PDX: Stumptown Trivia

My sisters and I recently went to our first trivia night. We went to a sitcom trivia night at the Cedar Hills Pizza Schmizza, but there are many options.

I was very impressed with the organization. When your team checks in, you get a sheet for keeping track of your points and a pad for sending in answers. 

This negates the need for shouting or buzzers. Knowing the answer faster doesn't help, but needing some time to keep up with it also doesn't hurt.

In each of four rounds, you have four point values you can choose from: 1, 3 , 5, and 7. A question is asked, and you write down the answer and the points you want to risk on it. You don't know what other questions are coming, so if you are confident, break out the high point values first. In our first round we were not very confident on the first question, so only assigned it one point. All of the others were worse, and that was the only one we got right. We should have put 7 on it, but you just don't know. Slips are then collected, and then the answer is given. You can track your own points, but the trivia team is also tracking and will determine winners.

No points are awarded if you have your phones out. This is about what you know!

There are also some wagers, where points can be earned by coming up with the best answer (as determined by a member of the host site's staff) to a proposed question.

I was really impressed with the organization. We were also humbled. Some of these questions are hard. Still, as miserable as the first two rounds were, we crushed the last two. Some of it is just that on any topic there is a wide range of knowledge.

For our team - two of my sisters and I - we watch a lot of the same shows. Creating a team from people who watch widely different shows might be the best strategy. But also, you can play without winning and still have fun. If you can't, in addition to gift card prizes for the top two scores, there was also a prize for the team that came in second to last.

Other trivia topics have included or will include Harry Potter, Marvel, Monty Python, Disney, and Will Ferrell.

One of those should be right for you.

https://www.facebook.com/stumptowntrivia/
https://schmizza.com/

Hillsboro, Oregon - Orenco Woods Nature Park

We really enjoyed Orenco Woods Nature Park in Hillsboro.

There are some cool amenities, like movie nights.

More than that, we appreciated the nods to the local history. This included information on the historic home of OREgon Nursery COmpany founder Malcolm McDonald.

https://restoreoregon.org/historic-hillsboro-house-to-be-re-purposed-for-community-use/

They also found a fun way to honor Orenco apple production.

The use of natural materials for sculpture was also interesting.

I don't know if this will give anyone Wicker Man flashbacks.

They did include some artist information, which I think is helpful.

A new bridge on the Rock Creek trail creates a nice tie between the park and nearby residences.

There can be some confusion about the trail. We thought it was going to curve around the trees to the South, and that the actual trail was just for access from the neighborhood. We should have kept going that way, primarily North, and then it would have come back around to the West. We still got some intriguing glimpses.

We were there on the 4th of July, when the picnic area was in heavy use.

The playground looked fun.

One of the big draws is a chance to observe wildlife, and we were thrilled when this hawk swooped down and started exploring the area.

I think the park deserves some exploring too. You should make a point of getting there.

They'll be watching for you.

https://www.oregonmetro.gov/parks/orenco-woods-nature-park

Bridgeport Village - Candy Castle

The Candy Castle - newly open in Bridgeport Village - has a sweet and old-fashioned charm. It kind of reminds us of Disneyland's Main Street.

The gumball topiary was the best, but having a carousel horse inside is pretty cool too.

Oddly the blurb on the Bridgeport Village site focuses on the candy tree, but that is the least impressive thing in the shop.

Or perhaps the issue is that with its clear plastic disks arcing out, it is too sleek and modern, putting it in contrast with the shop's overall vibe.

While there is a lot that is visually attractive about the shop, it may be more important to the business model that they are generous with the samples.

We could try samples of caramel corn, cotton candy, and ready to eat cookie dough.

There is packaged candy as well, including some hard-to-find classics.

Then there are the regular chocolates that you can purchase and use to fill boxes. These come from the Candy Basket, a local favorite and tradition.

I did not find out if they put jelly beans in the bottom of the ice cream cones, but there is an ice cream counter as well. (I love the pom pom cones.)

I know fancy old-fashioned candy stores are becoming more common, and it makes sense: it's fun feeling like a kid in a candy store. That being said, I like this one better than some of the others I have seen.

Check it out!

https://www.bridgeport-village.com/store/Candy-Castle-Co/2138950719/

https://www.candybasketinc.com/

Beaverton, Oregon - Batter Up

We have been meaning to try Batter Up since it was a nearby food truck. Now we have been to their location in LaScala Food Hall in downtown Beaverton, home to several micro-restaurants. Most of them are intriguing, but these are some delicious waffles.

There were two things that I am not going to recommend, so I want to get those out of the way.

In my continuing bafflement at how chicken and waffles became a thing, when that is an option I tend to order it. The chicken takes longer than the other items. It is not bad, but it is not really good enough to justify the wait.

In addition, most of the menu items can come with or without hash browns, and the hash browns are fine but nothing special. I wouldn't bother with them, because the waffles are so special.

They are so delicious, and they can be that way with savory toppings...

or sweet toppings...

or with even more sweet toppings. So it is worthwhile to stop and think about priorities.

That being said, a frosty can of soda does not have to be a distraction.

Although the space between the seven restaurants is not completely open, at least in this section you have access to three or four options, with attractive polished wood tables and seats.

The end glass door was opened up when we were there, giving kind of a converted industrial space feel, though I believe the space was built at the same time as the apartments above. It did let bugs in, but the bugs never tried to land on us or the food, so it may not matter.

Torn between a desire to both try different Batter Up menu items and try the products of their neighbors, I am not sure what will happen when we go back, but space in general should be great for those who live or work in the area, with inexpensive options, variety, and most of all delicious waffles!

http://www.batterupwaffles.com/welcome.html