Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

This weekend is one of my favorite events of early spring — the SE Portland Artwalk. For two days, you can walk through inner Southeast Portland and enjoy the work of more than 80 artists in their homes, studios and hosted business locations!

I have been a participating artist for this event for 5+ years, and I love meeting people as they walk through the doors of local studios and get to talk about art, the creative process, that new coffee shop that opened down the street … just about anything!

The event is free, and you can download a map of artists and locations from their website.

Go out, take a walk, see some art. You just might discover something new!

Ramen reigns supreme at Boke Bowl, but don't miss the kimchi or the brussels sprout and cauliflower salad.

I’ve been spending a lot of time exploring the Central Eastside Industrial District lately, preparing for the arrival of the new Portland Streetcar in September. Since it’s winter in the Rose City, that can mean for some chilly days weaving in and out of the old warehouses and back and forth across the train tracks. But it also means warming up to a steaming helping of ramen at Boke Bowl — my new favorite lunch spot.

Ramen purists may not enjoy Boke’s chewy handmade noodles, which are a tad thicker than I’ve had at so-called traditional places. Me? I love them and think they go well with any of the broths offered. My personal favorite is the seafood miso topped with a poached egg and pork belly, but it’s easy to mix and match the many options. If you’re a kimchi fan, give it a go, too. The most “traditional” kimchi I’ve had was made by a friend’s Korean wife in Montana, and let’s just say I’ll take Boke’s any day. Check them out for lunch or their Korean fried chicken dinners on Thursday nights.

While you’re at it, spend some time exploring this up-and-coming neighborhood full of interesting destinations. Grab a beer at Hair of the Dog — legendary among beer aficionados — or an espresso at Water Avenue Coffee (or just drool over the high-end home espresso makers at Clive Coffee next door). If you play your cards right and manage your time, you’ll be ready to hit Bunk Bar right next to Boke Bowl for dinner.

Earning accolades like “world’s best street food” from U.S. News Travel, Portland’s food cart scene is becoming very well-known. But did you know that we have an annual food cart festival? Eat Mobile features samples from some of the city’s best carts along with live music and some friendly competition — carts vie for awards in a variety of categories. Check out this video from 2011:

Eat Mobile is scheduled for Saturday, April 28, 2012, and tickets will go on sale March 28 at wweek.com/eatmobile. General admission tickets are $18 and include samples from each of the participating carts, while a limited number of pre-tasting tickets, running $47, will get you into the event at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) an hour early and include complimentary beverages. This event always sells out, so make sure you mark your calendar if you plan to attend.

Downtown's 12th Avenue stairs

Way back before I lived in Portland, I remember my aunt (who did live here) telling me how she loved to explore the city’s “secret stairways.” It stands to reason that a city flanked by hills would have its share of public staircases, but they really are a bit of a secret, even to many locals.

Recently, I’ve become familiar with several of these steep gems, thanks to a group of friends who do weekly stair runs around town. In addition to a great workout, most of these stairs provide wonderful views. Our top spots are the Summit stairs in Northwest Portland (where you can see the Fremont Bridge); the 12th Avenue stairs near Portland State University (with a great perspective of downtown, the river and the Cascade Mountains); and the 282 wide, tree-shaded steps of Mt. Tabor Park. At the top of the Tabor stairs, take a loop around the summit and enjoy the view of downtown and the West Hills.

Ready to explore? This website is a fantastic resource, with a map of all the city’s stairs, along with stats like number of steps and elevation gain. There’s also a pocket-sized guide to the city’s 196 (!) public staircases: The Portland Stairs Book, by Laura O. Foster.

Whether you prefer to sweat or stroll, Portland’s staircases are worth seeking out. Happy climbing!

Even though I’m a member of the “clean plate club” 99% of the time I go out to eat (Thanks mom!), I’ll occasionally have a scrap or two left on my plate. A few years ago this food scrap would have been tossed into the trash and eventually made its way into a landfill to live out its remaining days. However, over the past few years, more and more local restaurants and eateries have replaced their trash cans with bins for composting, recycling or sorting – which is done by the employees.

