Matador First Impression
Sunday typified a perfect weather day in Portland. The sun was shining from the early morning. The temperature didn't reach too high. A slight breeze was omnipresent. Most would describe the day as perfect. I can't accurately describe the beauty of such a day. Mainly, I can't describe the joy I felt after an extended cold and wet spring. In order to celebrate, Teresa and I left the great indoors for some outside drinks.
A few blocks from our place is The Matador. I am a sucker for anything Spanish, so I've been dying to try this restaurant. Even though it lacks proper outdoor seating, all windows are removable to create a completely open-air atmosphere. When we walked past, the perfect table was open. This table is situated right along 23rd and drenched in sunlight. It seats eight, but the restaurant wasn't busy. A helpful and courteous waitress allowed us to take the table.
Since Happy Hour just began, we had a few appetizers from which to select. After a few rounds, we ordered quesadillas. They weren't horrible or fantastic, but the real story was the specialty cocktails. The entire afternoon, Teresa stuck with Mojitos. I do think, they are top class. I tried three different cocktails. My first choice was the White Sangria, "Orange and pineapple infused white wine and rum mixed with sparkling orange and boozy fruit on ice." Anything that has "boozy fruit" is and always will be jungle juice. Right? Anyway, its a decent drink. My only compliant was the unsubtle taste of white wine. It overpowered most of the fruit. I switched to the Red Sangria, "Peach and mango infused red wine and brandy mixed with sparkling orange and boozy fruit on ice." Another tasty drink, but very unconventional in my mind. The sparkling orange was a nice twist, but made the drink feel like something tropical instead of traditional sangria. My final choice was the Tamarindo, "Sauza Gold, triple sec, fresh lime juice and fresh Tamarind juice, Served with a cinnamon sugar rim." This was my favorite. The cinnamon on the rim is a great touch. There are a few flavors intermingling to create an overall feeling of applesauce. It sounds strange, but it is awesome. Than again, I love applesauce.
It was a very comfortable couple of hours. The temperature slightly dropped as the sun lowered. We perused a Kauai book for an upcoming honeymoon. Obama was in Portland, so we debated a bit about the impending election. Best of all, it was so enjoyable to be "outside." I can't reiterate enough, the winter and spring have been very hard. The constant crappy weather does affect daily life more than I imagined it would. It makes afternoons like Sunday all the more enjoyable. The Matador definitely helped. Its a sweet spot, and I'll be back for some more Tamarindos.
