Great food in Portland

A travel journal to Portland by danee

Portland is all about food, west coast style: fresh, flavorful, healthy, and above all, tasty.

  • 8 reviews
Where can you find good food in Portland? All over the place. I think it's probably one of the best restaurant cities in the country for your average joe on the average budget. Especially if you are vegetarian or an epicure.

Portland is a blessed place in general: excellent public transit, lush forests and gardens, with close proximity to the Oregon coast, the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, the Cascades, and the Olympic Peninsula. This is temperate rainforest country, so yeah, it rains alot, but it is green and lush with plant life.

The city is also known for its many bridges, as it is cut in half by the Willamette River and bordered by the Columbia.

Quick Tips:

Get out into nature. The parks and backcountry are amazing. This is area is constantly embattled over land and timber. Getting out into it you'll see why: old growth trees almost the size of those in the Redwoods, pristine mountains and rivers.

Best Way To Get Around:

Portland drivers are courteous but drive really slow. There is definitely a small town feel to the driving. You could drive, but the city is easily navigable by bike and public transit (and it's more enjoyable and often faster). It's split into 4 quadrants, NE, SE, NW & SW. The Willamette River splits E and W, and Burnside Ave. divides N from S.

Dots CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Dot's "

Dots is a diner/bar that epitomizes Portland. Its dark with lots of velvet paintings, rock stars in the booths, strong cheap drinks, a pool table, and a menu of diner fare (with lots of veggie options) and some mexi style thrown in the mix. The spinach and jack quesadillas..... sigh. I miss Portland. While you're in the pocket of the sweet little Clinton Street, drop in at Q is for Choir, a great little record/zine shop, or catch a flick at the Clinton Street Theater, whose owner always has a bizarre and excellent line up of films. (503)235-0203
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by danee on February 21, 2002

Dots Cafe
2521 SE Clinton St. Portland, Oregon 97202
(503) 235-0203

Vita CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "The Vita Cafe"

The Vita serves up the best food for the price in the city. A full range of excellent vegetarian food (with some free range meat), varying from asian to mediterranean to downhome. The pastas are great, sauces are fresh, the sweet and sour coconut soup is phenomenal. The prices are cheap (we're talking a meal with drink for $8-10) and the neighborhood's hip. They're also open late and have local & import beer and wine.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by danee on February 22, 2002

Vita Cafe
3024 NE Alberta St. Portland, Oregon 97211
(503) 335-8233

Paradox Palace CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "The Paradox Cafe"

The Paradox is the sister cafe to the Vita, but it's more breakfast-oriented with a similar array of excellent tasty foods. The herbal tea here is to die for.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by danee on February 22, 2002

Paradox Palace Cafe
3439 SE Belmont St Portland, Oregon 97214
(503) 232-7508

Cafe LenaBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Another great breakfast spot is Cafe Lena with a plethora of homemade breads and amazing scrambles. Try the pear/brie/mustard sandwich on fresh challah. Great prices, quirky service, and posting boards where you can find out whats going on with the locals and where the good show is that night.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by danee on February 22, 2002

Cafe Lena
2239 SE Hawthorne Boulevard Portland, Oregon 97214
(503) 238-7087

Old Wive's Tales feels like my grandma's house in rural Minnesota. Handmade quilts and handicrafts serve as decoration. But this is not my grandma's food---

The menu is, well, bizarre. Old Wive's Tales has taken fusion seriously, and you will find all kinds of things here. Spanakopita next to Hungarian Mushroom Soup (which is amazing, fyi) next to Indian-style huevos rancheros (eggs served on curried lentils with chutney instead of refried beans & salsa). For the most part, they pull it off well. The bread selection and salad bar are impressive. There is always a line waiting to get in, and an elaborate kids play area makes it a good place to take the family.

It's mostly a breakfast/lunch joint.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by danee on February 22, 2002

Old Wive's Tales Restaurant
1300 E Burnside St Portland, Oregon 97214
(503) 238-0470

Peninsula Park & Rose GardenBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Peninsula Park and Rose Garden"

Portland is the city of roses because the climate is ideal for rose growing, and they grow everywhere. While many people are inclined to visit the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park overlooking downtown, I discovered Peninsula Park last summer and think it's far superior.

The front part of the park is set up like a traditional English garden, with a large fountain and gazebo. Incidentally, many young couples come here to romance and (maybe later) get their wedding pictures done.

The other parts of the park have soccer fields and big shady trees.
The best time to come (as is with the International Test Garden) is August/ beginning of September when most of the roses are in bloom.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by danee on February 22, 2002

Peninsula Park & Rose Garden
700 N Portland Blvd Portland, Oregon 97217

Forest park is the largest wilderness park within a city's limits in the whole country. It takes up almost the entire NW quadrant of the city of Portland, with a plethora of mountainous, woody trails and great views of the city.

Gorgeous. Really.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by danee on February 22, 2002

Portland Parks & Recreation: Forest Park Information
1120 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 1302 Portland, Oregon 97204
(503) 823-7529

About the Writer

danee
danee
Chicago, Illinois
  • "i'm from the gypsy tribes of schloop, a photographer and lover of the world."
  • 1 journal
  • 0 photos
  • 7 reviews

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