Portland. It’s all about the food.
When Tim and I went to Portland for the OI Conference, we decided to make it a getaway. After all, it had been over three years since the last time we left the kids overnight so it was high time. We contacted a couple of friends who live in the area so we could pop in on them while in town. We also asked them for tips on what to do in Portland. Their answer: eat, eat and eat.
Done and done.
One friend gave us a list of close to thirty restaurants/food trucks that were worth trying. We hit up a few hot spots and, in between all the grub we walked off the pounds. I came home two pounds lighter, in fact. Yay for walkable cities. Here’s where we went:
First morning up we went to Waffle Window. boasting Liege waffles with a Portland twist. Well, we’ve both been to Liege and tasted their waffles and these suckers are the real deal. So yum. And, just as they claim, they serve them up in ways that excite the tastebuds in unique ways. We shared a bacon jalapeno cheddar waffle topped with a fried egg and a banana nutella waffle. Both were delightful.
After a hour-long hike in Forest Park, we hit up Grassa downtown. We ordered the stuffed shells, as per our order-taker’s recommendation and shared the dish so we could save some room for dinner with friends. It was yummy fresh pasta and not so heavy that we had to drag ourselves down the street for a visit to a Portland icon, Powell’s Books. What a store!
We passed Blue Star Donuts on our way back to our car and satisfied our sweet tooth – Tim had a Valhrona Chocolate Crunch and I decided on a Buttermilk Old Fashioned. We vowed to return to the Blue Star Store close to where we were staying so we could try a few more flavors. I’m typically a chocolate girl all the way, but I’d have to say that where Blue Star gets it right is in their fruity donuts: the Meyer Lemon and Key Lime Curd was to die for, although the Raspberry Rosemary Buttermilk came in at a close second.
Tim and I met up with Sherri and Josh at their home with a few donuts in tow for them to hide from their kids. Sherri and I have been friends since I moved to Texas in the sixth grade and I couldn’t be happier that we are still in touch. And, that we live a mere 7 hour drive from one another. (That’s close when you’re from a western state – I can just hear my New England friends balking at the distance).
We visited long and kept them up far too late but it was good for my soul. Sherri and Josh are awesome peeps – I’m so pleased that my friends grow up to marry awesome guys that get along with my husband. Lucky for us, we got to sleep in the next day. They were not so lucky.
The next day our plan was to have breakfast at Screen Door at 9 o’clock-ish. We trekked the mile and a half from our Airbnb to put ourselves on a waiting list that set us back an hour. Rather than stand around in the rain getting hangry, we strolled a few blocks away to experience Voodoo Doughnut. Voodoo was not originally on the list, though we had no doubt heard of the joint. Who hasn’t?
As it turned out, the lines were negligible and their original doughnut, the Voodoo doll, definitely worth the hype. Rather than spoil our breakfast at Screen Door (which was rapidly turning into brunch), the little beauty was the perfect snack.
Screen Door was to die for. It probably scored the highest on our Portland foodie experience. We ordered the Buttermilk Chicken Biscuit Sandwich and the Bananas Foster French Toast. We might’ve downed those suckers in 5 minutes flat. I’m sure it had absolutely nothing to do with that fact that we were starving after walking a couple of miles on empty stomachs. Truly, though, best down-home cooking I’ve had in a good long while at a fantastic price. As an added bonus, the service was friendly and timely, to boot.
As a side note, Tim fit right in with his scruffy look and I went the no-makeup route on more than one occasion. We could have been Portlanders, easy.
We met the Calverts for lunch at Elephant’s Deli – another local icon. These friends were our tenants in Boise while Jacob was doing rotations in medical school. They were the best tenants ever – helping Tim with projects and actually improving the property. We became fast friends and hosted several game nights before they moved on to residency. I personally believe that Abbey won Tim over with her homemade bruschetta. In fact, it was on her recommendations that we ate ourselves into oblivion in Portland.
Jacob is now a perinatologist outside of Portland and they are raising an adorable family (that has grown slightly since we first met). It was so great to catch up a bit. Here’s to fine friendships and food.
Our final food stop of the night was Salt and Straw where we indulged in a bit of ice cream for dinner. The wait was adequate and gave us ample time to toss and turn over the wide variety of options they offer. The flavors sound weird but try a few samples and you’ll realize that it’s just a name. The combination of flavors did not disappoint. Dessert for dinner – best ever.
It rained pretty much our entire weekend in Portland. No surprises there. What did come as a surprise was the shocking number of delectable joints to delight the palate in Portland. We barely scratched the surface. Good thing we’re just a state away so we can come back for round two. And three or more.