Does anyone else find the food in Portland pretty mediocre? (Phoenix: live in, restaurant)

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by valsteele

maybe I'm spoiled being I spend a lot of time in the Bay Area.

Yep, you are. That's exactly right.

EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE.

Portland has a great food scene on most domestic scale levels. But, you really can't compare it to San Francisco. That's just a whole other level, a worldly, very international level, with a massive amount of Asian and other immigrants bringing in new stuff daily.

Portland, as great as it is, really can't compare with a San Francisco. But, very few cities can compete with San Francisco, unless they are even larger and as international as SF.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Yep, you are. That's exactly right.

EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE.

Portland has a great food scene on most domestic scale levels. But, you really can't compare it to San Francisco. That's just a whole other level, a worldly, very international level, with a massive amount of Asian and other immigrants bringing in new stuff daily.

Portland, as great as it is, really can't compare with a San Francisco. But, very few cities can compete with San Francisco, unless they are even larger and as international as SF.

The few times I have been in SF, I have found even the more affordable food always tasted good there, much better than NYC.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

The few times I have been in SF, I have found even the more affordable food always tasted good there, much better than NYC.

NYC and SF are two of the best in the nation, by far.

SF just has such a massive amount of Asian and Mexican influences which is incredible as far as food choices go. NYC has different 'massive immigrants'...you really can't go wrong in either city. But, as one who loves Mexican and Asian...yeah, SF certainly has that down!

I don't see how PDX could really compete with a SF at all. PDX does amazing well when it comes to any other city of it's similar population and size. For example, versus cities like Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, etc. I just like that PDX has so many fusion, healthy, and even some northwest uniqueness thrown in....which are things that aren't so common in many other parts of the U.S.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

NYC and SF are two of the best in the nation, by far.

SF just has such a massive amount of Asian and Mexican influences which is incredible as far as food choices go. NYC has different 'massive immigrants'...you really can't go wrong in either city. But, as one who loves Mexican and Asian...yeah, SF certainly has that down!

I don't see how PDX could really compete with a SF at all. PDX does amazing well when it comes to any other city of it's similar population and size. For example, versus cities like Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, etc. I just like that PDX has so many fusion, healthy, and even some northwest uniqueness thrown in....which are things that aren't so common in many other parts of the U.S.

Food in NYC never tasted like it was worth the money you were spending.

Personally, I think just about the entire west coast has some of the best food in the country. Though I never realized PDX was ever trying to compete with SF. I always felt like people here were just trying to make good food for the people here.

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by jjpop

Yeah, the attraction is purely quantity and that it's edible (although some may disagree). I just like cheap American comfort food. I'm not very hard to please, but I know a good meal when I taste one. One of my friends dubbed me "The connoisseur of crappy food."

Ah, the casino buffets--they can be a big step up from Home Town (unless you're at Circus Circus or someplace like that, where it's roughly equivalent). Locally, the buffet at Spirit Mountain is actually quite good!

From about age 15 to my mid-late 20s, I was an expert wherever I lived on every cheap place to gorge on a lot of food. Casino buffets, Indian buffets, Mongolian BBQs, all-you-can eat giant salad bars, giant sandwiches, huge burritos, and so on... In college Mongolian BBQs were my favorites--you just pile as much meat as you can in that bowl and you'd be full for the next day(yet I never gained weight). Nowdays in my 30s, I just have to look at a buffet and I probably gain about five pounds.

Haven't been to the Spirit Mountain buffet(my inlaws like it though), but the casino near Pendleton(forgot the name) filled me up nicely on the return from a backpacking trip to the Wallowas. My favorite though is the buffet at the Atlantis casino in Reno--my dad always goes there for the seafood brunch buffet and it's insane how much stuff they have.

[SETabor]

Originally Posted by jjpop

I really like fancy food. I also can find something to like about HomeTown Buffet. It's just the way I roll which I'm sure horrifies some foodies. I come from a long line of hillbilly stock.

I usually can find stuff at most buffets but I can't deal with HomeTown or that ilk any more. I think it's mainly because they overcook the pasta and the gravies are mostly starch.

I did go to the breakfast buffet at Spirit Mountain and it was pretty tasty. Which is saying something because I'm not a big breakfast fan.

[kapetrich]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

NYC and SF are two of the best in the nation, by far.

SF just has such a massive amount of Asian and Mexican influences which is incredible as far as food choices go. NYC has different 'massive immigrants'...you really can't go wrong in either city. But, as one who loves Mexican and Asian...yeah, SF certainly has that down!

I don't see how PDX could really compete with a SF at all. PDX does amazing well when it comes to any other city of it's similar population and size. For example, versus cities like Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, etc. I just like that PDX has so many fusion, healthy, and even some northwest uniqueness thrown in....which are things that aren't so common in many other parts of the U.S.

I find and continue to find SF's food scene to be underwhelming. Yes, SF has immigrants with which they bring their cuisine, as any major costal city does - this is categorically not unique to SF or the Bay Area for that matter, but, in my experience, 'they' certainly will tell you it is. The cost of food in SF proper hardly ever measures out. I've also found that if you just stop randomly to try something it can be hit or miss. I prefer a solid top to bottom scheme, so I'm a bit skewed. That said, SF has some great food, especially higher end dinning.

NYC is NYC. No city in the country compares to NYC. It's just a different scale. Food, cost or otherwise.

Portland has a great selection top to bottom. If anything the 'top' is lower than most major coastal cities (it is only a mid-major though), but it's really really difficult to find a bad meal and the price of food is extremely low for what you get, though, since the city is on the smaller side the options are limited comparably.

[almostjay]

I thought this article from the WW "40 Years in 40 Days" series was interesting and it reminded me of some discussion we've had in this thread:

Dec. 13, 2008: The fanciest restaurant in Portland?s history crashes in only seven months?

[Nell Plotts]

Many restaurants in Portland have a short lifespan which is why restaurant equipment sellers either demand cash or keep title. We don't have many residents who have the spare cash for opulent settings or expensive culinary venues so that market is very limited. It seems that every graduate of a culinary school dreams of a restaurant of their own and most go bankrupt trying.

Every restaurateur must match the menu to the market.

[almostjay]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

Many restaurants in Portland have a short lifespan which is why restaurant equipment sellers either demand cash or keep title. We don't have many residents who have the spare cash for opulent settings or expensive culinary venues so that market is very limited. It seems that every graduate of a culinary school dreams of a restaurant of their own and most go bankrupt trying.

Every restaurateur must match the menu to the market.

I don't know if it's intelligence or just lack of resources, but the fact that this market seems smart enough to realize that "opulence" and "elegance" are not required to create a delicious, satisfying restaurant is yet another reason why I love this city so much.