I just crossed an item off my bucket list this past week - dinner at Alinea.  It's something I've wanted to do for a long time but, even though we've had sons in school in Chicago, just haven't gotten there.  This time I made the reservation many weeks in advance and actually got a table.  The restaurant is, indeed, amazing.  The dishes are completely unique, the service is extraordinary and the space itself is stunning. But the story behind all this is equally compelling.

It has become a summer tradition for us to make a trek to the Pacific Northwest. For three years we have gone to Seattle, as you may have read in this post from last year and we absolutely love that area. This year, however, we decided to finally check out Oregon. We had heard and read about the great food and wine culture there and the beautiful coast. And boy, did Oregon deliver.