As I said in my Portland Sweets Post, I went to Portland really just to eat. We filled out days with not museums and sightseeing, but with restaurants, snack shops and naps (in between meals). Impossible to get through all of the fantastic places to eat of course, we did our best and the ones that did their part as the best are below.
The Parish- 231 Northwest 11th Avenue / Well, they did it again. Last week, I posted my top 5 favorite desserts in Portland, and The Parish took the spot for number one, but there is no doubting that their food is the tits as well. I noted in the dessert post that I planned on eating so much at The Parish that I would have to unbutton my pants, but alas, 7 days of eating left me in bad shape. Although i didn’t indulge as much as I had hoped, no oysters for me, i decided to stick with a vegetarian option and it was amazing. Black eyed peas, onion, tomato and cheese, cooked so perfectly I tried to duplicate it when I got home, but failed. Oh well, looks like I am going to have to head back to Portland just for the food. (Corn pictured above also from The Parish).
Broder - 2508 Southeast Clinton Street / It is always so exciting when you find something you have never had before, and Broder gave me that. Lefse is a traditional soft, Norwegian flatbread. Lefse is made out of potato, milk or cream (or sometimes lard) and flour, and cooked on a griddle. Special tools are available for lefse baking, including long wooden turning sticks and special rolling pins with deep grooves. (thanks wikipedia). Broder has a Lefse of the day and I wish I could go back everyday of the week to get this. Although sweet (for me) for breakfast, this untraditional (for the US) dish was a perfect start to the morning (read afternoon- c’mon, we were on vacation!) and I urge you all to go and send me pictures of which you had. Note: we also has some Apple fritters that were aces.
Pok Pok - 3226 Southeast Division Street / Cha Ca “La Vong” (say that 10 times fast) holds strong at number 3. Catfish marinated in turmeric and sour rice, fried in turmeric oil with scallions and dill, served on rice vermicelli with peanuts, mint, cilantro and mam nem. Yum, all that in one plate! Although a lot to say, it was a perfect balance of flavors.
Choose carefully at PokPok, I may have loved my dish, but the person I was with would say otherwise. Tears. Tears flowing down his face as he burned his palette one bite at a time.
Riffle NW - 333 Northwest 13th Avenue / Scallops. I. LOVE. SCALLOPS... So when I was doing research on where to go in Portland and I stumbled on a catch-inspired seafood restaurant influenced by coastal regions around the world I knew it would be our first stop, and it did not disappoint. In the about us section of Riffle NW’s site, it explains that the chefs live by the philosophy of “one house” and thats what it felt like. The service was phenomenal, the vibe was relaxed and the food melted in your mouth.
The Screen Door -2337 E Burnside St / I’m not going to pretend to remember what phenomenal fresh veggies were mixed into this heavenly plate, they have offered so many, but it was the best MEAL not just BEST BREAKFAST but the BEST MEAL we had. The menu changes daily at screen door, based on what they have available to them.
The Screen Door is dedicated to connecting the farm directly to the plate, using local fresh and organic produce and meat from the northwest, and wowing you with every plate.
No one says it better than Screen Door themselves so here it is
““Screen Door’s menu is a survey of the south, from South Carolina Lowcountry cuisine to soul food and Cajun one-pot cookery to the refined Creole and French preparations found in New Orleans. We explore all methodologies and preparations from the historical to the modern, from the rudimentary to the refined, from the low-brow to the high-brow, cutting across class distinctions to get at the heart of the matter, the food.””
Get there, and get there now (be sure to check their hours- brunch is not everyday). There will be a wait, but I promise it is worth it, unless that is, you don’t love good food. Get up. Now. Stop reading, put your shoes on and head over.
Honorable Mentions!
Olympic Provisions - 107 SE Washington St. / Best known for their meat (hence the large lit sign when you walk in), I am probably not their number 1 client (I stick to fish and veggies), but the reviews were so great, and my travel partner was eating meat, so we headed in for an afternoon snack. The interior was exactly what I would expect, of both Olympic Provisions and Portland in general. I stuck with a cheese plate, that was served with the most wonderful fruit jam. Go there, and tell me all about it.
Tasty and Sons - 3808 N Williams Ave / Honorably mentioned for both the savory and the sweet side of the meal. The Summer muffin and Chocolate Potato Doughnut (with créme anglaise) were both lovely and should be eaten by many.