Pix Patisserie

Both locations in Portland are heaven! The review below is based on the Division location.

After a night of drinking/eating out on Division, I needed something sweet…enter Pix :) This place has any special treat you can think of (and all are house made by their amazing pasty chefs): signature deserts, pastries, ice cream, chocolates – you name it, they have it. They also offer a long line of coordinating beverages, from coffee to specialty beers and dessert wines. The shop on Division is small and has an eclectic style. Random table pieces are mixed together, and the bar seating reminds me of an old-time soda shop. It is always full of people, either enjoying their deserts in house (or in front of the shop in nicer weather) or running in to grab some items to go.

We sat at the counter and ordered our own little sampler:

1)2 scoops of the “Manic Panic,” which is peanut butter ice cream with a caramel ribbon and pieces of their Queen of Sheba Truffle Cake mixed throughout…HEAVEN! This ice cream was so delicious that I hunted down the Manager of Pix on Division for details on the ingredients – thanks to Leb, he is super friendly and helpful!
2) One piece each of the “Pistache” (Pistachio and almond paste meld together and), “Pix Nutella” (Chocolate hazelnut ganache) and “Pink Flamingo” (pink grapefruit infused ganache) chocolates, with a glass each of the Pinot Noir.

I enjoy being able to just order one piece of things here, rather than whole desserts, so I can try a variety. Everything we ordered was melt-in-your-mouth, enjoy every morsel good. I would go back here weekly just to try new flavors of chocolate and ice cream if my body could sustain the sweets, LOL!

Great place for the sweet tooth, on any occasion!

*Jayne

Matchbox Lounge

This place is a total score in my book! I had never even heard of it before, but Armando had been and suggested it. It is the alternative waiting place to the Whiskey Soda Lounge when you are trying to snag a table at the infamous Pok Pok, and is right across the street (plus I love the Division area anyway!).

It is a nice size restaurant/bar, big enough so you could have a small group starting the night out, but small enough to remain your comfy neighborhood hangout. The tables are booth/seat mixes, and there is also seating at the bar. Matchbox was busy on this Saturday night, but not packed, which was perfect. I was amazed at the wonderful menu! They have a great selection of cocktails, draft beers, and unique food combinations.

We started with cocktails…I chose the Aviation, and Armando chose the West Side. Mine was full of flavor and very light, which is exactly what I wanted. Armando’s favorite Bourbon is Eagle Rare, so he loved this one! I especially enjoyed the alcohol soaked cherry at the bottom of my drink – yum! Pok Pok had an hour and a half to two hour wait this evening, so after looking at the delicious items on the Matchbox menu (which I will absolutely be back to try some real dishes!) we chose the “Small Plate” of Rosemary and Sunflower Seed Crackers served with Grafton Cheddar. Seriously, this simple dish was amazing! The crackers were thick, full of chunky ingredients, and perfectly flaky. The cheese was unbelievable, with a sharp yet delicate flavor that complimented the seeds in the crackers perfectly. All of this for $5! A complete steal, and a great starter dish for our night out. Next up was some choices from the impressive selection of draft beers…we went with the Walking Man IPA (Armando’s favorite), and I tried the Saison Dupont Farmhouse Ale, which was served in a special tasting glass (great beer to sip and enjoy, a bit heavier alcohol content).

As you can tell, I loved Matchbox, and plan to go back asap and enjoy another great evening!

*Jayne