Platter: Food Finds, Restaurant Reviews and Dining TrendsFriday, October 28, 2005By KAREN BROOKSThe OregonianWORD FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD -- "In Portland, beer and wine are king, but spirits are coming up," says Park Kitchen bartender Kevin Ludwig, who plans to stir up the scene with monthly high-end liquor tastings in mid-November.He's got a point. Oregon's distillery scene is definitely on the move, and exciting new players like more...

Sometimes, you just want to spend time with your girlfriends. What better way than an evening of food, drink...and a manicure?Go to Nirvana Day Spa for Girls Night Out. Every Friday evening, 4:45-8pm. Complimentary Hors D'Oeurves and a Seasonal Pumpkin Martini Included! Can Accommodate 2-12 guests per evening. Reservations required.Nirvana Day Spa736 NW 11th Avenue503.546.8155 more...

Greetings!Now that Autumn is upon us, we take time to reflect on our past efforts and our upcoming endeavors.As we mentioned previously, we successfully launched our first catalogue campaign, 'Spaces', in late August. The response was terrific and we were pleasantly reminded that we have excited customers all over the world! With that, we are at it again, working on our second catalogue, 'Designer-Makers'. It will feature emerging more...

Local doggie daycare newcomer, Dogstar made the Channel 8 evening news! This afternoon, Dogstar and the Oregon Humane Society co-sponsored a pet adoption event. A variety of pets in full Halloween regalia spent the afternoon in front of Dogstar on Kearney between 13th & 14th Avenues. A tail-wagging good time was had by all. more...

excerpt from CNN article "Peaceful Portland"October 25, 2005POWELL'S CITY OF BOOKSPortland's downtown is populated by a myriad of independent book sellers, video stores and record shops, but none more massive than Powell's City of Books' location in the Pearl District. Located in two converted car dealerships and a printing shop, Powell's warehouse holds more than a million books and takes up a city block. Though I didn't find any more...

Portland Business JournalOctober 24, 2005The Ulum Group, a public relations and public affairs firm, has added two staff and opened a new office at 1328 N.W. Kearney St.The new Pearl District office is a relocation of The Ulum Group's office in Beaverton.Dianne Danowski Smith will continue as The Ulum Group's Portland director. Annie Klug and Caitlin Gadoua have joined the firm's Portland office as public relations associates.Growth in more...

Esquire Magazine has released its list of top new restaurants across the US for 2005. Pearl District newcomer, OLEA made the list. Congratulations!OleaPORTLAND, OREGONUpon entering Olea in Portland's bustling Pearl District, I was immediately delighted with its huge industrial windows, big kitchen, and approachable staff—a convivial spot to drop in to for a drink. But when I sat down at a spacious, well-set table in the ninety-seat more...

At long last, Fenouil Restaurant is open. Early reviews from neighbors include a range of comments...from "it's fantastic" to "they serve the best hamburger I've EVER had" (Kobe beef and foie gras up the ante). One commonality is that all of the reviews are extremely positive.Who can argue with a cheese menu???Fenouil is currently serving dinner, but plans to expand to lunch soon. Call for hours and for reservations.Fenouil900 NW 11th more...

Extra EffortSpacious Olea Spins its WheelsBY JUSTIN WESCOAT SANDERSThe MercuryOlea1338 NW Hoyt274-0800Leaning forward to pick up on what my date was saying, it occurred to me that all sensation inside Olea was muted—it took effort just to hear words, to feel the tablecloth, to taste our food. Fancy restaurant energy was everywhere, and yet halfway through our meal we were exhausted. I guess energy wasted is more tiring than just plain more...

On Saturday, 200 volunteers from Old Town Chinatown and the Pearl scoured the streets of both neighborhoods in the mega-clean up event Polish the Pearl & Shine Up Old Town. I would like to extend a note of thanks to all of those neighbors who participated.Special kudos and many thanks to the PTP/SUOT committee members that spent weeks giving the event their creative energy, time, ideas and planning skills. We are very lucky to have more...