Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

Forktown Food Tours, which guides visitors on charming culinary journeys through Portland’s neighborhoods, has added a new tour exploring the city’s core.

Inspired by all of the businesses that have recently opened in the area, Forktown now offers culinary walking tours of downtown from Thursday through Sunday. The tours showcase the different styles of eateries that make Portland’s culinary scene so dynamic. Among the six to seven stops are a food cart, a sweet shop, a fine dining restaurant and an educational or hands-on experience.

Heading into its 29th year, Portland’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta (May 3-5) kicks off a summer of celebration in Waterfront Park, downtown’s stretch of green space along the Willamette River that’s home to concerts, festivals and events of all kinds. This three-day fiesta, presented by the Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association, celebrates Mexican-American culture with music, dance, carnival rides, lucha libre wrestling and plenty of authentic food.

Happily, Portland enjoys great Mexican food year-round (and all over town) tucked, folded and wrapped into a variety of burritos. Here are five favorites you can enjoy anytime: (more…)

In Portland, the signs of spring aren’t limited to robins picking at worms and bulbs bursting through soil. You also see tents popping up in parking lots and closed-off streets, as farmers’ markets set up shop.

The city’s biggest and most popular outdoor grocery is already up and running: Operating every Saturday through Dec. 21, the Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University isn’t just a great place to pick up leeks, kale and broccoli — it also sells some of the best prepared goods in town. From Alma Chocolate to salmon from The Smokery, there’s plenty to take home from the market’s more than 150 stands (even if your home is thousands of miles away). If you’re in the mood for take-out, grab some eats from local vendors like Verde Cocina or Pine State Biscuits and enjoy live music as you stroll.

Come May, more market locations bring fruit, berries, melons and veggies to downtown: The Shemanski Park Market runs Wednesdays, May 1 – Oct. 30, while the Pioneer Courthouse Square Market comes to Portland’s Living Room on Mondays, June 17 – Sept. 30.

And the bounty isn’t limited to Portland proper — there are farmers’ markets all around the metro area. In fact, at the height of the season, there’s a market somewhere every day of the week. And that’s a good thing — because, after all, springtime runs seven days per week.

Hikers will tell you there are two kinds of trails: one, where the trek itself is the payoff, and the other, which leads to a grand reward. While you don’t have to lace up any boots to enjoy the North Willamette Wine Trail (April 13-14), the path’s bounty of riches means you can enjoy both the journey and the destination. This weekend-long open house of more than 20 wineries, vineyards, tasting rooms and cellars offers everything from rare bottles to one-of-a-kind demonstrations, all unique to one of the country’s most vibrant winemaking valleys.

Home to around two dozen vintners, North Willamette Valley’s wine country is approximately 20 miles from downtown Portland and boasts both stunning scenery and palate-pleasing wines. The North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend, which runs the second weekend in April each year, is the ideal time to visit the wineries, which range from small boutiques like Ardiri Winery to large estates like Shafer Vineyard Cellars. Winding along the wine trail reveals riches far beyond the vine — food pairings, live music, tours and hands-on activities also abound.

And then there’s the wine. Known for some of the world’s best pinot noir grapes, the valley’s wines — sought after the world over — are abundantly accessible along this route. From new releases to reserve labels, there are tastings aplenty along the trail, with barrel tappings by winemakers a common sight throughout the weekend.

Passes are now available, with options for weekend-long ($45) or Sunday-only tickets ($30).

When it comes to microbrews and wine, Portland’s cup has notoriously runneth over, but in recent years, our plate has also been full with daring dishes and high-quality cuisine. Fortunately for foodies, the trend is only building, with several top-notch dining spots opening recently in downtown, along with a new star on one of the country’s most up-and-coming streets for eats.

First up, Lardo, is no stranger to the Portland’s pork-crazed masses, as it has existed as food cart since September 2010 and has another location on the east side of the river. But their new downtown location on Southwest Washington Street brings the shop’s rotating menu of porcine sandwiches to the city center, where working stiffs and visiting tourists alike can stuff their faces with classic Italian eats like porchetta and mortadella, plus a burger topped with pork belly and even a few veg options.

Nearby on Southwest Broadway Street, Imperial, brings diners Pacific Northwest-styled offerings from legendary local chef Vitaly Paley. Located in the stylish Hotel Lucia, the warm, wood-clad restaurant aims to unite diners with the region through their food, using an open kitchen with a grill meant to invoke the campfire warmth that historically lit the Northwest, along with uncomplicated food steeped in historical significance, like wild king salmon in roasted shallot green sauce, or quail with oyster stuffing. Also in the Hotel Lucia, Paley has opened a smaller, casual diner called the Portland Penny Diner, where the specialities include fry-bread sandwiches.

Up the street in the 130-year-old Ladd Carriage House, one of the few surviving structures from downtown Portland’s days of grand estates, Raven & Rose aims to make history itself, with a wood-fired gastropub downstairs and an upstairs bar (in a former hayloft), which serves drinks that evoke the building’s era. Pairing former Park Kitchen head chef David Padberg with erstwhile Beaker & Flask bartender Dave Shenaut, the venture looks to have all the ingredients for success.

Photo courtesy of Portland Monthly

Out on Southeast Division Street, Ava Gene’s turns what was already a culinary hot zone into a full-fledged gourmet playground. Founded by Stumptown Coffee and Woodsman Tavern owner Duane Sorenson, the New York-style Italian restaurant specializes in hard-to-find pastas (made in-house), and pairs them perfectly with both charcuterie and wine. Add soft lighting and vintage decor, and you’ve instantly got some of the most romantic tables in town—and a prime example of how Portlanders love their food scene.

