A friend recently attended a conference in Portland, OR and decided that he'd also make a little visit to Seattle while he was in the area. Using his trip as an excuse, I made the drive down to Portland for a day trip...and a mini food tour, of course :)
First stop was the farmers market at Portland State University. This is one of the best, if not the best, farmers markets I have been to. Expansive with everything you'd expect a farmers market to have and plenty of variety! There was even a kimchi stand! And, of course, there were food carts. So, being the bottomless pit that I am, the food scene was scoped out. There was an abundance of local bakeries, but I wanted something more filling and hearty. Choices in this department were a bit more limited. Luckily, I stumbled upon a long line, which led to the PineState Biscuits' stand. A quick glance at their menu and I knew exactly what I wanted...the Reggie Deluxe. Buttermilk fried chicken with bacon, cheese, and a fried egg sandwiched between a buttermilk biscuit and topped with a mushroom gravy. I think I just drooled a little :p
Next stop, Stumptown Coffee. This is the company that started the coffee revolution in Portland in 1999, and has since expanded to Seattle and New York. I've had their coffee in both Seattle and New York, so it was only natural that I go to its birthplace. I didn't go to the original store on Division Street since it was out of the way. Instead, I went to the store in the Ace Hotel lobby on Stark. I must say that they do a pretty good job of keeping their drink quality and flavors consistent.
Voodoo Doughnuts was next on my list. I love my donuts! Sadly, their line was too long. So, I snapped a few pics and then made my way over to Powell's Books to do some browsing before grabbing an early dinner.
Dinner was at the ever popular Pok Pok. As expected, the wait for a table was over an hour. To kill time during our wait, we headed across the street to the Whiskey Soda Lounge, an offspring restaurant of Pok Pok that serves a condensed version of Pok Pok's menu. I enjoyed a glass of drinking vinegar for the first time. I was a bit apprehensive at first since I'm not a huge fan of vinegar, but their passion fruit drinking vinegar has turned me into a fan! I probably could have downed a whole carafe on my own!
Here's a look at what we had at the Whiskey Soda Lounge and Pok Pok. Apologies in advance for the quality of some of the pics. We also had Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings, but we ate those up before I could take a pic. All I can say is they certainly do live up to thier hype!
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| Miang Kham (betal leaf wraps) |
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| Sai Muu Thawt (fried pork chitlins) |
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| Yam Makheua Yao (smoked eggplant), Fried Whole Tilapia, Muu Paa Kham Waan (boar collar), |
Next stop, Stumptown Coffee. This is the company that started the coffee revolution in Portland in 1999, and has since expanded to Seattle and New York. I've had their coffee in both Seattle and New York, so it was only natural that I go to its birthplace. I didn't go to the original store on Division Street since it was out of the way. Instead, I went to the store in the Ace Hotel lobby on Stark. I must say that they do a pretty good job of keeping their drink quality and flavors consistent.
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