Best of Portland Tour: Part II

Hey hey friends! Today we’ve got Part II of my “Best of Portland” post. Below you’ll find what to do on days 4 and 5 of the 5-day extraordinary tour of the Rose City {check out last week’s post to catch up on days 1-3}.

Portlanders, what are your favorite places to take visitors? Out-of-towners, where did you go that you absolutely loved?

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Best of Portland: Days 4 5:

Saturday (Downtown/South Waterfront):

Breakfast at Seastar Bakery: head back to North Portland for a quick stop at my favorite bakery these days. I love their breads made in-house in their wood-fired oven with whole grains like spelt and red wheat. My go-to is the seasonal roasted veggies and oven-fried egg atop a slice of warmed sweet rosemary cornbread. Plus Seastar rarely has a line, even on weekends, double bonus!

PSU Farmer’s Market: browse through Portland’s gigantic weekly market with tons of local farmers, florists, artisan vendors and eats.

Lunch at Imperial: with Top Chef runner-up Doug Adams at the elm, this is no ordinary “hotel restaurant.” Be sure to order the fried chicken with house made hot sauce and honey from bees who live on the roof (yup, so Portlandia).

Take a stroll from downtown along the Waterfront trail past the Tilikum Crossing bridge to the South Waterfront, consider taking the tram up to OHSU for a great view of the city.

Dinner at Muselet: in the heart of the condo-centric South Waterfront is one of Portland’s best new restaurants. Modern fine-dining cuisine and an impeccable wine list in a welcoming, unpretentious atmosphere with superb service. [April 2017 note: sadly Muselet is now closed 🙁 This was crushing but I’d recommend the stellar South American-themed LeChon in its place!]

Sunday (SE):

Breakfast at Coquine: this is one of my newest favorites. I recommend just trying everything on the menu. Not only is it super affordable but it will allow you the chance to experience all the creative things Chef Katy Millard is cooking up. Don’t pass on the Coquine Chocolate Chip Cookie with browned butter, smoked almonds and bittersweet chocolate.

Take a short hike through Mt Tabor Park. If you need to burn off more calories, consider running the 282 stairs up to the top of the summit.

Lunch at Tidbit Food Carts: to get a true Portland experience, you have to eat at a food cart pod, where the food is creative and outstanding, despite coming out of a nontraditional space. Tidbit is complete with a beer pod, fire pit and ample seating. My favorites there are Ingrid’s for Scandinavian wraps and Hapa Ramen.

Wander around the shops along SE Division and through the nearby Clinton neighborhood

Refuel at Tea Bar or SE Wine Collective: an urban winery space for 8-12 local winemakers right in the heart of the city. See the wine making in action and enjoy a glass of their member wines with incredible food.

Dinner at Ava Gene’s: hands down some of the best pasta dishes around, and the chef does wonders with vegetables. Throw whatever misconceptions you have about salads out the window and be sure to order at least one, if not all on the menu. You won’t be disappointed. Just be sure to make reservations!

Dessert at Lauretta Jean’s: skip dessert at Ava Gene’s and head across the street for the best pie in the city.

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Bonus items:

Timbers Game: learn the #RCTID chants first-hand with the Timbers Army, who make these games the best soccer experiences in the US.

Catch a Brew Fest: from organic-only beers to cider, there is a brew fest happening, nearly every weekend in the summer.

Prix-Fixe dinners: In case you like to go big and also plan ahead, book yourself for one of these meals:

Mae PDX: Southern Sunday supper hospitality and fried chicken

Farm Spirit: don’t let anyone tell you vegan can’t be fine dining.

Holdfast Dining: this 9-course meal will make you understand and appreciate all the great things Portland has going on.

More drinks:

Loyal Legion: with 99 Oregon beers on tap, you will be able to get more than your fill of locally made beers. Soak up the booze with their housemade soft pretzels.

Coopers Hall: this beautiful urban winery/taproom boosts over 44 taps of wine.

Outside the city: 

The Gorge: head east for a hike. Skip the crowds at Multnomah Falls and opt for Horsetail Falls or Angel’s Rest; be sure to stop in Hood River for dinner at either Solstice Pizza or Pfriem Brewery.

Wine Country: with the gorgeous vineyards and delicious wines so close to downtown (only about 1 hour drive), you won’t want to miss this. My favorites include Domaine Drouhin, Anne Amie and Sokol Blosser. Pick up a picnic lunch at Red Hills Market to make wine tasting complete.

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The List (in case you just couldn’t make it through 2 posts):

Breakfast: Tasty n Alder, Sweedeedee, Seastar Bakery, Coquine

Sweets/coffee/tea: Ken’s, Nuvrei, Lauretta Jean’s, Pip’s, Tea Bar, Barista

Lunch/Dinner: Bollywood Theater, Tidbit Food Carts, Imperial, Pine Street, Maurice

Dinner only: Ataula, Ava Gene’s, Muselet, LeChon, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, MEC

Drinks: Interurban, Prost, SE Wine Collective, Green Room, Multnomah Whiskey Library; Loyal Legion; Coopers Hall