Crafterateur

The post you’ve all been waiting for. 😉 This was my third visit to Portland, and Hubby’s first. It was fun to explore new food destinations with him, and to revisit a favorite. All the food from our tasty travels coming at ya.

FRIDAY:
Taco City, Hillsdale / one of each taco, please. and guacamole.
Not my favorite taco stand, but it’s fun to experience pod food while in Portland.

SATURDAY:
Seastar Bakery, Alberta Arts District / sweet dill-pickled beets, oven-fried egg, and cypress grove goat cheese on seedy nutty rye toast / cilantro-jalapeño white bean daal with pickled red onion, radish-mint salad on rosemary cornbread
Easily my favorite meal on this trip. Fresh, unsuspecting flavor combinations! I am inspired to play more in the kitchen.

Prasad, Pearl District / chipotle chili bowl with brown rice, chipotle black bean chili, avocado, green chili sauce, and jalapeño cashew cheeze / hot smokey tempeh / tabor bowl with quinoa, slow roasted tomatoes, kale, green chili sauce
One of my favorites that I got hooked on during my first visit to Portland. The menu has changed slightly since my last visit, but the flavors are equally as pure and bold. I feel rejuvenated after a visit here. Also, CASHEW CHEEZE.

Mee Gin Soul Kitchen, Hawthorne / avocado green curry with chicken / pad thai / rice
Pad Thai wrapped in an omelet! Not the most appealing photo but you guys, this pad Thai reminded me of Thailand!!! This is the only place outside of Thailand, so far, that I’ve seen with the omelet around your noodles. It’s like opening a present – a tasty, tasty present.

SUNDAY:
Pip’s Original Doughnuts, Cully / doughnuts with Nutella + sea salt, pear and lemon , cinnamon sugar, and honey + sea salt / iced chai flight
We jumped out of bed to try Pip’s. I was mostly curious about the chai flight, but I’m not mad about these doughnuts either. My favorite: classic cinnamon sugar.

Best Baguette, Lents / one BBQ chicken, one BBQ beef, and one special chicken banh mi
We wanted to grab banh mi from another Vietnamese restaurant but they were sold out by the time we got there. So I did a quick search and stumbled upon Best Baguette. The wait was short, and the sandwiches so satisfying. It was the perfect waterfall hike snack. Oh, and in case you are wondering – yes, the baguette was the best. It was crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and biting into it did not hurt the roof of my mouth. Good thing that other place sold out of food.

Bollywood Cafe, Alberta Arts District / lamb samosas / chicken curry with saffron rice, sambar, dal, raita, paratha, and green chutney / fried okra with chile, lemon, and raita / saffron-scented basmati rice 
By recommendation we tried Bollywood Cafe. I’m not a huge Indian food fan because some spices don’t settle well with me, but if you hand me a plate of samosas, I’m good to go. The lamb samosas are particularly delightful. The fried okra were more like fries – crispy and salty – and less like something you pair with rice. Not mad about it; more like pleasantly disappointed?

MONDAY:
Pine Street Biscuits, Eliot / biscuits with sausage gravy / biscuits with shiitake mushroom gravy
We didn’t want to wait in a long weekend line so we went to a smaller, less touristy Pine Street Biscuits location on a Monday. No line! There are so many biscuit options here, but we kept it classic with good ol’ biscuits and gravy. 

Little Big Burger, Eugene, Oregon / cheeseburger with pepper jack / cheeseburger with swiss / truffle fries
En route back to the Bay our first stop was burgers. We had seen Little Big Burgers throughout Portland so we were thinking Hmm, the In-n-Out of Oregon, perhaps? These lil burgers are hearty and filling. And those truffle fries, ay ay ay, so good! Want some now…

Noho Hawaiian, Medford, Oregon / teriyaki steak (blalah size) / spicy grilled Korean chicken
Our last meal in Oregon was the gift that kept on giving. I seriously had lunch for the next week. The small had at least five servings of meat; the blalah size which was supposedly the regular size had ten. 

How many of you travel for the food? Share your must eats below.