I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream – and you know Portland’s going to be cranking out some really amazing exotic flavors as it’s the birthplace of Salt and Straw, an artisanal ice cream shop that’s made headliners as one of the nations best ice cream shop!

*For my readers just joining me on my “8 Day West Coast Roadtrip” you can click the hyperlink to see the list of cities I visited, or if you missed my “1st Oregon entry” click the hyperlink.

Salt & Straw is well known among the foodie community as having creative and tasty creations. Some of their standout flavors include “Pear and Blue Cheese” and “Strawberry Balsamic and Black Pepper.” Although these pairings may sound unusual they do allow customers to sample different flavor profiles before making a purchase. Personally I think I sampled 10 or so and had a really difficult time choosing one.

For the indecisive foodie, one can consider getting the taster tray, which no only photographs well, but also allows a guest to get 4 different flavors. This is a great option for $9 and because it’s in Oregon – no sales tax, yes!

I think one reason why it was so difficult for me to choose because I wanted to pick four very distinct flavors to keep it interesting. Here are the four that I ultimately chose.

Freckled Woodblock Chocolate – This was a pleasant chocolate ice cream. It’s more of a classic choice, but still distinct with the bits of chocolate flakes.

Sourdough with Chocolate and Strawberries (Limited Edition Flavor) – This flavor was a huge surprise to me. I would never have thought to put the two together. Definitely my favorite and I hope they’ll consider making this a permanent flavor!

 

Pear with Blue Cheese – It’s very subtle when you first try it, but leaves a very potent aftertaste. I would say that among the four this one is more of an acquired taste, but I appreciated how it does have an explosion of flavor.

Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons – A bit salty, but it’s a great balance with the sweet caramel

For my Los Angeles Readers they have a branch in Studio City – so you can get your fix too!

With so many rich flavors nested in my tummy we decided to head to one of Portland’s most beautiful locations and take a stroll down the International Rose Test Garden – one of the best FREE attractions in Portland.

Open year-round from 7:30 am – 900 pm, this park is a fantastic place for everyone to enjoy – horticulture enthusiasts, families, couples, and singles. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and backdrop is perfect for engagement, graduation photos, or tourists like myself 🙂

Even though I visited in the summer time, the roses were in full bloom and it smelled amazing there. I wish they developed smell-o-vision so you can experience it too.

There are over 10,000 roses in this 4.5 acre land and while I did not get the opportunity to attend a tour they do offer them. From June 2 through September 19 trained volunteers led tours at 11:30 am on Tuesdays and 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

For a gal for always loves to be on the run, I couldn’t help myself but soak in the calmness of this environment. If I lived near this garden I could definitely see myself taking a stroll on a weekly basis. It just puts you at ease and really allows you to just appreciate the simple beauties of this world. I guess it just reinforces the ideology that we ought to “stop and smell the roses” – literally 🙂

Do you have a favorite rose? Comment below!

XOXO,

Rockstar