HEAVENLY CREATURES - HEAVENLY FOOD

Wine, Bread, and a Parasocial Relationship with Alison Roman

This past month, I went to Heavenly Creatures, a cozy wine bar that gives NYC vibes. Located on NE Broadway—my old stomping grounds—Heavenly Creatures truly lives up to its name. It’s everything I’ve been wanting in a new restaurant. It opened about two years ago, and I recently discovered it thanks to a recommendation from my closest friend, Alison Roman. Obviously, we’ve never met, but I definitely have a one sided parasocial relationship with her.

The place has candles lining the bar, shelves of wine bottles, and plants scattered about, draping over everything. It felt like home—or at least what I imagine my home would feel like if I weren’t afraid of taper candles and could actually keep a plant alive.

The menu was interesting (in a good way), and I definitely had to Google a few things before deciding what to order. As someone who loves wine but is in no way a sommelier, I asked the waiter for a white wine recommendation. He gave me an in-depth description of the options—fun at first, but by the second half of his monologue, I was ready for it to wrap up. Still, I appreciated his earnestness.

My friend and I started with focaccia and basil butter, and oh my god, I’ve never tasted bread and butter that good. I think about it almost every day.

As the sun set, the space grew cozier, candles lit the small dining room with a warm glow, and we ordered our main dishes. I went with a crab, squid, and scallion dish in a white wine sauce, and my friend chose the pork parm (or something like that). I loved my dish. It was light, airy, and exactly what I’ve been craving from a restaurant lately.

We all know portions in America are massive, and as someone who’s not in the “clean plate club” but instead eats until I’m full (a natural gift I have since I’m an incredibly slow eater), it was the perfect portion with the perfect taste.

I, of course, ended the night with another glass of wine and an amazing chocolatey dessert I can’t remember the name of (the menu changes often, so you probably couldn’t get it again anyway). This was my perfect Portland evening.