Best Of Portland

"Wrongful convictions occur every month in every state in this country, & the reasons are all varied & all the same—bad police work, junk science, faulty eyewitness identifications, bad defense lawyers, arrogant prosecutors." - John Grisham

Best Random Acts

Grisham on writing his first non-fiction book "The Innocent Man" -

"With every visit and every conversation, the story took a different twist. I could’ve written five thousand pages. The journey also exposed me to the world of wrongful convictions, something that I, even as a former lawyer, had never spent much time thinking about. This is not a problem peculiar to Oklahoma, far from it.

Wrongful convictions occur every month in every state in this country, and the reasons are all varied and all the same—bad police work, junk science, faulty eyewitness identifications, bad defense lawyers, lazy prosecutors, arrogant prosecutors.

With no physical evidence, the prosecution’s case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you."

April 14, 2008 - An evening with Paul Hawken (Blessed Unrest, 2007) in conversation with National Book Award winner Barry Lopez & Rebecca Solnit, discuss their shared concerns for environmental & social justice, and the worldwide movement toward change.

Best Random Acts

Entrepreneur and environmentalist Paul Hawken is the author of six books, including The Next Economy (1983), Growing a Business (1987) and The Ecology of Commerce (1993). His latest book, Blessed Unrest (2007), deals with what Hawken refers to as a movement of “coherent organic, self-organized congregations involving tens of millions of people dedicated to change.” Terry Tempest Williams has called the book, “a manifesto of hope for the twenty-first century.”

At this special event, Hawken will be joined on-stage by Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams (1986) and editor of Home Ground (2006), and Rebecca Solnit, author of Storming the Gates of Paradise: Landscapes for Politics (2007). These authors will bring their unique perspectives and shared concerns for environmental and social justice to a conversation that will address the questions: “What’s going on ?” and “What can be done about it ?”

Gerding Theater at the Armory
120 N.W. 11th
Portland, OR

Photo Credit: Terrence McCarthy

April 18-27, 2008 - Oregon Ballet's exhilarating performace of Trey McIntyre's "Just"

Best Entertainment

Elephantastic, 46 is the new 26! Just ask Packy the elephant during his elephant-sized birthday celebration on April 12, 2008

Come see why Oregon Zoo is a world leader in Asian elephant care. Watch special training sessions, play games and wear your own elephant ears. On the 12th it’s a birthday party for Packy! Cake for everyone and Packy gets his cake at 2 p.m.

Best Portland Landmarks

April 5, 2008 - Beginning at 11:00 am at the Portland Classical Chinese Gardens, 200 fish will be released into Zither Lake in celebration of the abundance of spring. As a symbol of prosperity, children enjoy releasing fish into the pond.

Best Annual Events

The event lasts until all of the fish are released.

Portland Classical Chinese Garden
Northwest Third and Everett
P.O. Box 3706
Portland, OR 97208

July 9th - 13th 2008, Grab your riding crops and head-out to "The Country Classic Horse Show and Wine Festival" held at the beautiful Hunter Creek Farm, situated on the Willamette River, in the heart of Oregon's wine country.

Best Annual Events

Besides the day long horse competitions, a number of vendors offer a wide variety of gifts, services, gourmet foods, wine tasting, special lattes and more. It is a family focused event with plenty to do for everyone.

Admission prices:
$10.00 for Adults, 5.00 for Children 4-14, and Seniors.
Ages 3 and under are free!!
Shows begin at 9 am daily.

Successful Residential Real Estate Investors Share Their Buying Know-How!

  Best Real Estate

Citrus Sake-Lacquered Salmon

Servings: 6

• 6 salmon fillets

• 1/2 cup honey (120 mL)

• 1 cup sake (240 mL)

• 2 lemons, grated zest only

• 2 oranges, grated zest removed

• 1 cup orange juice (240 mL)

• 1 Tbsp. chili paste (15 mL)

• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger (15 mL)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200C).

2. Place the salmon in a baking dish that will accommodate the fillets in a single layer. Place all the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Cook until it reduced by 1/2, about 8 minutes. Brush the salmon with the sauce and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the fish starts to feel firm to the touch. To punch up the flavour, brush the salmon with sauce twice during baking.

3. Change the oven setting to broil and place the fish under the broiler until the honey glaze starts to caramelize. Serve immediately. Best Recipes

St. John Couture

Best Online Shopping (Worldwide)

Panther Primitive's fairytale/medieval inspired tents are anything but primitive!

Best Online Shopping (Worldwide) Panther Primitive's brings the past to life by supplying reproduction tents and supplies tent & supplies for historical re-enactors collectors and the occassional resourceful camping diva. Their dedication to quality and customer service has made Panther the world's largest manufacturer of historical tentage.