurant in Portland
• 25 First Prizes � Dinner for up to 4 people at any restaurant in Portland
• 100 Second Prizes - $100 Hotpot Jackpot�branded debit cards to use at local Portland businesses

Still need more motivation than that? I bet photos of yummy food will do the trick.

We recently wrapped up Hotpot Jackpot San Francisco, and our winners are starting to hit up their favorite Bay Area restaurants. Hotpotter Monica sent us a couple photos from her group�s night out at Morimoto Napa:

Foie gras chawan mushi

Toro tartare

Now get out there and rate!

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 Google Keeps Things Warm at Mt. Hood Meadows

By Unknown | At 13.55 | Label : portland | 0 Comments

Skiers and snowboarders alike are always sharing with one another their favorite places to hit up on trips � from the mountain itself to the lodge to the restaurant you�ve gotta check out after a long day on the slopes.

So this past Saturday, the Hotpot team strapped on their snow boots and headed to Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort just outside of Portland, Oregon, to get people rating and sharing their favorite snowy places with friends using Hotpot.

We set up shop in the main lodge next to the Schuss Grill, and quickly saw long lines of people waiting to try Hotpot on their phone and learn more about what Google�s up to in Portland:

It was windy, it was snowy, so in a word, cold. But we came prepared: hand warmers and hot bevvies for everyone on the mountain � on Google. 

We also gave cozy hats and gloves to everyone who showed us the Hotpot rating widget for Android or the Google Places iPhone app on their phone. Note that these were fingerless gloves (easier for rating on the go, of course).

Mt. Hood's one of the Hotpot team's Best Ever mountains. What are some of your favorite ski resorts? Share your spots in the comments below.

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 Best Evers: Elly Blue and Meghan Sinnott

By Unknown | At 20.26 | Label : best evers , portland | 0 Comments

Editor�s Note: While we�re in Portland over the next few weeks, we wanted to bring some local flavor to the blog by running Hotpot-style city guides: recommendations on where to eat, where to shop, and thoughts from locals. Below, we sit down with Portland bicycling experts Elly Blue and Meghan Sinnott to discuss their PDX Best Evers.

Elly and Meghan, photographed by Patrick Barber

In addition to rating and reviewing businesses on Hotpot, you can give your 10 favorite businesses a "Best Ever" award. We thought it would be fun to talk to a few prominent Portlanders to see which businesses they're giving their Best Ever awards to and why.

Up next in our series is Elly Blue and Meghan Sinnott. Elly writes professionally about biking for Grist and about biking as a woman in her zine Taking the Lane. Meghan organizes bike events ranging from 20-person Midnight Mystery Rides to 5,000-person World Naked Bike Rides. Together they are creating a website to help tourists discover Portland by bike. PDXbyBike.com will launch in April 2011.

Here are Elly and Meghan�s list of 10 Best Evers and why:

Courier Coffee: Best coffee in town (yes, better than Stumptown). Here�s where you can see the most alarming new bike fashion, catch a bike-themed art show, or enter the track stand competition to win a free coffee drink.

Portland Bicycle Tours: It's downtown. They have bikes to rent. They are connected with a pedicab company. Their staff is friendly, knowledgeable and laid back. They love Portland and offer specialized tours to show you the best sights. Their fleet includes a wide variety of bikes that won't make you look like a tourist.

Movie Madness: Giant movie rental emporium. Rare and hard-to-find movies that are "out of print." Free, fascinating museum of movie memorabilia. Free membership.

A Better Cycle: Worker-owned cooperative bike shop replete with cheap, used bike parts, funky art, honest staff and a friendly, tall-bikey vibe. They're open late, too!

New Seasons: Ten percent of profits go to charity. Lots of bike parking. The cashier will give you stickers if you ask. Locally owned. Good sample days. Wonderful selection of goods. Knowledgeable sommelier.  Clean bathrooms. They tout themselves as the "friendliest store in town," and they just might be!

Clever Cycles: Portland�s largest fleet of cargo bikes and classy European imports. Cycle-chic fashion. Rent a sturdy British folding bike to tool around town, or a Dutch box bike to carry your date to dinner.

Microcosm Publishing: This small store is packed with mainly nonfiction books and zines. Used and deeply discounted new books range from how-to guides to everything to serious political philosophy and history. Pick up an iconic �Put the Fun Between Your Legs� t-shirt. Bike stickers and patches make perfect souvenirs.

Multnomah County Library: Zine library, free talks, free computer use if you get a day pass (and don't have a library card), they'll send anything to other libraries for pick up, you can drop off books at any location, great staff, easy-to-use website, a nice place to dry off on a rainy day, tons of bike parking at all locations.

Powell Butte: Spectacular view of Portland, with signs to tell you what you�re looking at. Old growth forest on the back side�right off of the Springwater Corridor bike trail! Beautiful escape from town.

Laurelhurst Theater: One of Portland's famous theater pubs. See a movie for $3 and enjoy local microbrew and pizza while you're at it. Independently owned. Good selection of classics and second-run movies. In a neat part of town that most visitors don't know about.

