One of my favorite restaurants is Acadia, and they serve up New Orleans fare all year long. This year for Mardi Gras they are offering a culinary celebration with a four-course set dinner. On the menu Feb. 21st is blue crab, crawfish and shrimp cake: cajun dirty-rice stuffed quail; and king cake all for $45 per person. There will also be masks and beads...but no flashing. Acadia is located at 1303 NE Fremont St. Portland, Oregon and can be reached at 503-249-5001.
If you are looking for less of a meal and a little more mayhem then you might enjoy the Fat Tuesday party at Grand Central. The restaurant and bowling mecca boasts live music, two dj's, aerialists, and live performers on two floors. For a complete list of their Fat Tuesday events you can check out their website at www.grandcentralbowl.com.
If you are looking for a party that starts around happy hour so you can celebrate early in hopes to making it to work the next day, then head to the Lotus. The charismatic jazz and blues singer/songwriter Norman Sylvester will be performing with Sarah Billings starting at 5:30pm. The Lotus Cardroom & Cafe is at SW 3rd & Salmon and can be reached at 503-227-6185.
Cheese, Chocolate and Wine. Sounds like a Valentine's Day party, and it is! You are invited to celebrate the day of love with a cheese, chocolate and wine tasting on February 12th at 2pm at Blackbird Wine Shop and Atomic Cheese! Their flyer says "Our host is the lovely Nicolle Camarata of 97.1 CharlieFM and Nicolle Shops Portland"…(blushing, and proud) I am excited to be part of such a fun event. It's true, Blackbird and Nicolle Shops Portland have teamed up to give guests an afternoon of foodie fun in preparation for Valentine's Day. You'll have a chance to sample goodies and try new things and we're happy to help you pick out the perfect pairing to take home for your Valentine's celebration. A perfect pairing for a perfect pair. Andy Diaz is a wine expert who will be pouring for the party, and handing our some of his atomic good cheese. Missionary Chocolates will be there with their culinary creations that melt in your mouth…you may have tasted their talents at the 3rd Annual Nicolle Shops Portland party!? They make local chocolates that are very popular, and vegan! If you think the three basic food groups are cheese, chocolate and wine then grab a girlfriend and make plans to come to the 2012 Valent-wine event! Don't be too fashionably late because the first 25 guests will get a signature pink Nicolle Shops Portland swag bag! The 2012 Valent-wine party is February 12th at 2pm at Blackbird Wine Shop & Atomic Cheese located at 4323 NE Fremont Street, Portland Oregon, 97213. Entrance is $14. and covers your cheese, chocolate and wine samples! Reserve your spot at info@nicolleshopsportland.com.
As heard today, on "Mornings with Nicolle Camarata" we made a holiday cocktail using all local ingredients. Here is the recipe if you want to entertain with it this holiday season.
"Portland Peppermint Pattie"
.75oz Lavishmint Vodka
1.5oz New Deal Mudpuddle Vodka
1oz Half and Half
1oz Simple Syrup
(shaken, served up, martini, chocolate powder garnish)
Breaking up is hard to do and takes enough of a toll on you emotionally and mentally but according to a new study, it also takes a pretty significant toll on you financially.
Turns out women spend an average of $779 on reinventing themselves after a relationship ends. Here's how that breaks down . . .
$144 on a new hairdo.
$62 on tanning.
$192 on new clothes.
$96 on new shoes.
$76 on new make-up.
$81 on manicures and pedicures.
$128 on a gym membership, boot camp, and other attempts to get into shape.
On top of that, the average woman also spends $109 a week going out once they're single.  And 11% immediately buy an online dating membership.
Finally, the study also found that 6% of women say they've spent around $829 on plastic surgery and botox after they've being dumped.
