UPDATED: COVID-19 and Site News

While each state is enacting its own measures to reopen businesses, that means I also get to keep working from home for now.

As previously noted, all the blog posts you've been seeing for the past few weeks were on visits made before stay-at-home orders were put into effect in my area. Just a couple weeks ago, the governor extended the stay-at-home order through May 31.

All of my food adventures have been accounted for now, and that means no more new posts for a bit.

Once everything starts (slowly) getting back to normal, the food adventures I love to write about will resume.

I'll see you on the other side of this pandemic. Please stay safe.

COVID-19 and Site News

Quick update:

As you probably know, restaurants (and other public places) are suspending service or reverting to takeout-only orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

My blog posts will continue uninterrupted through at least the end of April 2020 because I had a bunch ready to go in the queue. Should this last beyond that time, you may notice a break in posting, but at least you'll likely know why that occurred.

I am otherwise being asked to work from home (at my real job) during this time. I hope everyone is otherwise doing well.

-Aaron

Craft Coffee (20% off promotion; ends 11/8!)

(NOTE: I have teamed with Craft Coffee to bring you a limited-time promotion. HURRY! This promotion ends November 8, 2012!)

Hey coffee lovers! Ever want to try some of the best coffees from multiple roasters, as certified by true coffee experts? If so, read on!

Craft Coffee, a company based in Brooklyn, New York, receives over 50 coffees each month from various roasting companies across North America. From there, Craft Coffee's expert team conducts a series of tests to narrow the field down to the top 10. Finally, the founder comes in and selects the top three artisan coffees for the month. Those three coffees (each 4 oz. bags) get shipped to each subscriber.

For the next two weeks, they are giving my faithful readers a generous 20% discount (code is "aaronpromo") to subscribe to their coffees-of-the-month service. I'm sure you want to know more, so keep reading below!

(Logo courtesy of Craft Coffee)

Green Leaf's and Bananas (promotion)

(DISCLAIMER: This sponsorship is brought to you by Green Leaf's & Bananas, who we have partnered with for this promotion.)



Green Leaf's, founded in 1976, offers healthy meals made from the freshest ingredients. Among them: fresh-tossed salads made to order, delicious wraps, amazing grilled panini sandwiches, and hearty homemade soups.

Bananas, founded in 1979 as Everything Yogurt, is comprised of great-tasting smoothies, fresh-fruit frosties, and frozen yogurt. For individuals or families that strive for clean, healthy eating, look no further than Green Leaf's & Bananas!

   

Green Leaf's "Pick & Mix" salad bar offers virtually limitless combinations to ensure customers get exactly what they want. They place high value on customer service and want people to have an awesome experience.



The fine folks at Green Leaf's are giving away a Vitamix blender that can really help with blending those smoothies and other healthy options! Just go and "like" their Facebook page to enter!

 

Get in the mix and win a Vitamix!
Just head on over to the Green Leaf's & Bananas Facebook page to enter for the Vitamix Giveaway!

New YouTube Channel! Subscribe!

I have set up a new YouTube channel and will be transferring most of my videos over. I'll be deleting or otherwise privatizing videos on my old account, and hopefully I'll have everything done by the end of the month.

The new YouTube account name is also a bit more professional and more consistent with my Facebook and Twitter presence. I plan to re-upload them with royalty-free music as well; the videos should otherwise stay the same.


Here's the link...please subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/user/AaronFoodAdventures

Reduced Posting; OregonMania II

I'll be taking a brief hiatus again from my blog posting. Recently, I came down with a horrible stomach flu that left me mostly bedridden for two days. I'm much better now, but the illness left me in a significantly weakened state. Needless to say, I've also been unable to get to the gym.


While I still have plans to continue my blog and eat great food with my friends, I will likely make future blog posts more a weekly endeavor for the foreseeable future (OregonMania II being the exception, see below). In a way, this should be a good thing. There will be no pressure to deliver daily postings, and I'm sure my body will thank me (I think it already has been).


In the meantime, I've still been jotting down great places to check out. Luckily, a number of food businesses open during the summer, especially those lovable Portland food carts. I've already spotted a few places I want to check out.

In related news, I look forward to meeting up with Naader Reda during his second OregonMania romp, which begins today and goes through Sunday (7/29). Like the first OregonMania, I plan to cover each day in separate blog posts -- all filled with new food challenges. Unfortunately, this time, I likely will not be participating in any food stunts due to my recent stomach flu. Look for these blog posts sometime in early August.

Penna Gourmet Foods (promotional ad)

(DISCLAIMER: This sponsorship is brought to you by Penna Gourmet Foods, who we have partnered with for this promotion.)

Penna Gourmet Foods, a family-owned farm based in Orland, CA, is a grower, packer, and processor of gourmet olives. They have an amazing gourmet olives product line for the people that love to can their own products, as Penna provides fresh olives for such an endeavor.



Penna's official website, GreatOlives.com, even shares recipes if going the home-curing technique route. Techniques include the Mediterranean Partida style and the Lye Process.

Since 1979, Penna's canned olive processing takes old techniques and assures its safety through modern microbiology.

