Soothing Sounds and a Foodies' Delight from Portland, Oregon!

It was the day after the election and the members of the Hevreh Ensemble were in a state of disbelief as we embarked on a short tour to Portland, Oregon. The plane headed west into the sunset; what better time for a little escape and to bring our music to others!

A week of concerts were planned with the first at one of my favorite radio stations, All Classical Portland. We were warmly welcomed by our host Christa Wessel and a lovely staff of helpful engineers.

We presented concerts for Congregation Beth El of Portland and for the Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. The performances were inspirational and well received; connections we made with the audience members created a sorely needed healing and soothing balm for all.

I was especially excited because Portland has a growing reputation as a foodie city. A few weeks earlier, I had read an article in the New York Times; "The 25 Best New Restaurants in Portland". We were able to make reservations at the Korean restaurant Han Oak and the award winning Thai restaurant Lang Baan.

I had done some research on the bakery scene in Portland; the other members of the Hevreh Ensemble know me well and were excellent participants in the planned food adventures!

There were many choices to write about, but a few standouts were the Korean restaurant Han Oak, the Orange & Blossom Bakery and the Portland Farmers Market.

After our first concert for All Classical Portland, we headed off to an evening dinner at Han Oak. Our Uber driver dropped us off in a residential area and we almost missed the entrance; the eccentric and festively decorated restaurant was tucked away in the backyard of a small business.

The restaurant is owned by chef Peter Cho and his wife and partner, Sun Young Park; the food was creative and delicious. The current menu, with a $65 prix fixe was well worth the price! We started with 4 small appetizers that were replenished as often as we wanted throughout the meal.

More to come……… written by Judith Dansker