I recently spent a few days in Portland, Oregon. I had lots of preconceived notions about what I would find while I was there (I admit, many of them came from Portlandia), but what I found out was that Portland is super awesome and not at weird as I thought (LOL!). The other big surprise I found was that the food culture in Portland is OUT OF THIS WORLD!
I seriously had some of the best meals EVER while I was in Portland. So, I decided to put together a list of places that you must be sure to try next time you visit!
P.S. I saved the best for last, so be sure to read all the way through!
10. Grassa
This casual Italian eatery makes some quality homemade pasta at an affordable price. There’s no table service, so you just order at the entrance and pick your seat. There’s a variety of options available, including vegan and gluten free pasta (we are in Portland after all). I tried the Cacio e Pepe pasta, which is a traditional pasta that is usually only found in Rome! It didn’t quite equate to what I had on my trip to Italy, but it was good nonetheless. The cool thing about this restaurant is that it is attached to two other establishments (Lardo, for sandwiches, and Beer O’Clock, a taproom). You can bring your food and drinks between the three places if you’d like!
If you’re looking for more of an upscale meal with a view, this is your spot. I stopped here for lunch and was able to get a pretty affordable meal, but I was told that happy hour and dinner make for quite an experience, too. This restaurant is located on the 30th floor of one of the few skyscrapers in Portland, so you really get an unobstructed view of the city. I ordered the Raw Plate which was a good, lighter meal. They bake fresh bread to bring to the table…that stuff is dangerous!
If you’re looking for a quick breakfast option, check out POP Bagel. It is in the same building as Portland City Grill, but it is located on the first floor. POP is known for making unique flavors of pretzel-style bagels and cream cheese. The bagels taste fresh and have a great, unique consistency. The one I tried was Orange Cardamom flavored, and it was delish. Other popular flavors include Cinnamon Rum Raisin bagels and Brown Butter Sage Cream Cheese. I didn’t try any other bagels in Portland, but I would venture to say these are hard to beat!
Located on the north side of town, this ramen shop is not only delish, but a quick, affordable meal, too. There are several varieties of ramen available. The broth is flavorful, the noodles are chewy and delicious, and the egg served with it is cooked to perfection. This makes for a great stop on a cold, rainy night!
You may have recently seen the Cheese & Crack video that went viral on Facebook, depicting a silver tray with all sorts of cheesy goodies, and of course, the star of the show, bruleed brie. I couldn’t pass this stop up, so I gave it a try for myself. Even better than the Brie was the Blue Cheese and Cana de Oveja (a Spanish cheese made with sheep’s milk). Not to mention the delicious marionberry jam! This stop makes for a good meal or snack, and it’s fun to play around with the different flavor combinations on your plate. Grab some wine, beer, or even “frosé” (frozen rose slushie) to go with your cheesy treat!
Forget Voodoo Donuts. Who wants to wait in a line of 50 people for a donut that tastes just like any other, but has a cool decoration on it? That’s what I kept hearing over and over again while in Portland (and even before my trip). Instead, I was pointed to Blue Star Donuts, which is known for brioche donuts. I can attest that these were the best donuts I had ever tried! I initially tried the “O.G”, which is a brioche donut with a horchata glaze. My donut was fresh from the oven, still nice and warm when I got there, and was totally amazing! Other best sellers include their Blueberry Bourbon Basil donut and the Passionfruit donut. I also tried one of their monthly specials, the Apple Butter donut. The apple butter was sourced locally and was full of flavor. I highly recommend it!
If you like pho, then you will love Luc Lac. This trendy restaurant is full of personality, and their pho is full of flavor. The broth is perfectly salty and savory, and with the addition of some Sriracha, it has the perfect heat. The noodles are made to perfection, too! I tried the round steak and lean brisket pho, which I would highly recommend. It was a perfect lunch portion. If you’re looking for something a bit more substantial, order “The Train”, which comes with four types of meat! Other Vietnamese favorites are available to order, too. And don’t be surprised if you have to wait in line (even at an off hour) to get a seat…in my opinion, that just goes to show how good the food really is!
This is, hands down, the best ice cream shop ever. If you’re a traditionalist when it comes to your ice cream and chocolate chip cookie dough is your go-to flavor, then maybe you disagree. If you’re willing to try something new (that is probably MUCH better than your traditional go-to flavor), then you will likely agree with me.
