Essential eats in Portland

[Faldoe]

My gf and I are going to a friend’s wedding in Portland in August.

What are some really good places to eat? Dinner, breakfast, etc. I went to Bollywood last time I was there and it was awesome.

[jirodreamsofdank]

I had a reservation for Beast when I was headed there for work... until I got norovirus the night before my flight and spend three days pulling an Exorcist from both ends.
http://www.beastpdx.com/

[BetterOffShred]

Portland Oregon, Texas, Maine, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, new York, Michigan, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, or North Dakota?

But seriously Portland Oregon is home to a Deschutes Brewery Public house, and you can snag food and beer all in one stop

We Pacific Northwest folk take our beers seriously (sometimes too seriously, see the whatever thread.. IPA professors etc) and it's worth getting some on tap. Portlandbeer.org lays down a nice comprehensive list of all the places to get your drink on, and a lot of them feature bomb food too.

[Bassist_Diver]

Voodoo Doughnuts to get your sweet on.

HUGE fucking +1 do Deschutes Brewing.

[Faldoe]

Yes, Portland OR.

Been to Voodoo donut. Was good.

[tremolo3]

That Deschutes Brewing is the only place I really wish I can go back to.

[Blackened Soul]

I always go somewhere random whenever I'm down there, the only bad experience I've ever had was McMenamins.
Actually.. I don't think I've ever had a more than meh to bad experience at ANY McMenamins. Fuck McMenamins, and their little dog too.

[misterstomach]

Voodoo donuts is not particularly good or worth the lines. Only famous cause they have dick shaped donuts and crap like that. Do you want fancy, pricey food, or cheap? Or midrange? And do you know what part of town you'll be in?

Off the cuff, I'd say some high points are as follows:

Rose city taqueria if you're in St. Johns
Red sauce pizza
Du's teriyaki (so cheap. Best teriyaki I've ever had. Not really a sit down place.)
Shandong (high quality Chinese)
Reel 'm Inn (great dive bar with amazing fried chicken)
Dixon's rib pit
East side deli
Yen ha (Vietnamese place with a cool bar with karaoke)

Little bit fancier places for a date:
Woodsman tavern
Laurelhurst market
Old salt (so awesome)
Ken's artisan pizza
Ringside steakhouse (old portland staple, but really expensive)

There's a bunch more, but that's a start. There's a million brew pubs and some of the beer is great, but for the most part their food, even if good, isn't terribly special, in my opinion. Tell me what part of town and what you're into, and I'll try to think of more.

[infamousalien]

Pok Pok. Potato Champion. Voodoo Donuts weren't that great at all. Over hyped.

[bigguitartone]

I spent a few days in Portland OR last December. Deschutes Brewpub was fantastic, Pine State Biscuits was amazing (seriously, go here), and all the locals told me to stay the heck away from Voodoo Doughnuts. There are two other donut shops in town that are recommended, one is traditional and the other makes out-there stuff like Voodoo is famous for. I don't remember their names but I could dig them up if you want. I also personally thought the Rogue Ales brewpub was quite a disappointment.

[01010111]

I always go somewhere random whenever I'm down there, the only bad experience I've ever had was McMenamins.
Actually.. I don't think I've ever had a more than meh to bad experience at ANY McMenamins. Fuck McMenamins, and their little dog too.

McMenamins generally seem to be about aesthetic. However, the McMenamins Kennedy School is a ton of fun. It’s a school that’s been turned into a couple of bars, a movie theater, and a bunch of other fun stuff.

[BetterOffShred]

Sounds like Chotchskie's.. from office space my general rule for going out to eat is find the diviest place possible and prepare for dysentery..

The PHO place I found here in Spokane is so legendary... I'm sure Portland had a bunch of moustache wax/PHO places.

[Blackened Soul]

I always go somewhere random whenever I'm down there, the only bad experience I've ever had was McMenamins.
Actually.. I don't think I've ever had a more than meh to bad experience at ANY McMenamins. Fuck McMenamins, and their little dog too.

McMenamins generally seem to be about aesthetic. However, the McMenamins Kennedy School is a ton of fun. It’s a school that’s been turned into a couple of bars, a movie theater, and a bunch of other fun stuff.

May be worth checking, the one with the drama theater had some of the worst service I've ever had.. ended up leaving and going across the street to the pizza place which was awesome.

Sounds like Chotchskie's.. from office space my general rule for going out to eat is find the diviest place possible and prepare for dysentery..

The PHO place I found here in Spokane is so legendary... I'm sure Portland had a bunch of moustache wax/PHO places.

Imagen a hippy version of that where they convert old historic buildings into their concept.. there is +1 in almost every city/big town out here form Portland to Seattle and beyond, the ones between the two cities are to be avoided...

[Faldoe]

I always go somewhere random whenever I'm down there, the only bad experience I've ever had was McMenamins.
Actually.. I don't think I've ever had a more than meh to bad experience at ANY McMenamins. Fuck McMenamins, and their little dog too.

Ha. I went there man years ago the last time the second to last time I was in Portland. Was very meh.

I went to some small breakfast place last time I was there that was pretty good. Have like southwester/New Mexico styled breakfast tacos or something. I can't remember the name of it as a local had taken us there.

[bigguitartone]

McMenamins generally seem to be about aesthetic. However, the McMenamins Kennedy School is a ton of fun. It’s a school that’s been turned into a couple of bars, a movie theater, and a bunch of other fun stuff.

I almost forgot about this place, yeah this was a pretty cool stop in my opinion and is worth checking out. I didn't have food there but it's a cool place to walk around and duck into the detention hall or the boiler room and grab a drink.