We decided to head to Portland at the end of October. Not exactly prime weather time to go to Portland, but that also meant less tourists and cheaper flights! Since we were only there for a short time we decided to stick to the city – next time I definitely want to rent a car and check out some waterfalls and wineries!
We did get our fair share of rainy Portland weather – but that didn’t stop us from eating and drinking our way through the city! Here were our top spots:
Eat!
Clyde Common – I came across this restaurant on another blog. The restaurant describes itself as a tavern with a European flair – it looked yummy and was close to our hotel (downtown). We had an amazing waiter who gave us delicious recommendations and we shared some of their plates. They also had a great selection of cocktails – highly recommend!
Voodoo Doughnuts – another stop on the Portland tourist trail. But, why not? The donuts were crazy, ridiculous and oh-so-sugary good.
Pok Pok – if you’re planning a trip to Portland someone will probably recommend that you go to Pok Pok. Being that I love Asian food, especially Thai, it seemed like a no-brainer to me. They’ve expanded to other locations and even have some in LA, but we hit up the original. Located in the Division/Clinton area, it’s a cab ride from downtown. We would have loved to check the area out more but the weather wasn’t cooperating with us. They also don’t take reservations unless you’re a party of 6 or more, so instead of chancing a long wait at night, we decided to go for lunch. We shared a handful of things and everything was delicious – make sure you order the wings!!
Departure – this wasn’t a restaurant I was expecting to find in Portland – it felt like kind of a scene and was definitely more dressed up than what I consider the rest of Portland to be (in my 48-hour stay). However, the food was delicious and yes, more Asian cuisine! If you want a dressier night while out in Portland, this isn’t a bad place to go! They also have rooftop patios if you end up there with good weather.
Salt & Straw – on Sunday we made our way to the Alphabet District in Northwest Portland, up the hill from downtown. Wander along 23rd and 21st street for shopping, food, drinks and dessert! I’m not sure if it was time for dessert but we had heard only amazing things about Salt & Straw (that’s ice cream in case you hadn’t hear of it). If you’re in the mood for a cold, sweet street, definitely stop by! This also has apparently made it’s way to LA – so keep that in mind if you’re in the LA area!
Drink!
Stumptown Coffee – we’ve become a bit of coffee snobs at my office over the past few years, mainly drinking Blue Bottle coffee, grinding our own beans, pour over, hot black coffee. When we made our way into Stumptown I decided I was in the mood for cold brew, despite the cloudy and cool weather outside. Best. Decision. Ever. We all have our own taste but I still think it’s the best cold brew I’ve had to this day. Bonus: you can buy cold brew in milk cartons and cold brew nitro in cans there too.
Deschutes – living in San Diego, now one of the biggest craft brew scenes in the US, I’ve become a beer snob and like to snob it up in other big beer towns. We found ourselves at Deschutes during a torrential down pour and sampled many of their beers. I found it all pretty delicious, and they have some yummy bar snacks as well. The ambiance was warm and cozy which was nice on such a rainy day.
Rogue Ales & Spirits – we then made our way over to Rogue, which had much more of a dive bar feel, but had just as many (if not more) delicious beers to try! Also in the downtown area, an easy stop on a brewery tour if you’re staying or playing downtown.
Taste on 23rd – by the time we made our way to the Alphabet District on Sunday I was ready for some Oregon Pinot Noir. We wandered into Taste on 23rd – while the place itself didn’t seem like anything to write home to me, they had plenty of wines to choose from, plus food and beer!
All in all our Portland trip was a success – but I can’t wait to get back in the summertime and check out more of the outdoor offerings!
