Folk music plays in the background as a young girl dressed in a flannel shirt and brown slightly worn pants strums at her guitar singing something between Kirk Cobain and Melissa Ethridge. Other people walk by dressed similarly, some more nicely dressed than others, all checking out the many food carts that spot the streets of this Saturday Market - Greek, Polish, Hippy (ok, Vegan), Japanese, Thai and even Southern. Meanwhile, the rain dribbles down from the sky, not hard, but definitely letting you know where you are- and that is PORTLAND.
Not that many people from Los Angeles take trips to Portland, but it was a city that always intrigued us and since it is only 3 hours away by plane (1 hour to Oakland and then less than 2 hours from there on Southwest), it was an easy Memorial Day weekend trip. With all the amenities of big city juxtaposed with a greenery (from the continual spits of rain) beyond anything we have seen in a modern city, it was a great city to visit. While definitely proud to be weird, it is a city more friendly than either of us had ever seen. Communal tables at almost every dining venue, advice from everyone about everything, generally free public transportation, a city radius that is walkable, and the most friendly people we have ever encountered, Portland is definitely a breath of fresh air from the concrete, car filled cement jungle that is Los Angeles. We were even able to take a day trip 30 minutes east to get further into the forest and see some amazing waterfalls, go wine tasting and make it back to the city by nightfall. Here are a few specific places that were amazing parts of trips:
The Hotel Monaco - Owned by the Kimpton Group of boutique hotels, this was a very fun and inexpensive hotel. Very well sized, like the few other Kimpton's we have stayed in, it has a very homey/local feel rather than the big/corporate feel you sometimes get at chains. The free happy hour from 4-6 also makes it an appealing venue. Around $120 - $160/night. http://www.monaco-portland.com/
Japanese Garden - We tend to spend most of our trips doing very little actual site seeing and lot of walking to enjoy the city, while stopping to eat, drink, and mingle with locals, but this is must see in Portland. Sitting right up on the hill above the city, it is a marvelous spread of zen gardens built into the already lush vegetation of the city. A simple stroll through it will have you wishing, and feeling like you actually are, in Japan and give you a little insight into Phil Jackson. :)
Le Pigeon - This was definitely our favorite restaurant. Just across the river into the east side of the city, it is away from whatever "touristy-ness" there is (we took cab to it, but ended up walking back). It is a very small place, but while we waited on a table they served us a glass of champagne on outside while we waited. Once seated, like many places in Portland, it was communal seating with a full view of the entire kitchen. The best part though, was the creativity of the food. While LA restaurants love to be creative with things like molecular gastronomy that are cool to look at but not necessarily amazing to eat, Le Pigeon made them amazing to eat. The specific highlight for us was the Sweetbread Spaghetti with meatballs. Sounds strange right, well it was, but still it was amazing and like nothing we'd ever tasted. The foie gras bacon appetizer was also worth a glutenous indulgence. www.lepigeon.com
Pok Pok - A very interesting Thai restaurant that prides itself on not being like your "what-you-think-is-traditional" pad thai spot. It is well in tthe east side of the river that divides the city so we had to take taxi into a bit darker part of the city, but it was well worth it. Sitting half outdoors and priding itself on serving actual thai food (and encouraging eating with your hands), it was a great experience with great food. The Kai Yaang (half bird), eggplant salad and pork curry were all amazing. If you have any energy after dinner walk across the street to the whisky bar they own. www.pokpokpdx.com
Laurelwood Public House Brewery - There were a bunch of great and larger brew pubs in Portland, all with their own beers, but this one had particularly good beer and a great atmosphere. It also has a great happy hour. We went the Kearny Street Location, but there are others in Portland that I am sure are good as well. www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com
Food Carts - As you walk around the city you will notice the many food carts. LA has a lot of these as well, but the variety of food that they serve and the concentration of trucks in Portland is amazing and the few that we were able to try to were great. Our personal favorite was the Japanese cart located with a bunch of others 3rd and Ash vicinity.
Happy travels and we'll make sure not as much time passes before our next blog!
