Some days, (okay, almost all days) you have a hard time deciding on what your mind, body and tumtum desire to consume. My suggestion is to take a stroll down Alberta Street located in NE Portland. Whether you’re starting from 11th and working your way up or beginning at 33rd and working your way down, you’re bound to appreciate each and every restaurant/bar. The places I recommend the most are:

The Bye & Bye - Treat yourself healthy to a comfort vegan bowl filled with awesome veg like broccoli or brussel sprouts and tofu. Mom didn’t tell you how good those green alien-like brains taste doused in peanut sauce! To counter that fiber goodness order the Bye & Bye drink. Who knew vodka and whiskey would make such a good couple? Trust me. Don’t be racist. 

Grilled Cheese Grill - Grilled Cheese. A simple concept, especially if you could always carry around a fanny pack full of grilled cheeses. Except, you don’t have a fanny pack full of grilled cheeses. Next best thing? A food cart solely devoted to those sinful sammies. Open late night Thursday through Saturday you can drunkenly (or soberly, I won’t judge) chow down on a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. All I can say is - pay extra for bacon.

The Nest - In the mood for a stiff cocktail and a game of horseshoes? Oh, allergic to horses? No problem. Why not try using your wrist for a less selfish reason for once and whack a few ping-pong balls around. Not your thing? Well there are more balls to come. The Nest not only features horseshoes and ping-pong, but also pool and pinball. That’s a lot of p’s and b’s. All in one place.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, order a soul warming bowl of mac and cheese. It comes from the tiny place next door, Baked! You can order it from the bar at the Nest or step outside and order from Baked!’s window. YUMMM.

Ok, I’m realizing there are way too many places on Alberta to recommend. Lies. I already knew this. But it’s way past my bedtime and I’m starting to get the munchies from talking all this foodie talk. I’ll end with my all time fav restaurant on Alberta Street.

Cruz Room - By far the best tacos and service I’ve had in this town. These aren’t your greasy, fast food tacos either.  The Cruz’s tortillas are packed with meat, veg, and unique toppings sure to please every taste bud. The Cruz Room has an intimate feel but with a cheap hooker price. What? I’ll explain it like this. On a budget? This is a perfect spot to take a new lover. She/he will think you are a wealthy gentleman/woman (and a scholar). Turns out you can get two gourmet tacos and a side of Tots a la Cruz for $7.50!!!! And during happy hour, tacos are only $2! Have you creamed yet? Oh wait, that’s just the delicious creamy custom sauce they delicately lay upon the tacos. I suggest getting the Green Meanie, Buff and Phuket tacos.

So, in a nutshell, these are the places to visit first amongst so, so many options. At least these are the establishments a mildly chubby redheaded lady likes to frequent. Cheers!

Review posted on Nabewise.com

The results are in! Kobra Kommander did awesome!! However, we did not place in the 2009 International Shootout, but we were honored to represent all of Oregon. Although I fell ill the day before filming began, I got to contribute by speaker phone during the brainstorming process. And I’m sure if you listen really carefully, you may be able to hear me sneezing in the background throughout the film. For the short time that I wasn’t too sick to stand, I aided with set design, props and held the position of script supervisor. Once again, I was honored to work with such an amazing crew on this continuation of the 48 Hour Film Project. Our original short film, “Mr. Merryweather and the Magical Meth Lab” will play in Vegas this coming April alongside other films from the 48 Hour Film Project and the International Shootout.

On the set of “The Omega Pitch” where I tore it up as Set Designer, PA, and script supervisor. The theme for the 2009 International Shootout was “End of the World”. We had 72 hours to complete the project. Check out the lime green and hot pink pleather jacket and full body spandex Speedie is rocking. Yeah, that’s right, that’s mine.

Photos courtesy of Mr. Aaron Wong

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced “Finding Harmony” as the winner of the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Children/Youth Special. It was an honor working on the crew as grip/gaffer.

This past weekend my team Kobra Kommander and I had 48 hours to make a short film. Our genre we randomly chose was Musical, the prop was a picture frame, and line of dialogue was “For crying out loud.” I acted, created a Meth lab, and was a main PA. So much fun!

UPDATE:

Out of 57 teams in Portland, Oregon, my team Kobra Kommander received “Best Musical Score”, “Best Editing” and “Best Film of Portland”!! I am so proud of everyone’s hard work.

I found out today that the children’s documentary I worked on as a grip/gaffer is nominated for a Regional Emmy! We will find out in September if we win. This documentary can be viewed in every 4th grade history classroom in Indiana.

On the set of The Imaginals, where I operated the boom mic. Such a blast and my car was a star and got to hit someone too!

This should not be confused with any ridiculous teeny-bopper cheerleading movie. Because if you Google “In It To Win It”, unfortunately, that’s what you’ll find. However, this is actually going to be great [and not because I was part of the amazing crew either].

Filmed and set in Portland, Oregon, this web series is about a quirky girl who wins a law suit that allows her to pursue her dreams of 1) becoming a disgusting, perverted, lazy slob and 2) becoming an actress. Mix together peanut butter, bananas, beards and some genital wart ads… and thirteen episodes later you’ve got one flippin’ hilarious web series.

During production, I had the privilege of being script supervisor, which is a role I’ve come to really enjoy. I also found myself performing typical PA tasks like slating from time to time.

Dawn recently lent her hand to the design and construction of the set for the short film “Sweetie” featuring the music of Everthus the Deadbeats.