ISSUE #12: Portland, Oregon
What is green, clean, inspired by food and brimming with breweries? If you guessed Portland, you’re right.
The Rose City is certainly one that has long attracted travelers from near and far. With the Willamette River flowing into the Columbia River just north of the city on the Oregon-Washington border, the city has developed naturally into a number of unique districts surrounding a vibrant downtown. Check-in to any number of Kimpton Hotels for fantastic hospitality, like the River Place, Hotel Vintage or Hotel Monaco or try out Hotel DeLux for a bit of vintage Hollywood glam.
Two areas that are a musts for me are The Pearl District and Boise where some of my favorite chefs have set up shop, like the Oba in The Pearl and Tasty ‘n Sons in the Boise district. In The Pearl, you can also enjoy shopping, and if you’re there the first Thursday of the month, the city’s finest galleries open their doors with artist showings, music and refreshments. Check out Tanner Goods for fine leather pieces in The Avenues or head downtown to hit up Northwest’s most famous retailers like the Flagship Columbia Sportswear store, Marios, Nordstrom and even small retailers like Dogwood PDX, which features a mix of Mexican folk art, ceramics and vintage furniture.
If action packed sports is more your style, head over to the Providence Park and channel your inner lumberjack by taking in a Portland Timbers game. After a score, revel in Timber Joey cutting a slab off a Doug Fir to celebrate the score. In the whole of soccer, this tradition, which started in the 1970s, only exists in Portland. If, after all the spectatorship you feel like moving you own bones, head to the Multnomah Athletic Club or try the exquisite 12.6-mile Portland Willamette River Run. If river run doesn’t sound like your speed, you can always turn it into a bit of a pub crawl, exploring the beauty of the river banks and stopping occasionally to pick up a pint, check out Hair of the Dog Brewing, Ground Breaker or Upright Brewing to name but a few.
In short, if you consider yourself a foodie or a beer lover Portland should be shortlisted for this year’s travels – very shortlisted!
Dining & Drinks in Portland – A veritable feast of options.
–Blue Star Donuts Is a gourmet donut shop. They make each by hand over 18 hours as is tradition in the classic brioche recipe. It definitely won’t take you 18 hours to finish one or a dozen, though. Neighborhood: Multiple locations.
–Multnomah Whiskey Library is probably the ninth wonder of the world. Holding an exhaustive collection of all major and lesser-known styles of distilled spirits, you can savor a night over vintage Scotch selections, or single barrel Rhum Agrricoles from the Caribbean. Neighborhood: Downtown.
–Ringside & The Driftwood Room, is a step back in time with classic steakhouse dinning and a lounge that channels your inner fantasies of living among AMC’s Mad Men. Neighborhood: Downtown.
–Le Pigeon is perhaps one of the best Portland restaurants. Headed by Gabriel Rucker who lovingly creates French-inspired dishes, served at communal tables, it is truly an experience not to be missed. Neighborhood: Northeast.
–Bamboo Sushi is nothing less than the best. Each day it curates its menu to offer the highest quality fish, meats and produce and is the world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant. Neighborhood: Multiple locations.