Weather permitting, Penna Gourmet Foods Fresh Olives will be available starting around mid-September. Check them out on Facebook and order your olives ASAP!



Penna Gourmet Foods
Fresh and gourmet cured olives, gift baskets, olive oil and more!

Pro Eaters' Week

From tomorrow (6/5) until Saturday (6/9), I will devote my blog posts to two professional eaters I met last month.

Tuesday's post will be about Randy Santel, who tackled several food challenges in Washington during the first weekend in May. I only got to see two of his six food challenges that weekend, but the guy can really put away the grub. Very nice guy, and I hope to meet up with him again in the future.

(Randy's website)

From Wednesday through Saturday, I document a four-part "OregonMania" series with Naader Reda, who you may have seen on the Pacific Coast Highway episode of Man v. Food Nation last year. During a four-day stretch over Memorial Day weekend, Naader went to town on quantity challenges, while I played the stupid panda role and ate a lot of spicy stuff.


(MvF Nation PCH episode part 1)
(MvF Nation PCH episode part 2)

Plans are already in the works for "OregonMania II," perhaps later this summer.

In a way, this will also provide a small break for me from a food noshing standpoint. In addition to doing my usual reviews and tackling bizarre spicy stunts during OregonMania, I've been writing food articles for Serious Eats in an attempt to further get my name out there in the food writers' world. I've also been applying for legal jobs throughout the Pacific Northwest. Baby steps....

Butter Bell Crock (promotional ad)

This spicy panda feels very happy today. In fact, let's take a short timeout for one of those public service announcements to help a family-owned business. The following "buy two, get one free" offer expires on May 15!

(NOTE: This sponsorship is brought to you by The Butter Bell Crock, who we have partnered with for this promotion)






As part of the Foodie Blogroll, I'd like to bring some awareness to my readers about the Butter Bell crock by L. Tremain, Inc. They were founded in 1996 and are a private, family-run business. Don't you want to support a local business? Well, they have a Spring Special  Offer right now: buy any two Butter Bell crocks and get one free. The promotion ends on May 15, 2012.


Do you like butter just as much as Paula Deen? These Butter Bell crocks, made from high-quality, durable New Bone China, will safely store your butter at room temperature. No odors or spoilage. Food Network shows even use them. I'm sure a bunch of the food carts and restaurants I have gone to would benefit from this product.



While it seems like I go out to eat each day, that's actually not the case. I try to eat most of my meals at home to save costs. I'm just thinking of all these recipes I could make with room-temperature butter all ready for me to use....



Check out their website and like them on Facebook. Be on the lookout for their monthly giveaways, new products, and special sales!


If you're interested, click below for the FREE coupon!


The Original Butterbell Crock by L.Tremain
Keep Your Butter Fresh Delicious and Spreadable for up to 30 days...without refrigeration!

Slight changes

One slight change will be made to my posts starting with my April 1 entry, and no April Fool's jokes are intended. In order to promote faster site loading times, I plan to make each blog entry more of a "teaser" using jump breaks. You will still be able to see the full review by clicking on the actual individualized posting.

(EDIT @ 12:10 p.m.: As part of my "small site overhaul," a few of my late March posts will also utilize jump breaks to accommodate the change)

That's all from me. Enjoy your weekend!

And we're back!

Thank you to the people who wished me well on my "exam adventures." I returned a few hours ago from Tacoma. Not sure how it went, but I did my best, and that's all that matters to me for now. And yes, I found a little time to have some good food there.

Now then, back to our regularly scheduled programming! Next review will be up tomorrow morning!

Short Hiatus

To all my faithful readers,

I launched this site in mid-May 2011 to blog about my food adventures and let my friends know about my seemingly endless quest for great (and spicy) creations. Over 500 blog entries, nine states, and countless new friendships later, I'm still going strong. I'd love to hit all 50 states and D.C. before this trek is over. But seriously, adventures like these never end!

I never thought I'd amass over 41,000 page views in the first nine months. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a daily follower, I am eternally grateful to you all.

With that said, I am taking a very short break from posting reviews. When not working out, eating, or blogging, I have been going bonkers studying for one major exam -- the one exam many law graduates cringe about. I know I've done everything in my power to prepare. No regrets. My next review will be posted on Friday, March 2.

Until then, eat something spicy for me, and embrace that pain!

-Aaron

New Facebook Page!

I hope everyone out there had an awesome Christmas (and sure, Hanukkah as well)! If you or your friends have Facebook, I have set up a page there for people to "Like." You'll be able to engage in more real-time interactions with me that way -- so it doesn't just seem like some robot is getting up at some insane hour in the morning to post reviews and pictures. Yup, there's actually a human being behind all this food adventure madness!

On my FB page, you may also suggest new places for me to eat (preferably a food cart, but any place with food probably works). If I happened to give a place a below-average score, let me know what I should try next time! If you're not living in Oregon, "like" my page anyway and tell me what I should try if I visit your neck of the woods!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aarons-Food-Adventures/242732135795248

Once again, Happy Holidays to all!