Too Big For My Britches

Loving Food...A Little Too Much

Photo by Papi Veneno on Unsplash

Somewhere between the MS Noordam’s buffets and included room service, I must have gained a few pounds.

I had hoped extra laps around the promenade deck might offset at least some of those tasty calories. But as I was getting ready for Miss B to pick me up for happy hour and dinner at SoHo House Portland, reality set in.

Seems my favorite pair of pants, the ones that fit perfectly at the start of this getaway, now felt more like a second skin.

I could pretend this was shocking. Mysterious, even. But when you combine unlimited access to really good food with my long-standing love affair with anything sweet, savory, buttery, crispy, and/or covered in sauce, this feels less like a surprise and more like an inevitability.

And you know what? I’m not even mad about it. Okay…maybe a little mad.

Once I get back home on Friday, I’ll rein things in. Find some balance again. Maybe reacquaint myself with vegetables that aren’t fried or drenched in sauce.

But right now? In Portland? On this trip? I’m here to enjoy and experience as much as possible.

So instead of forcing the pants, I found a pair that actually fit. Not my favorite, but good enough. And just like that, I was out the door to meet the delovely and delightful Miss B.

After that run-in with reality, I found myself craving something a little lighter to balance out my liquid appetizers. Miss B recommended a chopped salad that absolutely rocked my world. Which, for me, is a bold statement for a salad.

The grilled chicken was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Every ingredient tasted intentional. It wasn’t just food. It was a composed and curated meal. The kind of dish that makes you slow down and actually pay attention to each bite.

I wanted to take a photo because it looked like something straight out of a magazine. But SoHo House Portland has a no-photography policy, which I respect. Privacy over content, y’all.

Miss B and I settled into a sectional in the posh bar and lounge. There we caught up while cussing and discussing everything under the sun. God, I love my chosen sister.

After she dropped me back at The Hotel Zags Portland, I did what any reasonable, food-loving traveler would do: I started planning my next meal.

Thanks to Yelp, I discovered that less than a mile away is a Southern comfort food spot calling my name: Grits N’ Gravy.

And when I say calling my name, I mean it had me setting an alarm for 6am.

By 7am, I was there when they opened the door.

I ordered the “Country Boy Breakfast,” and I genuinely don’t have the words to do it justice. A buttermilk biscuit topped with fresh sausage and smothered in country gravy, served alongside scrambled eggs and fried grits.

Now, I’m not usually a grits person…but fry them and serve them with molasses? Suddenly, I’m all in. Clint is currently full as a tick and happy as a clam.

Every bite felt like a warm hug from my grandma, who made the best biscuits in the world. She never wrote the recipe down or taught anyone how to make them, so her masterpieces are lost to time. But the biscuits at Grits N’ Gravy came pretty close.

The flavors weren’t subtle or light.
But they were absolutely right.

Look, I know how this sounds. Pants getting tighter. Meals getting heavier. A whole lot of “I’ll deal with it later” energy.

But here’s the thing. Travel, for me, isn’t just about seeing new places. It’s about smelling them. Tasting them. Letting a place show me who it is through its food and saying yes to dishes I didn’t even know I wanted.

Maybe I’m a little too big for my britches right now. So I’m wearing shorts today.

It’s time to get this day going. Miss B and I are off to explore her new home town, enjoying good art, good books, and great conversations that remind me just how lucky I am to call her a friend.

Keep calm and carry on!
Clint 🌈✌️

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

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BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY

• 04-28 = John Paul Hudson (1928-2002) = American activist, writer, and actor 🌈

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MAN CRUSHES OF THE DAY

DREW + JONATHAN SCOTT BY DAN DOPERALSKI

“If somebody says you can’t do something, find five ways to do it.”
Drew Scott

“I don’t trust people who don’t like dogs.”
Jonathan Scott