Chocolate Cola

You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Do yourself (and everyone else) a favor and check.

Tim Davey and Kelley Swenson threw a Chartreuse dinner last night in the Starship Enterprise-esque back dining room of Ten 01. The whole thing was totally incredible and I don't have time to run through it all here, but two highlights included pork belly with creamed lentils, pancetta and truffled quail eggs (that last item sounds silly and unnecessary but was, in fact, completely mind-blowing) and just-released yellow Chartreuse VEP. Watch for more like this from Tim - this was the second in his new series of Portland spirit pairing dinners, the first being last month's amazing rye dinner at the Ace Cleaners. Portland is incredible. We live like queens.

1. New Year's Day ride up the cemetary on a jalopy
2. Knob Creek, honey, black tea and OJ hot toddies
3. Dwell Magazine redesign
4. Mediocre Asian take-out and Anchor Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Special Seasonal Ale
5. Applying for jobs
6. Boys in spandex
7. Classics by Ratatat
8. Modern medicine
9. Commuting BOTH WAYS without getting rained on
10. Technical performance garments for inclement weather
11. Top 10 lists!

Trees Outside the Academy
No Country for Old Men
Hope Dies Last
Terminal Gravity Barx Stout
Hair of the Dog Ruth Ale
White puffy vest
Root vegetable stew with cheese panini
Cold mornings, hot coffee

Things I'm going to do now that I'm done with college

1. Hang out with friends on weeknights
   
2. Read stuff for fun
   
3. Keep my apartment clean
   
4. Relax on the couch after work
   
5. Time-consuming fitness activities

1. Get dronk every night
   
2. Backpack through Europe
   
3. Teach English in southeast Asia
   
4. Apply for grad school
   
5. Plastics

Drinks of the Week

1. Something like a Sazerac involving rye, bitters(?) and Pernod rinse from Matchbox Lounge. Long wait at Pok Pok: not really a crime.
   
2. St. Bernardus ABT 12 at Victory. Dependable.
   
3. Soy latte from Bakery Bar. Their espresso is consistently fantastic.
   
4. Smoky Martini at Clyde Common: Medoyeff Vodka, an awesome 10-year Scotch whose name I forget, flamed orange peel.
   
5. Chartreuse VEP. I love Clyde Common.
   
6. Emergen-C
   

I cut it in half. I scooped it out. Then I baked it in a covered casserole at 400 for like 30 or 40 minutes. I did not season, salt or oil it, or anything. When it was almost done I took off the lid and the water evaporated off.

OMG, AMAZING. Sweet like candy.

1. Corzo tequila. I had this at Rontoms. I think it was the reposado. Insanely flavorful and smooth. Great sipping tequila. Tequila might be replacing bourbon as my favorite sipping spirit.

2. B & B. Yummy herbal Benedictine pre-mixed with cognac. So warming. Classy or trashy? Who cares?

3. Batdorf & Bronson Ethiopia Natural Limu. Rich flavor, sexy viscosity. As if my job wasn't already awesome enough, Batdorf is our office coffee.

4. Portland Rock Bottom Blitzen (trippel-style seasonal). Banana in a glass. Most people I know would never consider hanging out at this corporate downtown bar, seemingly populated by young office-types freshly released from the frat. But you probably didn't know that the head brewer, Van Havig, heads up the Oregon Brewers Guild and totally knows his stuff. I still don't really want to hang out there, but his beer F-ing rules.

5. Old Peculiar brown ale. I made beef stew with this. Amazing. I really love brown ale. It's flavorful but still light. From La Bodega on Fremont.

More drink geekage, and links to other geeks, at Imbibe Unfiltered.

1. Wool hat with ear flaps
2. B & B
3. Cat
4. Lobster claw gloves
5. Yoga
6. Big old kettle o' soup
7. Weatherized, modern apartment
8. Going to my friends' house who shamelessly crank the heat. U know who u r!!
9. Good boots
10. Brushed polyester anything

Dude, I am like so obsessed with squash right now. It is so delicious and cheap. I got an acorn squash for 50 cents. I halved it. I saved half for later. I took the other half, scooped out the seeds, and toasted them with salt. Then I took the half a squash and sliced it, and roasted it with cumin, salt, and a little oil. Then I drizzled molasses on it. Then I ate it.