Visiting Next Week! Help Us Get the Portland Experience? (Beaverton: appointed, 2013)

[Sondeera]

Hey folks,

I can't believe the time has already come for my husband and I to head up to Portland to visit. He'll be in the office a few hours one day, but the rest of the time the company has slotted for us to visit potential neighborhoods/schools/churches/etc. We're going to visit family a bit as well.

We'll have our youngest (11 months) with us, but my aunt is watching him one night so we can head out for some fun (it's my birthday and our wedding anniversary weekend, yay!).

Food - We're vegetarian, so any suggestions for veg grub are definitely extra-appreciated.

Entertainment - We're staying downtown (I'm so excited for our awesome hotel), but we do have a car since we'll be driving around neighborhoods and whatnot. We love live music (punk, indie, rock, outlaw country, jazz, singer/songwriter) and poetry/spoken word.

Basically, we're not terribly high falutin. We're foodies at heart, so we love a fancy restaurant and don't shy away from a $100 lunch for a special occasion, but we would feel most comfortable following that up spending the evening at a fun dive bar with decent priced good drinks/craft beers either listening to a rad jukebox or watching live music. That pretty much sums up our ideal date night. Maybe an art opening somewhere in there, too. Not that we have to do those things in PDX, just giving you an idea of what we do here.

A co-worker suggested The Montage for some post midnight food and drinks, which sounds fun. Voodoo Donuts and Pine Street Biscuits have been suggested as well. Another friend suggested Ping, but beyond being vegetarian I also have a deadly seafood allergy, so that's out.

We're definitely going to visit Sizzle Pie (went to college with one of the owners and want to check it out) as well as hit up the Doug Fir for a show one night. Thinking about possibly making the rounds on Distillery Row or going to the Buckman-Kern Brewfest Saturday.

Thank you for any suggestions!!!

[hamellr]

I realize that Vegetarian does not equal Vegan, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice to not explore Portland's Vegan food options. If you would rather not go that far, almost every dining option in Portland had Vegetarian options of some sorts. The list of non-Vegetarian friendly places would actually be shorter, just avoid any of the French Places like Le Pigeon, or German places such as Gruner. Oh, and you can, give both Ringside and Laurelhurst Meat Market a miss.

There are a ton of Vegan or Vegan Friendly dining options along Alberta. Many of them serve alcohol also. The Tin Shed and Vita Cafe are probably two of the best. Veggie Grill now has three Portland area locations, one Downtown, and one in both Beaverton and Hillsboro. It's essentially Vegan fast food, but it's actually very good. The Green Wok off of Barbur BLVD is Vegan Sushi. I don't know how they do it... but it's actually pretty close to real sushi. Blossoming Lotus on NW 15th is a great Vegan/Raw place (they have great Vegan deserts.) And then Sweat Pea Baking Company has some of the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. And they're Vegan.

There are also several food carts that are strictly Vegan such as Whole Bowl, and many have at least one Vegetarian option, especially any of the Thai Carts.

For just Vegetarian, I can highly recommend Urban Fondue/Bartini. Drinks, and a full three course Fondue makes a nice romantic evening. Get reservations for Friday and Saturday, most other days you can just walk in. If you're in the mood for something different, Pambiche on Glisan is Vegan/Vegetarian friendly. They switch their menu up, so check the website ahead of time just to be sure. Most every restaurant along SE Hawthorn, Belmont, and Division is very vegetarian friendly. Most are actually really good so randomly picking one will get you a good meal. Pok Pok and it's sister bar, Whiskey Lounge, across the street is a great option if you want drinks with dinner.

On the music front, go the the Portland Mercury Web Page or Willamette Week Webpage and pick your Poison.

I'm not as connected with the Portland Art scene as I once was, but there are plenty of Galleries around. And the Portland Art Museum is actually pretty good, the fourth Friday of the month is free admission. The Cyclotram Blog catalogs Portland Street Art, so rent a couple of bikes and go on a tour of some of those sites.

And of course, no trip to Portland is complete without going out to Multnomah Falls.

[Sondeera]

Thank you!

Looks like I accidentally edited out my question about the falls - I was wondering how they were this time of year. My husband has never visited the falls and I love them. Thanks for the suggestion - we will definitely go.

We are by no means anti-vegan. If not for my undying love of fine cheeses, I'd probably go vegan. As a sushi lover who has to avoid even regular joints' veg offerings (because of my seafood allergy), I am intrigued and excited by the vegan sushi joint you mentioned!!! We definitely have to go there.

We have Veggie Grill here too. You're right, not bad for fast food veg, but I'm chasing the more unique experience.

I know PDX is super veg/vegan friendly (something it had to be or we wouldn't move there, honestly), but was hoping for specific restaurant suggestions, which you so kindly gave quite a few. That gives me a few specific places to put on our map (yes, a paper one like a nerdy over-organized tourist - can't help it).

[EnricoV]

My suggestion would be that you do a lot of browsing on the Willamette Week website. They are the "alternative" newspaper in town, and are a great source for information and recommendations. They recently published a Beer Guide, there's a Restaurant Guide (though it's from last year). And their
Calendar of Events should list the things you're interested in.

[Sondeera]

Ahh, I had only found the Mercury thus far and was extremely disappointed. The Willamette Week is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[crisw]

A couple of additions-

For art- the first Thursday of the month, if you are here then, is First Thursday in the Pearl- all sorts of open galleries.index

Veggie food- as a vegetarian, I have found very few places I can't eat! Portland is veggie heaven...
Just a couple downtown spots-
Clyde Common for munchies (not all veggie, but lots of options)- don't miss the greens with chestnut ice cream. And the buckwheat cavatelli are to die for...Clyde Common / Domestic & Foreign Cooking in Portland, Oregon (in my mind because we just went there!)
My favorite food cart- DC Vegetarian- http://dcvegetarian.com/
Vegetarian House- A little run-down, but they have an $8.00 Chinese lunch buffet - Vegetarian House | Healthy vegetarian cuisine
From the list below, Besaw's and Andina are downtown.