What are some of your Hotpot Best Evers? Share in the comments below.

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 Cheers: Hotpot Teams Up with Deschutes Brewery in Portland

By Unknown | At 10.51 | Label : portland | 0 Comments

Hotpotters Greg and Chris

Yesterday we kicked off a promotion with one of our top-rated businesses on Google Places, Deschutes Brewery. The deal: Show your friendly neighborhood bartender the Android rating widget or iPhone Places app on your phone and get a free pint of the yummy Red Chair NWPA plus a commemorative pint glass � on Google.

The deal stands while supplies last, so come on down to Deschutes�s Portland pub this week and grab yours.

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team

0 Getting Fit With Hotpot

By Unknown | At 13.26 | Label : portland | 0 Comments

Editor�s Note: While we�re in Portland over the next few weeks, we wanted to bring some local flavor to the blog by asking writers living in the area to contribute Hotpot-style city guides: recommendations on where to eat, where to shop, where to hang. Below, locally based writer Audrey Van Buskirk shares how Hotpot helped her map out where to get fit in the new year. 

While about half of Americans make New Year�s resolutions, research indicates that only about 12 percent keep their goals. Like many people, I put getting into better shape on the top of my goal list. So this past month, rather than approach it the same old way�making a whole new habit of something can be half the battle�I chose to use Hotpot to help me find new places to workout. Here�s what I found.

Earlier this month, when it was one of Portland�s rare dry winter days, I decided to first search for �outdoor gear� (just riding my bike to the coffee shop counts as exercise, right?). The store REI was recommended to me at the top of my search:

I soon found it was a great place to get suited up for any new workout regime. But I can�t say I wasn�t tempted during these first searches to head on over to Voodoo Doughnut, a spot that�s been recommended to me several times on Hotpot because of my love for another Portland staple, Powell�s Books:

Delicious as they are, I couldn�t get distracted by maple bars topped with bacon. So I started with just a basic search for �gym� and found CrossFit, an intriguing concept on Northeast Russell that offers intense crosstraining. A great indoor option, but since we intrepid Portlanders like to get outside even during the drippy winter months, I also searched �outdoors� and was recommended Hoyt Arboretum because I had rated another popular Portland spot, Pioneer Square:

As a long time Portlander, I knew about the tree-filled Hoyt Arboretum, of course, but it reminded of all the great in-city hikes I could be taking more advantage of. I rated a few spots I had hiked before to see what Hotpot would recommend to me and bingo: the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is just across the Columbia in Ridgefield, Wash. Its Place page says someone even rated it one of their Best Evers:

Finally, because I still need to eat�especially after all this exercise�I searched for healthy restaurant recommendations and found several suggestions, including Papa G�s Vegan Organic Deli, right in my neighborhood:

I�m feeling more like Gwyneth Paltrow already!

How are you using Hotpot to stick to your New Year�s resolutions?

Posted by Audrey Van Buskirk. Audrey has written for dozens of local and national publications including Willamette Week, Portland Monthly, Northwest Palate, The Stranger, Nickelodeon and Everyday with Rachael Ray. She manages three boys from Southeast Portland.

0 Best Evers: Ken Aaron, Photographer

By Unknown | At 12.54 | Label : best evers , portland | 0 Comments

Editor�s Note: While we�re in Portland over the next few weeks, we wanted to bring some local flavor to the blog by asking writers who live in the area to contribute Hotpot-style city guides: recommendations on where to eat, where to shop, where to hang. Below, locally based writer Geoff Kleinman sits down with Ken Aaron to discuss Ken�s Portland Best Evers. Be sure to join the conversation in the comments below.

In addition to rating and reviewing businesses on Hotpot, you can give your 10 favorite businesses a Best Ever award. With thousands of businesses to rate and review, and only 10 Best Evers, it can often be tough narrowing down which 10 represent the absolute best of the best. We thought it would be fun to talk to a few prominent Portlanders to see what businesses they're giving their Best Ever awards to and why.

Up next in this ongoing series is Ken Aaron, photographer and co-founder of Neighborhood Notes, the thorough, smart source for neighborhood news and events in Portland. We asked Ken to give us his 10 Portland Hotpot Best Evers. In addition to naming his favorites, Ken gives some great insider tips:

Lincoln Restaurant 
Lincoln is a lot like Michelle Obama. It exudes warmth, charm and a little sparkle. It�s everything we love�an ever-changing menu that features local, seasonal ingredients; attentive service and pleasant atmosphere�without all the fuss. Jenn Louis and David Welch are the perfect hosts for an everyday nosh or special occasion.

• Local Love: Lincoln purchases micro-crops from The Side Yard, a small-scale urban farm in northeast Portland.
• Tip: Give Lincoln�s commuter corridor happy hour a spin. A bike corral is right outside the restaurant, and you can eat more onion rings if you get there by bike.

Little Green Grocer 
Every neighborhood needs a corner shop like this one. Scott Lekovish is a real mix master. He handpicks an inventory of healthy everyday grocery, excellent and affordable wines, prepared foods, and a whole host of local, sustainable goods. LGG caters, too! Best of all, Scott�s constantly introducing his customers to tastier, healthier food options. We love that.

