Things to Do (and Eat) in Portland

I was in Portland last month for a good friend’s wedding.   It was my first time there since 8th grade, so I spent some time researching local food.  Even though I was only there for about 32 hours, I had a great time and a couple really good meals.

photo: Christina Mitchell

A couple hours after landing at PDX, we headed straight to Pok Pok.  I’ve been reading about the Thai restaurant and James Beard Award winning chef for years now, so this place was on the top of my list.  We cringed when the hostess said the wait would be TWO AND A HALF HOURS, but then the stars aligned.  She looked over and noticed two seats at the patio bar that had just been vacated, so the wait went from a couple hours to a couple seconds.  Talk about being in the right place at the right time!  We quickly realized that everyone sitting at the patio bar was in town, visiting from the Bay Area, and I used to play soccer with one woman.  What are the odds?

photo: Christina Mitchell

The food was different, unlike anything I’d eaten in a Thai restaurant.  It tasted like somebody’s auntie was cooking in the kitchen.  Some dishes were aggressive and others were subtle; all were delicious.  It was a life-changing experience that opened the world of Thai cuisine and made me want to get on a plane immediately.

photo: Christina Mitchell

The wait was a little longer at brunch the next morning.  The line at Pine State Biscuits went around the corner, but it moved pretty quickly.  There were several dishes that looked good, including about 8 different biscuit sandwiches.  But after a quick look around, I realized that everyone was ordering the same thing, so I decided to order it too.    This is  The Reggie Deluxe (fried chicken, cheese, bacon, gravy and an egg all on a fluffy biscuit).  It was definitely hangover food and whoever created The Reggie must have still been drunk.  All of the flavors and textures complimented each other, but it was so intense and filling I couldn’t eat the whole thing.  Still, it’s obvious why they have such a following.

photo: Forest Park

After such a heavy brunch, we decided to hike it off in Forest Park.  It was a forest that was so lush, I forgot we were in the middle of the city.  The air was different up in the Pacific Northwest….it was clear and fresh and seemed like there was always a faint evergreen scent.

photo: Portland Saturday Market

Even though it was a Sunday, the Portland Saturday Market was open, so we walked around, did a little shopping and tasted some local beer.  There were lots of booths with food, art and t-shirts for sale.

photo: Christina Mitchell

I realized we happened to be a couple blocks away from Voodoo Doughnuts, but the line was absolutely ridiculous, so I just took a picture.  I heard Blue Star Doughnuts are better anyway and Salt & Straw Ice Cream is also on my list for the next visit.

Of course, the wedding was beautiful and it was so nice to see my friends from college.  This trip definitely got me thinking about traveling again.  Where should I go next?

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Christina Mitchell

Christina is the founder of East Bay Dish. Her writing has also been featured in East Bay Express, Berkeleyside, Oakland Magazine and Edible East Bay.

Latest posts by Christina Mitchell (see all)

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