Salt & Straw makes small batch, uniquely flavored ice creams, and all ingredients are locally sourced, too. Ever heard of Pear and Blue Cheese ice cream? You can try it here. Olive Oil ice cream? Also delicious. Honey Lavender? Check. Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache? Heavenly. Sea Salt ice cream with caramel ribbons? To die for. As I’m sure you can tell, I could go on and on about these flavors. My final pick after trying many was Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper. Yes, that is a real ice cream flavor. And I highly recommend it! I’ll finish by saying that Salt & Straw is totally worth the wait (as there will likely be a line out the door!).
To be perfectly honest, it was a difficult decision of how to order my top two favorite eateries in Portland. And no wonder! Both restaurants have the same executive chef, John Gorham.
Shalom Y’all is an Israeli restaurant that serves small plates meant for sharing. It is a tiny hole in the wall with awesome service. When I was there I enjoyed the Lamb Chops and Braised Greens (per the bartender’s suggestion). This was arguably one of the best meals I’ve ever had! And although I’m not one to order dessert, I had to try the Yemenite Sundae, with Yemenite spiced ice cream, orange blossom honey, and beharat ginger cookies. I think it will be my life’s mission to try and replicate this dessert, it was so simple but absolutely amazing!
To top it off, I enjoyed a glass of Gilgal Cabernet Sauvignon from Galilee, Israel. It was unlike any other red wine I’ve ever had…it’s amazing how wine from a different region stands out.
This restaurant gets five stars in my book, and I would happily make a point to go back there the next time I’m in Portland. In fact, I might go back to Portland just to eat at Shalom Y’all.
Sharing the same brains behind the operation as Shalom Y’all, Tasty n Alder brings more of an Americana vibe to the restaurant and the food it serves. Featuring shareable small plates as the basis of the menu, Tasty n Alder takes traditional dishes and turns them on their heads with additions of unique flavors and ingredients. I actually indulged at Tasty n Alder for two different meals—first for dinner, and then again for Sunday brunch.
I’ll start with my dinner experience!
I wanted a light meal for dinner, so I ordered Ryan’s Steak Tartare with a side of Delicata Squash (the server’s suggestion). The tartare was perfectly mild and fresh, and was served so you could make little lettuce wraps with it. Yum! Even more delicious was the delicata squash, which was served with goat cheese, hazelnuts, and a chili oil for a perfect kick of heat. I think I could have eaten that squash for every meal and died happy. I also tried some homemade Mandarin Orange Sorbet for dessert…they will even serve it with a small glass of Cava to make a “slushie” of types if you’d like!
Brunch was another amazing experience.
There was a line out the door before the restaurant even opened, which shows how much people love to come to this place! I ordered a Cheddar Biscuit Sandwich, a side of Cornmeal Pancake with Jalapeno Butter (per a friend’s suggestion!), and the most amazing Maple Cumin Glazed Yams. Food coma soon ensued, but every bite was worth it (and way too good to pass up!). The biscuit on the sandwich was the best I’ve ever had. The cornmeal pancake was creamy and delicious. And the yams, which were easily the star of the show, were out of this world. They had a crunchy maple cumin crust, and were sweet and spicy all at the same time. This is a spot that you don’t want to miss if you’re a breakfast lover!
My Final Thoughts
All in all, I came to learn that the cuisine in Portland features a very international variety of restaurants that go above and beyond in terms of flavor and experience. Lines out the door at restaurants are not uncommon, and a sign of how appreciated these eateries are by locals and tourists alike. Since returning from Portland, I’ve had several people comment about their own experiences there and how much they enjoyed the food, so while these are my personal top ten picks, I have no doubt that there are dozens of other five-star experiences just waiting to be had!
So, next time you’re in Portland, take a step outside of your comfort zone to try a type of cuisine that may not be familiar. You never know, it may be some of the best bites you ever have!
Do you have any Portland food favorites? Let me know in the comments below!
Excellent piece of culinary reportage!
Thank you!
Wow all this sounds and looks amazing. Looks like a foodie haven! I would love to venture that way and try these out!
Nichole, thedailypursuit
I hope you get to give these spots a try sometime!
Yum yum! so jealous.
Bob and I did a trip to Portland long ago with no foodie experience. Sure wish I had this post then. 🙂
Well, you will be all set if you make it up there again! 🙂