food tour by bike

Aaron and I just got back from a Bites by Bike food tour, and it was so much fun! We started out at the bike shop in North Portland, rode across the Broadway bridge and hit our first stop - World Cup Coffee. We were given a brief tour of the roasting facilities, which was pretty cool, and were given a sample of the beverage of our choice. Then it was back on the bike and up to Elephant's Delicatessen, a Portland favorite. At Elephants we tasted some delicious local salami, cheese, hazelnuts and dried blueberries. Back on the bike and over to Two Tarts, a fabulous local bakery of delicious, bite-sized cookies. From there we rode down into the Pearl District to Hot Lips Pizza. The "bite" there was a broccoli cheese pizza with squash sauce, and yes Mom, I ate my entire slice, aside from giving some of my broccoli to Aaron :-) And then the rain started - again. We rode up the park blocks to the Portland State University farmer's market, at which point it started pouring. The last stop back in the Pearl was Cacao. Heaven. Chocolate. Our palates were warmed with the most divine drinking chocolate. Dad, it was better than yours - sorry. But I did pick up a massive bar of chocolate to make some of my own at home! Come visit and maybe I'll fix you a cup! After we emerged from Cacao, we actually saw the sun. Up over the Broadway Bridge, and back to the bike shop - I made it the whole way without getting hit, hitting anybody, or falling off the bike. This was a fabulous way to see the city, and I would recommend it highly for anyone interested in local Portland fare. Now it's time to change my pants (wet butt from the rain) and do absolutely nothing for a couple of hours, except smell my chocolate bar.