Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland – Travel Portland's Staff Blog

Portland’s weather isn’t always sunny, but we are fortunate to have a handful of tiki bars that serve fruity tropical drinks and help give the illusion that you’ve escaped to a South Pacific island for a quick blast of warmth, even if the effect is only temporary.

Portland has three great tiki establishments to visit. The first, and most widely known, is The Alibi in close-in North Portland. With a neon sign that’s impossible to miss, friendly staff, a full menu, access to MAX light rail, karaoke seven nights a week and, of course, plenty of cocktails, The Alibi will have you longing for the beach in no time.

Thatch Tiki Bar is another gem nestled into a row of businesses on Northeast Broadway. Upon entering you must stop and admire the exceptional water feature before taking a seat at the sunken bar for some of the best mixed drinks around. Plan ahead and you and your friends can grab the VIP table in the back for a private tropical gathering.

Lastly, we have a new — but classic — addition to the lineup: Trader Vic’s. With a great location right in the heart of the Pearl District, tropical paradise is only a short walk away from downtown. We may be a long way from the South Pacific, but Portland’s tiki bars help will get you there in no time.

Portlanders love food and we’re very fond of breakfast. Instead of pondering why, I accept and embrace it. And with so many great breakfast options, I’d like to share one of my favorite weekend spots with you, which also happens to be a food cart.

The PDX Sandwich

The Big Egg at the Mississippi Marketplace pod in north Portland serves — you guessed it — eggs! But these aren’t any run-of-the-mill eggs — they’re local and farm-grown. So is the meat and the produce, which is also organic whenever possible. Did I mention that they’re absolutely delicious?

If you go, here are a couple of recommendations. Meat is optional, but I always add bacon.

• The PDX Sandwich: egg, Tillamook white cheddar cheese, fresh chives and stone ground mustard on grilled brioche Pullman bread.
• The Breakfast Wrap: a grilled flour tortilla with scrambled eggs, potatoes, portabello mushrooms and Tillamook white cheddar cheese with poblano salsa (that they make themselves) and yogurt-lime sauce.

When I go, I also like to hop over to Dogfeathers Coffee and Juice cart next door and get either a cup of coffee or one of his juices. I like The Wet Dog, a blend of apple, carrot and ginger.

Want to discover more of Portland’s food carts? There’s an app for that, if you have an iPhone. Search for the Food Carts Portland mobile app in iTunes. Happy cart exploring!

I’ve written before about all the barrel-aging occurring in Portland these days — most breweries have at least some suds on wood now. The barrel-aging trend moved over to cocktails with mixologists like Jeffery Morganthaler of Clyde Common aging entire drinks for months at time.

However, even I was surprised when I stumbled upon barrel-aged coffee at Water Avenue Coffee in the city’s Central Eastside. I’ve been a big fan of their beans for awhile now, but with so many great roasters in Portland it’s really difficult to be loyal to just one brand. So it was with no small amount of pleasure that I grabbed a bag of their Oak Barrel Aged Sumatra. It makes for a robust cup of joe in my French press with a definite woody sweetness that undoubtedly comes from the barrel every bit as much as the bean. It’s completely unique and delicious and certainly worth a go.

Courtesy of Portland Farmers Market

It’s officially spring. Asparagus and other seasonal goodies are popping up on menus throughout town. Best of all, the mother of all Portland markets has returned. As of Saturday, March 17, the Portland Farmers Market is back for its 21st season.

Visitors shouldn’t shy away thinking this is just a market meant for stocking your kitchen with fresh produce; this is also the perfect place to pick up freshly prepared breakfast and lunch before biking, walking or driving around to explore other parts of town. So, enjoy a biscuit and a wander through the market to see what’s in season. Chances are you’ll see some of the very same items on your dinner menu — Portland chefs love to search the market for the freshest ingredients.

Winemaker at Apolloni pouring at the North Willamette Vintners' Annual Wine Trail Weekend

For the first time, Oregon’s governor has declared May “Oregon Wine Month.” But fabulous wine events will be sprouting up throughout the spring in and around Portland, from late March on. Here are a few to check out:

The North Willamette Vintners’ annual Wine Trail Weekend (March 31-April 1), with events and sampling at 24 participating wineries, allows the rare opportunity to taste, blend and sample wine direct from the barrel with the winemakers. Food pairings and activities unique to this event are planned for the weekend.

The Chehalem Mountain Winery Association’s annual Mountains to Metro tasting in downtown Portland (April 19) is a special opportunity to taste and compare wines from one specific AVA in the Willamette Valley.

The Oregon Wine Board kicks off Oregon Wine Month with Unwine’d (April 29), a tasting celebration in Portland featuring 100 of the state’s wineries under one roof.

The Columbia Gorge Wine and Pear Fest returns to Hood River (May 19-20) after a successful inaugural year in 2011 to highlight the bounty of this rich agricultural region.

And of course Oregon Wine Month will close with Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-28) in the Willamette Valley, when more than 150 wineries open their doors to the public.

Cheers!

We’re entering the final weeks of our winter hotel special, which invites visitors to enjoy a different kind of getaway (filled with one-of-a-kind Portland experiences such as Powell’s, Voodoo Doughnut, food carts and tax-free shopping) and a different kind of discount ($72 off your second night).

Based on our math, these savings will go a long ways. So, how would you spend your $72?

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.

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.

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…)