Monday, after only 72 days after marrying NBA star Kris Humphries Kim Kardashian filed for divorce. That's 13 days shorter than their engagement lasted! The too-old-to-not- know-better reality TV star cited "irreconcilable differences" and said she made her decision after careful consideration. But many media outlets, and Twitter users have suggested the wedding may have been a scam for money. When you look at the fact that their four-hour long TV special featuring their wedding and the rights to wedding photos to magazines earned the pair $18 million, you can understand why people are calling fowl play. That works out to about $250,000 per day of marriage! Obviously marriage is supposed to be a sacred union between two committed people who know (and anticipate) trials and tribulations to come in the years that lye ahead. Kim Kardashian gave it her all for 72 days and then just gave up? Really? She should get a helmet because life can be tough and she clearly can't handle it. In the court paperwork she filed she asked that Kris not be entitled to any of her money (The Kardashians made 65 million last year and Kris made 3.2 million because the lock out technically left him unemployed) which just goes to show you that money can't buy happiness or happily-ever-after. Not the real kind at least. So, here is to turning off the TV and putting down the tabloids and spending time with the one you love instead.
Happy Halloween! by Mornings with Nicolle Camarata, posted Oct 31 2011 7:11AM
Today is a big day as ghosts and goblin's come out to have fun and fright each other. We all love Halloween and here are some fun facts about this big day.
Chocolate makes up about three-quarters of a trick-or-treaterâs loot, according to the National Confectioners Association.
According to Real Simple, candy corn has been made with the same recipe by the Jelly Belly Candy Company since around 1900. The recipe includes sugar, corn syrup, and marshmallows.
Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
The National Retail Federation estimated consumers in 2010 spent $66.28 per person on Halloween costumes, cards, and candy.
The Washington Post reports 90 percent of parents admit to sneaking goodies from their kidsâ trick-or-treat bags. Oh, parents!Â
Illinois is the leading pumpkin-producing state with an estimated 427 million pounds of the vined orange gourd stated the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
On the Home Front by Mornings with Nicolle Camarata, posted Oct 27 2011 1:25PM
What makes your house a home in the uniquely "you" touches that reflect your personal style. But when you go to sale your home you'll want to stage it in a way that is affordable and appeals to the most potential buyers. Here are some tips on how to make quick and easy changes with impact.
KITCHEN: The kitchen is still considered the heart of the home. Potential home buyers make a beeline for this room when they first view a home for sale, so make sure your kitchen looks clean and reasonably updated.
For a few hundred dollars, you can replace the kitchen faucet set, add new cabinet door handles and update old lighting fixtures with brighter, more energy-efficient ones.
If you've got a slightly larger budget, you can give the cabinets themselves a makeover. "Rather than spring for a whole new cabinet system, which can be expensive, look into hiring a refacing company," says serial remodeler Gwen Moran, co-author of "Build Your Own Home on a Shoestring."
"Many companies can remove cabinet doors and drawers, refinish the cabinet boxes, then add brand-new doors and drawers. With a fresh coat of paint over the whole set, your cabinets will look like new."
If you're handy, you can order your own replacement cabinet doors and door fronts from retailers like Lowe's Home Improvement or The Home Depot and install them yourself.
BATHROOM: Next to the kitchen, bathrooms are often the most important rooms to update. They, too, can be improved without a lot of cash. "Even simple things like a new toilet seat and a pedestal sink are pretty easy for homeowners to install, and they make a big difference in the look of the bath," says Moran.
Replacing an old, discolored bathroom floor with easy-to-apply vinyl tiles or a small piece of sheet vinyl. "You may not even need to take up the old floor. You can install the new floor right over the old one," she says.
If your tub and shower are looking dingy, consider re-grouting the tile and replacing any chipped tiles. A more complete cover-up is a prefabricated tub and shower surround. These one-piece units may require professional installation but can still be cheaper than paying to re-tile walls and refinish a worn tub.
STORAGE: Old houses, particularly, are notorious for their lack of closet space. If you have cramped storage areas, Realtor Moe Viessi of Miami suggests adding do-it-yourself wire and laminate closet systems to bedrooms, pantries and entry closets.
Firms like ClosetMaid allow you to measure and redesign your closets online. You can also get design details and parts for these systems at many large home-improvement stores. Most closets can be updated in a weekend or less.
