Sellwood Columbia Outlet

Lately I've been into checking out the Sellwood area. It's located south and east of downtown and has a variety of cute coffee shops and dusty antique stores. The Columbia Outlet, located at 1323 SE Tacoma St. definitely has a better selection of sizes than the Columbia Outlet in the Woodburn Factor Store. I almost bought a new ski jacket for $39.99, but then I remembered my current jacket is functioning perfectly.

And We're Back!

Ah, life. You get a great idea (like to start a blog of your adventures in PDX) and then life gets in the way. Well, I'm back! And chalk-full of interesting places to share with you! Look for more posts in the days and weeks ahead.

Happy Daylight Savings Time!

Ken's Artisian Bakery Chocolate Croissants

Several factors contribute to an excellent croissant: butteriness, flakeyness, crispy/chewy ratio, and chocolateyness. The chocolate croissants at Ken's Artisan Bakery on NW 21st receive superior marks in all categories. These are the Milo of Croton of puff pastry. I discovered these treats after a serendipitous walk around Nobb Hill on Monday afternoon.

The buttery flavor smoothly shines through and leaves a slight, soft coating on your fingertips. Enough for a lingering taste but not so much that you are in danger of staining your coat. The layers of buttery pastry dough are stacked perfectly. Wrapped and wrapped like the most satiating scarf around a bundle of chocolate. Then, by some magic process, the french treats are baked until the outside is crisp while the doughy insides are warm and not overly dry or sticky. Can a croissant be described as succulent? I would argue yes.

The chocolateyness quality is by far the most important. Ken's Artisan Bakery wisely chooses a dark chocolate, which is laid out in two narrow strips. This allows the taster to take large bits, overloaded with chocolateyness (as if that is even possible) or take small nibbles where the salty butter, pastry dough, and sweetness are in perfect harmony.

These treats are not to be missed! Ken's also attends the Saturday Farmers Market at PSU though I can't vouche for chocolate croissants served at any venue but the 21st Ave NW location.