• Local Love: LGG partners with Portland Pedal Power to deliver groceries by bike!
• Tip: Sample one of �America�s best pies� at LGG. Random Order pies offered by the slice and by special order.

Ecru Modern Stationer
This bright, cheery store is hard not to love. And hang out in for hours. Owner LeAnn Dolan curates an amazing array of greeting cards, boxed notes, stationery, pens and gift-y goodness for every budget.

• Local Love: Ecru offers a nice selection of paper goods from locals like Red Bat Press and Studio Olivine.
• Tip: LeAnn is a gift-wrapping machine. Just sayin�.

Cellar Door Coffee Roasters
Andrea and Jeremy Adams offer some of the best fair trade, organic micro-roasts in town. Their Peru FTO has a rich chocolate flavor with hints of caramel and a luscious feel on the palate. It�s a rich, smooth cup of coffee that�s truly one of the best parts of waking up. We�re addicted.

• Local Love: Cellar Door powers their shop with electricity from renewable sources, and even designed a more efficient way to process the exhaust from their roaster. If that�s not neighborly, what is?
• Tip: Try House Spirits Distillery�s coffee liqueur, featuring coffee roasted by Cellar Door.

Nong�s Khao Man Gai
What can you say about a food cart where you eat nearly every week? That it�s damn tasty, yo. The seemingly simple poached chicken and rice are put into another orbit with the addition of a fermented soybean sauce infused with garlic, ginger and chilis. It�s sour, spicy and salty goodness with just a hint of sweetness. Perfection!

• Local Love: Nong�s proudly serves Draper Valley chicken, and sources ingredients locally as often as possible.
• Tip: Get there early! Often sold out by 1 p.m. 

Back to Eden Bakery
We were goners after our first bite of pumpkin whoopee pie. Then came the peanut butter fudge, cheesecake and assorted other sweets that we now crave. This charming vegan (and often, gluten-free) bakery has turned us on to a whole new way of eating�and we love it!

• Local Love: The bakery serves pour-over coffee from Cellar Door.
• Tip: Get Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss by the scoop in three flavors: Naked Coconut, Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Island.

Tilde
Debbe Hamada�s smile is infectious. So is the need to shop her immaculately displayed boutique of personal accessories, art and other objects of desire�much of it local and sustainable. All of it drool worthy. We love learning about the artists and products via well-written notes around the shop.

• Local Love: Ogle ceramics by Laura Cooke, jewelry by Tasi Designs and artwork by Rachel Austin.
• Tip: Be sure to pick Debbe�s brain about the neighborhood. She�s a fountain of info.

Salvage Works
Preston Browning offers one of the most interesting shopping experiences in Portland. His inventory is an ever-changing mix of architectural salvage, custom furniture and vintage home parts. It also features an eclectic assortment of vintage home accessories, collectibles, upcycled goods, beehives and chicken coop kits. The doll head planters are almost as awesome as the bedpan collection. Almost.

• Local Love: Be sure to ask Preston to point out the locally made goods.  Everything from artwork to jewelry to furniture!
• Tip: Visit Salvage Works during Kenton�s Third Thursday art walk. Preston makes awesome snacks. 

Nuvrei Pastries
The aroma of fresh baked pastries will lure you into Nuvrei's modest basement shop, but it�s the croissants, scones, cookies and tarts that will keep you coming back. Marius Pop creates buttery, rich French pastries that are impossible to resist. Case in point: the almond chocolate croissants. I'm eating one now.

• Local Love: Find Nuvrei pastries at Stumptown Coffee, Cloud Seven Cafe, Barista and other (lucky) coffee shops around town.
• Tip: Love French macaroons? Nuvrei has them every Saturday.

Barista 
According to Billy Wilson, making coffee is only about 5% of what being a barista really is.  "You can show anyone how to make coffee," he says, "but the brilliance comes from the knowledge of knowing and tasting coffee...developing your palate." Barista is the only coffee program in town that offers single cup brewing and multiple roasters side by side. Great coffee, no attitude.

• Local Love: Portland fave Stumptown Coffee is always available. Other local micro-roasters are in the rotation, too.
• Tip: Be sure to ask which coffee is best suited for the drink you�d like.

Which businesses will you give your 10 Best Evers to?

Posted by Geoff Kleinman. Geoff is the editor of DrinkSpirits.com, a national blog helping people figure out what to drink, and OnPDX.com, helping people figure out what to do in Portland.

0 Say Cheese: Google Photo Booths Capture Rose Garden Fun

By Unknown | At 16.44 | Label : portland | 0 Comments

We were at the big Trail Blazers versus Heat game last night with two photo booths, getting silly with fans and showing off our Google and Blazers pride. And we thought we knew how to work the camera � you guys rocked it with your energy and enthusiasm.

Big thanks to the crew at Smilebooth for running the show.

 

Did you snap a photo with your family and friends last night at the Rose Garden? Share them on our Hotpot Facebook page!

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team