From boxes of sweets on Valentine’s Day to bag of treats at Halloween, chocolate is invariably linked to big events. But as beloved as its rich flavor is, there ought to be a celebration of the great goodie itself. Thankfully, ChocolateFest (Jan. 18-20), the Northwest’s celebration of all things mouthwatering, dark and creamy, pours it on every year.

This cocoa celebration fills the Oregon Convention Center with three days of activities and tastings, featuring more than 50 chocolatiers sharing treats like artisan truffles from Moonstruck Chocolate Company, old fashioned candies made by Willamette Valley Confectionary, and gooey, baked delights from Cupcake Jones. To sip with the sweets, you can try local wines from Noble Estate Vineyard, Hip Chicks Do Wine and many more. The fest kicks off with an adults-only premiere party, and includes presentations and samples galore all weekend long.

Foodies who prefer a mix of flavors should check out FoodWorx (Jan. 15), a new culinary conference at the Gerding Theater. Emceed by OPB’s Allison Frost, who hosts the popular program “Think Out Loud,” the conference takes a look at the future of food, bringing in a dozen expert speakers from the arenas of gourmet cuisine, beverage, travel and hospitality. Where better than America’s leading food city to explore the delicious possibilities?

Renowned for its adventurous food scene, Portland is no stranger to culinary trends. We’ve embraced and indulged in everything from cupcakes to bacon (and maybe even some bacon cupcakes). But 2012 belonged to ice cream, specifically the concoctions dreamed up by Salt & Straw.

The innovative ice creamery has reinvented the scoop, turning out rich, original flavors made with super-fresh, local ingredients. Their holiday lineup includes some surprises (Mulled Wine Sorbet, Figgy Pudding), but we’ve yet to meet a Salt & Straw flavor we didn’t love. And there’s no doubt about entries like Peppermint Cocoa  and Bourbon Pecan Pie. (more…)

It’s the most wonderful time for a beer!
It’s the hop-happiest season of all!
There’s a buzz in the air of Pioneer Courthouse Square
when mugs flow with ales…

Photo by Dan Leithauser, via Flickr

That’s enough of that, but prepare to uncork a beer-inspired carol of your own during downtown Portland’s 17th annual Holiday Ale Festival (Nov. 28 – Dec. 2). This celebration of winter suds set beneath the region’s largest decorated Christmas tree features big, bold beers designed to keep revelers warm on cold winter nights — from Terminal Gravity Festivale to Deschutes Jubelale and He’Brew Jewbelation to Great Divide Hibernation. Every beer is made or blended specifically for the festival, so they’re pints you’ll not likely to find anywhere else.

The event also includes delicious, holiday-themed foods, live music and a Sunday brunch with exclusive beers alongside European pastries, cured meats and artisan cheeses. Wear some Santa pants, because you’re going to need a bigger waistline.

Tasting at Steven Smith Teamaker

While Portland is renowned for pioneering craft brews, it should also be known for hoisting mugs of another sort.

The local tea revolution reaches back to 1972, when Stash Tea Company steeped its first bag at its headquarters in an old Portland Victorian home. The company has since moved to suburban Tigard, but will be opening a shop on N. Mississippi Avenue this month.

Steven Smith, one of Stash’s founders, went on to found Tazo Tea (a brand now owned by Starbucks) and currently operates Steven Smith Teamaker, whose blends are available all over the city, including in the company’s tasting room and shop on NW Thurman Street.

Relative newcomers Townsend’s Tea Company opened in 2006, and has become a favorite with its Alberta Street Teahouse, where cups and bags are available for sale. Their new Division Street location opened this past year, and has quickly become a perfect pair with the neighborhood’s hot restaurant scene.

Loose-leaf cafes also pour it on in Portland, serving tea from bubble to bagged. The TeaZone in the Pearl District stocks more than 100 loose-leaf varieties from all over the world, and is a great place to tuck into a cuppa, along with some live music. Tea Chai Té is a cozy tea shop on NW 23rd Avenue that features comfy couches, games, books and a covered balcony. Fifteen different chai blends make it a must-sip. Lastly, but certainly not the least, The Tao of Tea has locations on SE Belmont Street — where they sell and serve organic teas in an old wood, bamboo and hand-painted shop and cafe — and at the Tower of Cosmic Reflections, the authentic and masterfully constructed tea house within Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden. With this many options, Portland surely has your cup of tea.

First came microbrews and Willamette Valley wines; today, Portland is also the epicenter of the craft distilling movement.

The Great American Distillers Festival (Oct. 19-20), now in its eighth year, will attract more than 50 small-batch spirit makers to Portland’s Tiffany Center for a weekend full of wet whistles. Friday night’s cocktail competition lifts everyone’s spirits as bartenders use bottles featured at the event to mix up holiday libations. And over the two days, the event overflows with seminars and tastings — not to mention plenty of handcrafted hootch. A one-day pass to the event costs $15 and comes with five taster tickets, while the two-day pass provides 10 tickets and costs $25.

The annual mixer is a great warm-up for Portland Cocktail Week (Oct. 21-25), an industry event that attracts professional bartenders from around the country to Portland’s lively hotels and bars; evening events let consumers get in on the fun. This year’s schedule is in the works, so check their website for updates.