joy division

nuestra cocina


bar avignon


bar avignon community table


twill boutique

thank goodness i found my camera and my phone last night. all is well here, now! i have been wanting to tell you about some of my favorites over on se division and 21st avenue.

one of my absolute favorite mexican restaurants is nuestra cocina. i've been going there for a few years now and come to think of it, am about due for another visit. the first thing i noticed about nuestra is how fresh everything is. from the made to order guacamole (not on the menu, ask for it) to the hand made tortillas. i love this place. their soft tacos are to die for and they have what i consider the best chile relleno in town. it's not deep fried like most rellenos, just the chile and a delicious pork mixture with cream queso fresco on top. yum! oh, and i can't forget to mention the red chile margarita, so good and refreshing i think a day like today calls for one. oops, except they aren't open on mondays so i'll have to wait one more day, darn.
2135 se division 503.232.2135
www.nuestra-cocina.com

directly across the street from nuestra cocina is another one of my favorites, bar avignon. you may remember this location as being the former red and black cafe but my how it's changed. i love the interiors of this place with the cool bar in the front and the community table in the back. i like to walk here on friday evenings with lulu. i get the chicken liver mousse and she gets the bressaola off the meat and cheese plate. avignon is relatively new so if you haven't been there go check it out. it truly has the feel of a cafe in the south of france.
2138 se division 503.517.0808
www.baravignon.com they have a very cool website with much better pics than i can take.
(community table photo by jenna biggs)

a few weeks ago i was sitting outside of avignon and noticed a little shop a few doors down called twill boutique. they were having a little sidewalk sale so lulu and i went to check it out. what great deals they had, i bought several pieces for nothing. we went inside and let me tell you, this is one dog friendly boutique. the girls were so sweet and couldn't get enough of lulu. they have a lot of really great dresses and specialize in natural fibers which i like. this has become a regular stop for lulu and i.
2132 se division st 503.922.2084
www.twillclothing.com

there are several other new businesses on this stretch of division like tart, a frozen yogurt bar and a new italian restaurant that i would like to check out. you would be surprised how much it has changed since the red and black days.