My latest trips to Grand Central Bakery, Pizzicato and Little Big Burger were pleasantly trash-free. Little Big Burger only offers composting or recycling, which is fantastic considering plates and silverware aren’t given to customers, just compostable bags, wrappers and containers, all of which can be tossed into the compost on the spot.

Restaurants are not alone in this effort; a city-wide composting initiative was implemented in Portland on Oct. 31, 2011. The city’s composting efforts will help keep 30,000 tons of compostable food out of landfills every year. Instead, our scraps will have a second life as nutrient-rich fertilizer. For a tree-hugger like me, this is a comforting trend. Now my food scraps — if any remain — get to enjoy a ride in the compost bin with like-minded leftovers.

Oven & Shaker pizza; photo by John Valls

In high school, I would often flee campus and hightail it to Little Caesar’s for what I thought was good pizza. What I lacked in pizza IQ back then, I more than made up for in passion and commitment. Fortunately, those days are long gone and I now think of myself as somewhat of a pizza connoisseur. So, when two of Portland’s best-loved restaurateurs announced they were opening new pizza places, I bubbled with excitement.

Bruce Carey, who is the driving force behind such places as Bluehour, Clark Lewis and 23 Hoyt, and Cathy Whims of Nostrana fame (which, incidentally, has wonderful pizza) have opened Via Tribunali and Oven & Shaker, respectively, and I highly recommend them both. Both spots have amazing and creative traditional Italian pizzas: wood-fired; thin, crisp-but-chewy crust; and a less-is-more approach to toppings. They are also quite different. (more…)

During our first visit to The Woodsman, my friend Googs and I could not resist the siren song of the raw bar. Next time, we'll peruse the full menu.

To celebrate his birthday, my buddy Googs and I checked out one of the latest – and most ballyhooed – additions to the east side’s dining scene: The Woodsman, located a couple of doors down from the original Stumptown Coffee on Southeast Division Street.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a cool wood-paneled interior and an impressive display of bivalves on ice. We bellied up to the bar and promptly ordered/inhaled a dozen Tillamook Bay and Netarts oysters on the half shell.

I’m looking forward to a return trip to check out the full menu – both Willamette Week and my foodie colleague, Lila, say it’s terrific – but won’t wait 12 months to do it. (Next one’s on you, Googs.)

Photo by Allison Jones

As if a James Beard Award-winning cookbook (Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flour) wasn’t enough to get some well-deserved national attention, the recent opening of Kim Boyce’s bakery, Bakeshop, has food bloggers and locals alike truly buzzing:

Behind the Scenes at Kim Boyce’s Bakeshop – Serious Eats

Look Inside Kim Boyce’s Bakeshop, Now Open – Portland Monthly’s Eat Beat

Now it’s your turn. Anything in the case will satisfy, but the hand pies and maple scones are my personal favorites.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a perfect day. I joined an all-day snowshoe tour with Pedal Bike Tours, which took us from downtown Portland up to Timberline for about an hour of downhill snowshoeing through some gorgeous and varied terrain, followed by a ski-lift ride up the mountain (what a view!), and a lavish lunch in the Cascade Dining Room at Timberline Lodge (freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and caramel ice cream!). The sky was bright blue and the air was about 40 degrees. It was amazing and the best part: I didn’t have to worry about, or pack, a thing — the tour took care of the drive, the snowshoes and lunch. It was fabulous.

The group with Todd from Pedal Bike Tours and Timberline Lodge in the background

Timberline Lodge is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, which makes it an excellent time to visit this national landmark. If you want to stay over (highly recommended), Timberline’s offering a lodging deal for $75 for a second night’s stay in a queen room.

Image courtesy of hoodriver.org

You probably already know that many fabulous wineries and tasting rooms can be found in Washington County and the Willamette Valley. But, recently, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how many wonderful tasting rooms there are in downtown Hood River, about 60 miles east of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge.

I haven’t spent much time in downtown Hood River, and I loved how walkable everything was. I planned this excursion for a couple of friends who were visiting from out of town. If I can plan a successful trip, so can you — or just use my list as a starting point. (more…)