people and places we like in portland- and also Persians in Portland

This weekend we were busy! Portland was full of events and street festivals. I’ll comment on what we liked about two festivals.

First up was the Iranian Festival sponsored by the Andisheh Center and the Middle East Studies Center at Portland State University. I was so happy to find out that our first weekend here we would get to connect with some Persians. (Funny enough, everyone here seems to call themselves Iranian rather than Persian. I don’t quite get the distinction, probably because it’s political.) Anyway, we had our lunch at the Iranian Festival with a delicious kabob plate and a little bit of sabzeh on the side. We were also able to browse some Persian books from the Looking Glass Bookstore, get info about the local middle eastern restaurants and groceries, and in general check out the scene. I was really interested in the work of local artist Vanessa Neves Giacometti, a Brazilian-born artist who paints beautiful Persian ladies.

If anyone reading this is looking for Persian food in Portland, you can shop for groceries at Pars International Market (12923 NW Cornell Road, 503-350-2300, www.pars-market.com) or Mediterranean Market (11830 Kerr Parkway, Lake Oswego OR 97035, 503-246-0403). For pastries, try Mehri’s Bakery & Deli (6923 SE 52nd Ave., 503-788-9600). I’m not sure if these others participated in the Portland Iranian Festival or not, but I know from prior research that there are several Persian restaurants in Portland, so I may as well list them here for the googlers in the crowd:

Shiraz Restaurant (10115 SW Nimbus Ave., Portland, 503-670-1000)
Persian House Restaurant (1026 SW Morrison St., 503-243-1430)
Down to Earth Cafe (7828 SW 35th Ave., 503-452-0196 and 636 SW Jackson Street, 503-274-4294)
The Green Onion (636 SW Jackson Street, 503-274-4294)
Kabob House (11667 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy.,
Beaverton,503-672-9229)
Kolbeh restaurant (11830 SW Kerr Pkwy, Lake Oswego, 503-245-1662)

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On Saturday we went to an under-attended event that featured live music, food, and eco-friendly company showcases. Ecopalooza was a fun stop on a busy weekend — we sat in a teepee and watched an informational made-for-community-television program about household toxins via Sustainable Today, enjoyed talking with a beekeeper and sampling his products, and marveled at the “green” photo booth idea by Scott James photography ($5 for 5 frames, high res files emailed to you immediately). Scott, if I dressed better yesterday, I would have done your booth.

The vendor I personally liked the most was Luke Mathers with Truce Designs (info). Luke uses sailcloth and drysuit to make these cool messenger bags and clutches that really are fashionable. I’ve seen a lot of this type of product at the Maker Faire, Renegade Craft Fair, and the like, but Luke’s products are very interesting and well-done.

One of the standout features of ecopalooza were these giant biodomes put out by the company called DOME IT. The premise was basically a pop-up greenhouse to allow you to grow vegetables and plants year-round. The structures are beautiful! Kinda space-age meets beehive. They’re solar-powered and would make a fun temporary home (except… they’re translucent). Their website is terrible and I can’t find a picture of one of the product!! Wardell Gibson, if you’re reading this please hire someone to make a real website and post some great photos of the dome it!! It’s a great product.

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This past Sunday we found a rad church in Portland! It’s a small startup that has been together since Easter. It meets in an old school house that has been converted into a brewpub, hotel, and theatre but maintains the school elements (blackboards on the walls, signage, etc.). The Oregon Community, we love you already! And not entirely because you had a string bass player up front or due to the fact that your small groups meet at a brewery to take advantage of happy hour every week.

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