Portland City Guide

(Updated 2017)

BRUNCH:

• Southern: Pine State Biscuits. Really good sausage gravy. Sadly, I didn't have the room to try their shrimp and grits. (Aug 2014 update: Went back and had the shrimp and grits. They were good, but I think the biscuit-based dishes are stronger. Bryan had the one with the fried chicken and it was pretty awesome. Get that.)
• Mother's Bistro. Crazy long line, super popular. I wasn't blown away by the food, seemed like pretty standard brunch fare to me. Definitely yummy but it's your call whether it's worth the wait.

DINNER:

• New American: Q, f/k/a Veritable Quandry.
• Shared plates: Tasty & Sons. Can get pricey but the food is really good. My favorite dish was their Toro spinach with pine nuts and golden raisins - SO delicious. We also had the skirt steak and the pork chop with bacon jam (huge portion on the latter). Staropramen on draft to wash everything down. Yum. (Warning that they don't have A/C if you're going in the scorching summer months.)
• Peruvian: Andina. Flawless service. The ceviche is perfect for a balmy summer evening.

BEER:

• Belmont Station. A retail store that boasts over 1000 beers (local and international selections) and a dive-y bar room that has 30 drafts on tap. Very friendly staff.
• Deschutes brew pub. It's right in the Pearl district so it's perfect for an afternoon pit stop if you're shopping in the area. Their sampler is a good way to go.
• Stormbreaker. A local microbrewery. The sampler is definitely worth a try, and they have a nice, low-key outdoor space. I thought their take-away options were a bit on the expensive side; it probably works out better if you're local and already own a growler.
• Lucky Labrador. Another local microbrew. The selection's a bit limited, particularly if you don't like IPAs, and I ended up getting a cherry cider from Washington. The space is a giant, shabby hall (in a good way) and they also have two legit dartboards.

MISC:

• Voodoo Doughnuts: If you want to avoid the 'round-the-block line at the original store, go to the Voodoo Too location. I personally thought their maple bacon doughnut was inferior to Lucky's in Vancouver, but Voodoo is a Portland institution.
• Powell's Books: The most interesting part of their stock is the used books but they are scattered throughout the different rooms, sorted by category/genre and mixed in with the new books. I still had a great time browsing the shelves. Picked up a charmingly battered Brontë set with woodblock illustrations and a gorgeous Phaidon Spanish cookbook.
• Halo Shoes: Stumbled on this awesome shoe store, really great inventory, all handmade. It's pricey, but I picked up a few sale pairs from their "last pair" shelf.