It is hard not to think of food when thinking about Portland. Before I even knew that I would go and visit Portland I already heard about its food-obsession. Having arrived on the foodie world map a few years ago I was curious to explore every little part of it. I currently live in Hong Kong where local food is rare and molecular cuisine is often favoured over slow cooking organic meals. Yet another reason to be super excited to visit one of the if not even the best destination for food lovers in the Pacific Northwest.
I had arrived in Seattle just a week before to visit friends of mine who recently moved to this wonderful and tasty city (check out 6 Delicious Pastries to Try in Seattle). As Portland is only a short drive away, two of my girlfriends and I decided to head south to Portland and the Oregon wine region for the weekend. Lucky me, I was not the only one looking forward to Portland’s culinary scene. So we decided to get up very early Saturday morning, skip breakfast, do the 2.5 hours drive and start our 24 hours food journey properly…meaning on an empty stomach.
I had heard and read many good things about Portland’s Saturday Market, so we started our food quest with a stroll through the stalls. I was surprised to find so many international food carts but hardly any stalls that offered a local cuisine. As I wasn’t in the mood for falafel wraps or Asian noodles, I queued up at Panini D’Amour for one of their Italian and fresh sandwiches. Paired with a homemade and unsweetened peppermint iced tea, I found Panini D’Amour to be the best breakfast option. After all, I am a German girl and I love my bread for breakfast. The panini were freshly made on the spot, mine was filled with mozzarella cheese, tomato and rocket salad. Just enough to sooth the empty belly but I still had some room for the next stop of our food journey. Overall, I really liked the atmosphere of the Portland Saturday Market as the weather was great, people relaxed and friendly and there was good live music.
Months ago I had seen a food show on TV about amazing food places in the US. There was this one shop that sold grilled cheese sandwiches made of doughnuts and there was another shop that offered all kinds of crazy looking doughnuts version. Randomly chatting about food culture in the US during our drive down to Portland I mentioned the show to my friends. Again, lucky me because I then learned that the shop with the crazy doughnuts comes originally from Portland and is called Voodoo Doughnuts. And that my friends had already added it to the list of must-eat places in Portland. Double Yay! At that time I didn’t know what it means to buy a doughnut at Voodoo Doughnuts. We had to queue for more than 50 minutes during a hot and sunny summer day only to buy one doughnut. But by far the best doughnut I ever had. I had the one with Bavarian cream inside and maple syrup glazing outside. Half way through I thought I would never be able to finish this extremely soft and sugar-loaded piece of heaven. At the end I felt like somebody glued up my stomach but it was worth every single bite.
It took me a while to feel not completely stuffed (which is still far away from feeling hungry) and so I had many cold coffees which are known for being really good in Portland as well. After a few hours and tons of walking and sightseeing we walked into Deschutes Brewery. As mentioned before I love all foods and drinks local because I like to try new tastes and flavours. At Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House we ordered the Brewery Pretzel with creamy white cheese and brown mustard as well as the Classic and the Brewer’s Choice sample try. It was a lot of fun going through all 12 beers and the waiter was very helpful in explaining each. The Pretzel alone was too sweet for my taste but fitted perfectly with the bitter beer. In the end, I found one or two beers that I really loved and would always order again. The tasting definitely did its purpose and it is also a great activity to do with friends.
We found this Italian restaurant by chance as it was close to where we were when we got hungry again. Highly rated on Tripadvisor we wanted to give Piazza Italia a try especially since they had outdoor seating and the plates of other guests looked super delicious. Again we had to wait for an hour or even longer but spent the time walking through the Pearl District before we got a phone call that our table was ready. I ordered Spaghetti Vongole, one of my favorite pasta dishes and a glass of house wine. Both exceeded my expectations, most of all because it tasted great and because Piazza Italia still spares hefty price tags like we had seen at other neighbourhood restaurants. For dessert we ordered strawberry Panna cotta which at first looked very chemical and artificial due to its pinkish color. However it had the right sweetness and was accompanied with a touch of natural strawberry taste which made it a perfect ending to an all Italian dinner.
I was surprised that we were all hungry again the next morning. We packed our things, checked out of the hotel and found a parking spot close to Mother’s Bistro & Bar. This restaurant seems to be on every foodie list and among the top 3 breakfast spots in Portland. So no wonder that we had to wait again for around 45 min before we got a table in one of their bright and neatly decorated rooms. While waiting we had already chosen our food which was a combination of what looks good on other people’s plates and what reads delicious on the menu. I liked the concept of Mother’s Bistro & Bar that everything is made from scratch and that they try to use local ingredients from the Pacific Northwest. It almost felt like being back home on a Sunday when my mum makes her special scrambled eggs on toast. I had the tofu hash as I thought that this was a dish that I wouldn’t easily get anywhere else again. The ingredients were fresh and crispy and the combination of tofu, potatoas and veggies was a hit. I only didn’t like that it was made with way too much oil/butter but I guess it doesn’t harm you once in a while.
Portland’s is the ultimate destination for food adventurer and I wish we had more days to explore the city’s brilliant street food scene. But at least this give me another reason why I need to come back again.