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| Pine State Biscuits: The Reggie (fried chicken, cheese, bacon, gravy) |
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| Pine State Biscuits: The Chatfield (fried chicken, cheese, bacon, apple butter). Note: not shown to scale |
If there's one place I knew I had to visit in Portland, it was probably Voodoo Doughnuts. The 24/7 doughnut shop with a cult-like following has made itself known for its creative doughnut creations.
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| Voodoo Doughnut |
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| Voodoo Doughnut |
If its slogan and packaging didn't give it away, Voodoo likes to take risks in doughnut making. They have an extensive doughnut menu with names such as "Captain My Captain," "Ain't That A Peach Fritter," and, of course, the "Voodoo Doll." Each doughnut is topped with generous amounts of cereals, cookies, bacon or other fantastic additions. We bought four treats at the cash-only shop and split them for lunch over two days. Yes, we had doughnuts for lunch for two days straight. It was amazing. I recommend the "Old Dirty Bastard" and "Maple Bacon Bar"!
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Voodoo Doughnut: Triple Chocolate Penetration, Old Dirty Bastard, Dirt Doughnut, Maple Bacon
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Our last dinner of the trip was at an Italian restaurant whose chef was nominated two years in a row in the
James Beard Best Chef Northwest category. Chef Cathy Whims crafts a daily-changing menu of antipasti, pizzas, pastas and large plates. I loved how each menu was printed that day and showcased what was fresh and local.
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| Nostrana |
We started off with an appetizer that was intriguing to us both. The kebab of sorts included pig heart--yes, pig heart--and pancetta. We weren't too crazy about the texture of the heart which was crunchy but also tasted fatty. The kebab included a side of greens tossed with balsamic and nuts.
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| Nostrana: Pig heart, pancetta, mixed greens |
I always enjoy homemade pasta, so we tried the goat cheese stuffed papardelle which featured delicious smoked salmon. I wasn't used to having fish in my pasta, but I really liked it. The accompanying beets and capers were also a nice touch and I loved the homemade texture of the pasta.
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| Nostrana: Homemade Goat Cheese Stuffed Papardelle, Smoked Salmon, Capers, Beets |
Lastly, we ordered a pizza from their wood-burning oven. Our pie included heaping portions of salami, tomato, provolone, mozzarella, and spicy peppers. They served the pizza uncut and handed us a pair of scissors to divide up the doughy pieces. At first I thought it was a pain we had to cut our own pizza but when I actually did it, I thought it was fun! The crust has the perfect crispy-to-chewy ratio and I loved the spiciness of the salami and peppers.
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Nostrana: Salumi Pizza (Calabrese Salami, Tomato, Provolone, House Mozzarella, Oregano, Honey, Peppers)
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| Nostrana: Cutting our pizza with scissors |
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Our final meal before heading back to the Windy City was at a cute restaurant called Mother's Bistro. The interesting part about Mother's is that in addition to their own menu offerings, they feature a different Mother's recipes each month. The dining room had a classy southern charm to it and reminded me a lot of Chef Art Smith's
Table Fifty-Two in Chicago.
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| Mothers Bistro |
We started out with two cups of Stumptown coffee (seriously some of the best coffee I've ever had) in adorable coffee mugs.
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| Mother's Bistro |
For my brunch, I chose the pork apple sausage and cheddar scramble which was served with a side of house potatoes. It sounds like a simple dish but it was the tastiest scramble I've ever had! I also had to try their biscuits which were buttery and perfectly flaky and acted as the perfect canvas for their homemade raspberry jam.
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| Mother's Bistro: Pork Apple Sausage and Cheddar Cheese Scramble |
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| Mother's Bistro |
The BF ordered the breakfast nachos which began with a base of red potatoes topped with bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar and green onions. This is definitely not a dish for those looking for a light brunch! It was extremely hearty and flavorful.
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| Mother's Bistro: Breakfast Nachos (Red Potatoes, Bacon, Caramelized Onion, Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Green Onions) |
Since we were in what I'd like to think is the craft brewery capital of the world, we had to hit up some local breweries. First up was Bridgeport Brewery, Portland's oldest craft brewery and creator of the Bridgeport IPA, one of our favorite beers. The brewpub is beautiful and features exposed brick and steel, which hint at its roots in the former industrial area of Portland. We enjoyed a couple of pints here over an appetizer of freshly baked pretzels and dips.
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| Bridgeport Brewery : Baked Pretzels, Blue Heron Pale Ale & Kingpin Double Red Ale |
Many of the craft breweries in Portland are located in walking distance of each other so we walked on over to Deschutes Brewery, a brewery making a large entry into the Chicago beer scene. The brewpub is modern, open and inviting. We sat at the bar which afforded us an up-close view of their numerous taps. We didn't eat here but their selection of beers was the most extensive we saw at a brewpub on our trip.
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| Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA |
Another brewery on our list was Widmer Brothers, home of the first American style Hefeweizen. I felt the need to try the Hefeweizen (which was delicious) while the BF tried the Nelson Imperial IPA. We were impressed with the size of their brewing facility which looked comparable to a Miller or Budweiser facility! We also loved how each style of beer was served in a style-appropriate glass, allowing for an optimized tasting experience.
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| Widmer Brothers |
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| Widmer Brothers Brewing Facility |
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| Widmer Brothers: Hefeweizen & Nelson Imperial IPA |
In an effort to try more local beers, we hit up a Portland beer bar called The Horse Brass Pub. Inside it felt like a traditional English pub with an extremely casual feel. They offered an enormous tap and bottled beer selection which made it hard to decide on a beverage! I definitely recommend this bar if you're looking to drink like the locals!
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| The Horse Brass Pub |
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| The Horse Brass Pub |
Oregon is also of course known for its wine country, so we felt visiting a winery was another must on our trip. Exploring Oregon wine country would take days, if not weeks, but since we didn't have too much time to spare, we chose to drive thirty minutes outside of Portland to Edgefield Winery. This winery was situated on a property which also houses guest rooms, a distillery, two golf courses, restaurants and bars. The tasting room was located in the basement of the main building of the property and provided an intimate wine tasting experience. For $6 you could choose a tasting flight of your choice, with the option to purchase a bottle to consume there or take with you. I chose a flight with a mix of white and red wines, while the BF chose to stick to reds. I thought some wines were better than others but the tasting fee was well worth the amount of each pour. They also have an abundance of oyster crackers and I'm pretty sure that never hurt anyone.
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| Edgefield Winery |
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Edgefield Winery Tasting Menu
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What are you favorite restaurants or breweries to hit up when you're in Portland?
Restaurants:
Nong's Khao Man Gai
www.khaomangai.com
Little Bird Bistro
http://littlebirdbistro.com
Pine State Biscuits
www.pinestatebiscuits.com
Voodoo Doughnut
http://voodoodoughnut.com
Nostrana
http://nostrana.com
Mother's Bistro
www.mothersbistro.com
Bars/Breweries:
Bridgeport Brewery
www.bridgeportbrew.com
Deschutes Brewery
www.deschutesbrewery.com
Widmer Brothers
http://widmerbrothers.com
Horse Brass Pub
www.horsebrass.com
Edgefield Winery
www.mcmenamins.com/Winery
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