Thursday Tours: Top 5 of 2015

Wow! I can’t believe this crazy idea Meredith and I had over food/drinks/ice cream/who knows about interviewing fellow bloggers and tastemakers about their favorite Portland places has been so successful! We have now had 16 (!!!) editions of #ThursdayToursPDX on topics ranging from outdoor eating to date nights; from kid friendly places to breweries. And seriously it has been SO much fun reading the recommendations that have come in from it. To catch up on the previous posts this year, click here and here!

So with it being the end of 2015, for today’s edition, Meredith and I are sharing our favorite spots featured throughout the year from Thursday Tours. Meredith will be picking from the bloggers who posted on my blog; and I’ll be picking from those who posted on Martha Chartreuse.

Enjoy and happy holidays!! xoxo

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Hello Bingo Babes!! While it was hard to pick my Top 5 recommendations from 2015 #ThursdayToursPDX, I narrowed it down to some really great spot! A huge thank you to all of the readers and contributors. This has been such a fun series and we look forward to bringing you more amazing content in 2016!

Mirakutei from Chloe of The Paper Airplane for Lunch Spots

Honestly, this is one of my favorite restaurants in Portland! I love the Tonkatsu broth ramen – loaded with fresh veggies, rich pork belly, and a soft boiled egg. If you are feeling extra fancy get the eggplant appetizer with spicy tuna!

East Glisan Pizza from Lindsey of Rosemarried for Baby Friendly Spots

I will be eternally grateful to Lindsey for introducing me to East Glisan! They have a sausage pizza with castelvetrano olives! It is paired with fresh ricotta and lemon zest that will blow your mind. It is even available for delivery on TryCaviar, so I’ve had this a ridiculous amount of times.

The Commons Brewery from Bee of The Spicy Bee for Breweries

Don’t shun me, but I don’t really like beer. Except for beer from The Commons! I love the vibe, fancy cheese stand and the elderflower beer. Yup – it took elderflower to get me on the beer train.

Cheese + Crack from Rachel of Love, Rachel for Entertaining Out-of-Towners

The name says it all, and this is one of my favorite snack spots in Portland! The perfectly paired cheese plates come out on metal lunch trays with adorable spoons of honey, ganache, jams and pickled goodies. They also have the most amazing ice cream sundaes that will wow your guests, or yourself!

Hale Pele from Katie + Kelly of  Happy Hour Honeys for Cocktails

If we are being honest, I had a hard time narrowing down this post – the Happy Hour Honeys knocked it out of the park. Hale Pele is such a fun spot, and will instantly put you in a good mood. With huts, festive decor, water features and an hourly volcano eruption, the atmosphere alone is awesome. Now add how delicious the drinks are. I personally dislike sweet drinks, but these concoctions really highlight fresh fruit and flavors.

And in 2016 I must try:

Foster + Dobb from Elizabeth

Expatriate from the Happy Hour Honeys

The Four Graces from Erin

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#ThursdayToursPDX is a collaborative series between Portland, OR bloggers {Erin} Bakery Bingo + {Meredith} Martha Chartreuse. In a city filled with amazing restaurants, artisan experiences, and fantastic tastemakers the inside scoop is a must. We will be asking our friends and fellow bloggers for their recommendations and tips for all the City of Roses has to offer.