And here is a list of places elsewhere in Portland where I have had awesome vegetarian dishes- Ned Ludd (everything cooked in a wood-fired oven), Vanh Hahn Vegetarian Food (veggie Vietnamese), Andina (Peruvian tapas), Three Doors Down (Italian), Besaw's (breakfasts), Bete-Lucas (Ethiopian) Nicholas (Middle Eastern), Screen Door (Southern), Toro Bravo (tapas), Levant (Jewish/Arabic.) And The Ocean- a pod of mini-restaurants where you can get veggie delicacies at every restaurant! (veggie burger from Slowburger, tofu from Basa Basa, veggie meatballs from 24th and Meatballs, mushroom tacos from Uno Mas...ok, I am getting hungry now!)

if there is any cuisine you really like, let me know and I'll see if I have been anywhere that fits.

Oh, and that cheese- don't miss The Cheese Bar- CHEESE BAR ~ Portland, Oregon Foster and Dobbs isn't bad either. Heck, even most of the Fred Meyers here sell gourmet cheeses...

Here's a great resource for veggie food in PDX- Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants Portland, OR, Healthy, Organic, Oregon -HappyCow -Page1

[AndyAMG]

Drive the old gorge highway. I always tell people 2/3 of what makes Portland awesome is outside city limits.The city itself is pretty unremarkable (except for our parks, and a few eclectic venues). The foodie/beervana capitol thing is so over played in my opinion. How many times a week do people eat out here? How do much beer do they drink. As life long Portlander we eat out once a week. When people come to visit they ask what I think about a certain restaurant, I refer them to Yelp, UrbanSpoon or Google. 4 out 5 restaurants recommended to me by friends I find an unpalatable waste of money. I can't help with food.

Dive bars...
Go to the Watertrough Saloon on Hawthorne is my favorite for a safe old time Portland Dive bar. Be warned it is an actual dive bar. It disgusted and embarassed my wife's pretentious cousin from Conn., her husband love it though, I bet she'll never ask me to go to a "dive bar" again, I don't even think she understood what a "dive bar" was



I can certainly help with the places that make Portland unique like our parks. If you like biking, jogging, or hiking, check out Tryon Creek Park, MacLeay Park/Forest Park and The Spring Water Corridor. I have yet to see a city with old growth forests and pristine creeks right in city limits.

The falls everywhere are at full flow right now, but the falls never lose their water or beauty even in times of drought.

[Sherwoody]

Originally Posted by Sondeera

Hey folks,

I can't believe the time has already come for my husband and I to head up to Portland to visit. He'll be in the office a few hours one day, but the rest of the time the company has slotted for us to visit potential neighborhoods/schools/churches/etc. We're going to visit family a bit as well.

We'll have our youngest (11 months) with us, but my aunt is watching him one night so we can head out for some fun (it's my birthday and our wedding anniversary weekend, yay!).

Food - We're vegetarian, so any suggestions for veg grub are definitely extra-appreciated.

Entertainment - We're staying downtown (I'm so excited for our awesome hotel), but we do have a car since we'll be driving around neighborhoods and whatnot. We love live music (punk, indie, rock, outlaw country, jazz, singer/songwriter) and poetry/spoken word.

Basically, we're not terribly high falutin. We're foodies at heart, so we love a fancy restaurant and don't shy away from a $100 lunch for a special occasion, but we would feel most comfortable following that up spending the evening at a fun dive bar with decent priced good drinks/craft beers either listening to a rad jukebox or watching live music. That pretty much sums up our ideal date night. Maybe an art opening somewhere in there, too. Not that we have to do those things in PDX, just giving you an idea of what we do here.

A co-worker suggested The Montage for some post midnight food and drinks, which sounds fun. Voodoo Donuts and Pine Street Biscuits have been suggested as well. Another friend suggested Ping, but beyond being vegetarian I also have a deadly seafood allergy, so that's out.

We're definitely going to visit Sizzle Pie (went to college with one of the owners and want to check it out) as well as hit up the Doug Fir for a show one night. Thinking about possibly making the rounds on Distillery Row or going to the Buckman-Kern Brewfest Saturday.

Thank you for any suggestions!!!

This is a great site for foodies. PortlandFood.org

[Sondeera]

Thank you everyone! We will be in your fair city tomorrow, and I am looking forward to checking out some of these suggestions. I really appreciate the help. I am definitely going to be eating a lot (hello, stress eater) as we check out neighborhoods and my husband finalizes the details of his transfer!

[PonderingPortland]

Mmmm, reading this thread is making me hungry! My husband and I are vegetarians, and I agree this place really is veggie heaven! Portobello is a good bet for a special occasion. They are vegan, but honestly you won't miss the dairy/eggs. If you go there, be sure to try one of their excellent cocktails. Blossoming Lotus is another place I would suggest for a nice vegan meal. I also second hamellr's suggestion of Vita Cafe (the almond gravy is amazing!). As far as bars go, the Bye and Bye is a bit of a hipster hangout, but they have great food and a fun atmosphere. They also have some good beers on tap and the cocktails are pretty good too. Our favorite food cart is Homegrown Smoker in Mississippi Marketplace. They serve vegan BBQ/comfort food. It's such a yummy treat! For good but totally non-authentic Mexican Food try Los Gorditos. They serve meat, but have a separate vegetarian/vegan menu. If you don't already use it, check out the Happy Cow website. It is a great resource for finding veggie eats anywhere you go (domestic or internationally).

I hope you and your family have a productive and enjoyable visit!