On a one fine weekend, my friend and I decided to take a trip to Portland. There’s probably nothing better than escaping the chaotic work life and reconnecting with your long-time friend on a six hour road trip. Throw in a food and wine hunt in one of the most foodie friendly cities in North America and we got ourselves a trip to remember.
Our weekend was short and sweet but we still managed to hit up a few great spots that I’d recommend for anyone going to Portland.
1. Food Carts – Portland is most famous for its sheer number and variety of food carts so this was naturally our first stop.
Tabor – Czech Food Cart
The Original Schnitzelwich (breaded chicken breast in a Ciabatta roll with lettuce, paprika spread, sautéed onion and horseradish)
There were always people waiting around this food cart so make sure you order first before you wander around the area. The chicken breast was extremely crispy and well-seasoned. If you’re a fan of crispy fried chicken, this one is for you. The sandwich itself was huge I was almost full after half.
Nong’s Khao Man Gai
Chicken on rice (khao man gai) is one of my most favorite Thai dishes. Ever. So I was quite excited to see khao man gai place. We don’t typically eat Thai food outside of home but there’s no way I could have resisted this! Nong’s Khao man Gai is indeed authentic. It may not be the best I’ve ever had in my life but it is definitely on par with what is offered back at home. For a brief moment, I was brought back to Thailand and got my khao man gai fix.
2. St. Honore Boulangerie
This place is highly recommended to anyone who loves pastries. I rarely return to the same place on the same trip, but I definitely went back to grab as many pastries as I could before I left the city.
We ordered Soup du Jour (vegetable soup with pesto) and Croque Madame. The soup was very hearty and just what I needed for the rainy day. Croque Madame was extremely crispy and the cheese oozes out the moment you cut out a piece.
I also bought back several other items to bring back with me on the last day including: Vol au Vent, Chouquettes, Canele, and coffee éclair. The only thing I regret about that list is not buying more. I still dream of the creamy and not too sweet coffee éclair today.
3. Pok Pok
This was the only place I didn't enjoy on my Portland trip. I was excited to try it out because of the rave reviews. However, it fell far short of my expectations. We were first told that the wait time would be approximately an hour which was okay because we weren't very hungry and it would be like that anywhere else at that time. Two hours later.. we still didn’t have our table. We were consistently reassured that we would get our table shortly, and after two hours we really didn’t want to go anywhere else. Finally, after two and a half hours we were seated… on the patio section in a winter cold night. It would have made no difference if we sat at the “bar” section that was also outside two hours and a half earlier.
We ordered gai yang (fried chicken), neua nam tok (flank steak salad), and khao man som tum (papaya salad with coconut rice and shredded pork). Gai yang was quite dry lacking in seasoning and garlic. Neau nam tok was way too salty than it should be, the dish should have been a medley of spicy, sour, and a bit of sweet. I ended up having to ask for more lime to wash out the salt. Khao man som tum was okay but definitely not something to write home about.
4. Tasty n Sons
No one likes waiting to be seated (especially when you’re hungry). But this is one of the few places I’d be willing to wait an hour for.
First off we ordered bacon wrapped date with maple syrup& almond. The date was immersed in sweet syrup which goes extremely well with the smoky bacon.
Potatoes Bravas with easy eggs and aioli. Creamy yolk on crispy potatoes - I personally like to add hot sauce for a bit more flavor.
Steak & eggs with cornmeal pancake and jalapeno butter
Best. Steak & Eggs. Ever. The dish comes on a skillet with the steak & eggs sitting on top of a bed of pancake. The eggs were fluffy with runny yolk. The steak was tender and had just enough spice you don’t need to add sauce. I would go back to order this again in a heartbeat.
5. Sokol Blosser Tasting Room
For wine lovers, Oregon wine country is just a short drive outside of Portland. As a Pinot lover, I couldn’t resist visiting at least one tasting room on my trip.
With big tall windows, the new tasting room gets lots of natural sunlight and an expansive view of the vineyard. It was raining when we got there so the view wasn’t clear. However, we were able to enjoy our wine flight beside a cozy fireplace. Even if I didn’t end up buying three bottles of Pinot, the trip would have still been worth it for the view and experience.