I’ve been pretty obsessed with the Pacific Northwest my whole life, due to numerous pop culture influences while growing up in the ’90s (see: Twin Peaks, Nirvana, and the Sonics NBA Finals run in 1996, among others) and have always wanted to visit. I had some vacation days to use up at the end of March/beginning of April and decided to plan an adventure to finally check out the NW corner of the USA. My first stop was Portland, Oregon and I spent lots of time researching all the things I wanted to eat:

  • Lardo: This was my first stop as soon as I dropped my bags at the hotel, and it was the best way to kick-off my two days in Portland. I was drooling over the menu for weeks before my trip, but still had a hard time choosing what I wanted when I got there! The person taking my order said the Pork Meatball Banh Mi was the most popular sandwich, so that was a done deal (topped with pickled veg, jalapeno, sriracha mayo and cilantro and it was EPIC). I also got Lardo Fries (which are topped with fried herbs and parmesan) and an unsweetened iced tea and I was in heaven. Couldn’t finish everything, but took the leftovers back to the hotel to eat later on. Perfect first stop!
  • Voodoo Doughnuts: Okay, I’ve been wanting to eat these doughnuts for AT LEAST 10 years! I think Voodoo came on my radar when I first starting reading food blogs and always heard about it as a must-stop in Portland. I tried a Portland Cream (their version of Boston Cream), Strawberry Go-Tart, Ol’ Dirty Bastard (chocolate frosting, crushed Oreos and peanut butter drizzle) and a Vicious Hibiscus. Overall I would say these are pretty decent doughnuts, and the variety of flavours is fun, but they aren’t necessarily the best doughnuts I’ve had in my life. Still, they’re legendary in Portland, so I consider them a must-eat!
  • Bowery Bagels: A New York style bagel shop might seem like an odd choice for my list of Portland Eats, but it repeatedly showed up in my research for “best breakfast sandwich” in the city. I had The Dan Burnside (all the sandwiches are named after prominent figures in Portland history), which is a bacon, egg and cheese, and I chose a plain bagel. It was so good, and a perfect way to start my day of exploring the city.
  • Nuvrei: There were quite a few bakeries I wanted to go to in Portland, but due to time and proximity, knew I would only be able to get to one or two of them. I chose Nuvrei and I’m so happy I did. They’re well known for their pastries, so I got a pain au chocolate, plus a canele (which I’ve never had before!) and a passionfruit macaron. Everything was absolutely perfect. Would definitely be a regular here if I lived in Portland!
  • Farmer and the Beast: Portland is big on Food Carts (not Trucks) and there are little pockets of them all over the city. I ventured up to the Nob Hill Food Carts for dinner and it was such a good idea to explore a new neighbourhood and get out of downtown for a bit. There were a about six food carts in this little alley and after surveying all my options, I decided on a smash burger from Farmer and the Beast. Even though it was drizzly and gray outside, it felt like summer when I ate this, and it was so good.
  • Salt & Straw: This is another place I’ve been hearing about FOREVER. To me it always seemed like the West Coast version of Jeni’s, and I was excited to check it out. Like Jeni’s, they have some super weird flavours (Black Olive Brittle & Goat Cheese? Hard pass!), but also scoop up the classics. I had Chocolate Gooey Brownie and Salted, Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Again, not the weather for ice cream, but was still fun to try Salt & Straw after being curious about it for years.

Other non-foodie related notes:

  • I stayed at the Hyatt Centric Downtown Portland which was in a great location so I could walk to most of the things I wanted to do, but also close to transit (which was super easy to navigate). I would definitely recommend it!
  • #1 on my Portland To-Do List was Powell’s City of Books, which is an absolutely legendary independent bookstore covering an entire city block. Loved wandering the store, browsing through everything and exploring their reading lists.
  • I cheated on the Raptors and went to a Blazers Game, which I was so excited for, but less so once I found out Damian Lillard wouldn’t be playing (womp womp). Still, kind of fun to see an NBA game in another city which I’ve never done before.
  • It was a bit early for anything to be in bloom at the International Rose Test Garden, but it was still fun to go for a walk in the gardens and see what it was all about (before getting caught in a hailstorm!)
  • So the weather was exactly what I was expecting: overcast, gloomy, and always raining/drizzling. Pretty much on theme for the PNW, so I was into it. Glad I packed my umbrella!