In the end, your closets will be more functional while you're living in the house and will make your home look more customized to potential buyers when you're ready to sell.
LIGHT: If you have boring recessed lights in your dining and living rooms, consider replacing one of the room's lights with an eye-catching chandelier. Home stores offer a wide range of inexpensive, but nice-looking, ceiling fixtures these days. If you have a ceiling fan and light, you can also buy replacement fan blades (leaving the fan body in place) to update the fixture's look.
CURB APPEAL: Although it sounds obvious, a nicely mowed lawn, a few well-placed shrubs and a swept walkway makes a great first impression. "What buyers see when they first drive by your home is tremendously important," says Viessi.
If you don't have a green thumb, consider hiring a landscaper to install some new sod, plant a few evergreen shrubs and give your front yard a good cleanup. "These kinds of changes can instantly change people's perception of your home and, therefore, increase its value," says Viessi. And hey, your neighbors will love you for it, too.
Fast Break by Mornings with Nicolle Camarata, posted Oct 24 2011 3:28PM
In celebration of the 40th year for the Portland Trailblazers, the Clinton Street Theater in SE Portland proudly presents "FAST BREAK", an ultra rare documentary about the 1977 Trailblazers - that has been out of circulation since 1978, when it played exclusively in Portland theaters for only one week. In âFast Break,â director Don Zavin depicts the off-court lives of the world champion Portland Trail Blazers, particularly Bill Walton, as they socialize, travel, train and otherwise navigate a world that they arenât entirely part of because of their fame.  This film starts today but if you want to wait until Saturday Oregon author Matt Love will be in attendance, to share excerpts from his book "Red Hot and Rolling: A Retrospection of the Portland Trailblazers 1976-77 Championship Season".  Matt will also selling his book - which includes a DVD copy of FAST BREAK.
Speed Rack by Mornings with Nicolle Camarata, posted Oct 21 2011 2:25PM
Forget balls to the wall â this is about babes rushing at the bar as Speed Rack, the national bartending competition, comes to Portland to kick off the second leg of a ten city bartending tour. The tour launched this October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in an effort to find the fastest female bartender in America, while raising funds for breast cancer charities. The Speed Rack tour follows the success of the inaugural LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) Speed Rack competition in New York City this past May, which raised $3,500 and the Boston race where $5,000 came in from attendees who watched Samantha Kershaw of Citizen/Noir take the crown. Now itâs Portlandâs turn to put their beauties to the test and the timing couldn't be better as it is Portland Cocktail Week! Speed Rack is the only national cocktail competition that features top female bartenders in key cocktail markets and puts them head to head in timed challenges. Judges will rate each drink based on prep time and accuracy. The Portland judging panel includes spirit industry luminaries Misty Kalkofen, Audrey Saunders and Charlotte Voisey plus a local woman who knows a thing or two about bad wet thingsâ¦Poison Waters.  Waters comments, âEveryone knows a drag queenâs favorite things are cocktails and racks! And then add in the element of speed? Get outta here! What a perfect way to spend an afternoon!â That afternoon is this Sunday October 23, 2011 at Left Bank Annex (www.leftbankannex.com) from 1-4 PM with a drag queen and a bunch of girls who surely wonât be dragging their heels. Before and after the event make sure to stop by the Distiller's Festival also going on at Left Bank Annex all Saturday and Sunday with Nicolle Camarata as special host and emcee. For more information or to purchase tickets online visit pdxcwspeedrack.eventbrite.com , tickets will also be available at the door (cash only).
Portland Cocktail Week kicks off with a party at Wilf's tonight at 8pm to welcome bartenders from around the world! The events and festivities continue all through the weekend, including the Robot's vs. Humans party at the Jupiter, the 2-day Distiller's Festival at Left Bank Annex Saturday and Sunday and many more parties around town! We had David Shenaut, the President of the Bartender's Guild, come in to the Charlie studios to make drinks and give us the scoop on PCW. Here is the full interview with all the details:
We Play Everything
