Where in the World - Portland, Oregon
My corner of the world (for years and at the moment) - Willamette Valley - the Gorge - the Coast
The hottest summer of our lives is at the mid-way point and I am looking down the barrel anticipating chasing autumn as soon as September, dreaming of somewhere less hot. But for now, I am up early to take a walk while the Pacific Northwest air is still cool, with almost a chill on it, before the day gives way to this heat, driving me inside.
This week, for the third time in as many days, I was asked for recommendations for folks visiting my area of Oregon, including Portland, the Willamette Valley, and the Oregon Coast. As I’m always delighted to put together a custom list for the inquirer’s particular interests, I also thought it would be a good time to do a “Where in the World” that covers the places above, with one addition.
Oregon has many, MANY beauties. There really is never a day that I go out in nature (or even for just a walk in my neighborhood because I have a killer view of Mt. Hood) that I don’t stop and just take in the beauty. Simply the dense and different color greens of the trees is something to stop and enjoy. From Hood to Coast - there are trails, rivers, waterfalls, springs and wonders GALORE to partake and enjoy.
I’m going to be honest, Portland proper is kind of tough right now. I just think it is important to acknowledge it, especially if someone hasn’t visited before. Right now it is not the greatest, cleanest, safest - so be careful as you journey out, and be very aware of your surroundings (try not to be distracted on your phone!) And just be safe.
Ok - that being said there are still lots of great eats, things not to miss, and places to visit in Portland!
*I don’t really have hotel recommendations. I am so far removed from the Portland hotel scene that I can’t really give a good list.
However, I am dialed into Airbnb’s and these are three I highly recommend as I’ve stayed at all of them:
PLACES TO STAY:
This one is so SO gorgeous and is in a sweet little tucked away neighborhood that is a 4-minute drive to the Portland PSU Farmers Market and walking to the Willamette River Park/Walk. It is bigger, with 3 bedrooms, and is so special. The owners have thought of all the guest’s needs and have upgraded furnishings, sheets, towels, and amenities.
In the Ladd’s Addition neighborhood and walking distance to a TON of great restaurants (see Jacqueline on my list below), coffee shops, bars, and a big New Seasons grocery store. Very comfortable and the hosts are lovely.
Located in West Linn, which is on the outskirts of Lake Oswego, a ritzy lake town about 20 minutes’ drive from downtown Portland. This is a great little EDU that the owners lived in while they built their house. Very comfy and feels like a tree house. Hot tip: close by is Oregon City and there is now a Canard Restaurant there - most excellent food and wine by the chef of Le Pigeon.
PLACES TO GO:
Powell’s Book Store: taking up one whole city block, Powell’s has been a favorite place of mine since I moved to Portland in 2006. I feel like you can spend HOURS here (I know I can) so plan accordingly.
A good day plan might be to go to Powell’s and then to the Japanese Gardens, which are not too far away. The Portland Japanese Gardens are so magical. A must-visit. Located in Washington Square Park, you can also wander through the rose gardens and take in one of the very best views of Mt. Hood in the city. After Powells’ and Japanese Gardens, visit Måurice for a delightfully European experience (see below).
Forest Park: 5200 acres for walkers, hikers, and nature lovers, this massive park in the city is a great place to forest bathe, take in the beauty, and just breathe.
Portland Art Museum: currently has an installation of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’ (which if you haven’t seen this - it is so wonderful) which is enough enticement for me but the museum is quite wonderful in its collections. A good stop.
PSU Farmers Market: arguably one of the best farmers markets in the country. Summer is a CLUSTER. I recommend getting there early, even though they don’t allow vendors to officially start selling until 8:30 am. It can get really crowded. As always, autumn, for me, is the best time to go. But the summer bounty is quite spectacular.
PLACES TO EAT & DRINK:
Portland has been, is and likely always will be an incredible food destination. The city itself is made up of distinct neighborhoods and most of them have really notable restaurants. I’m going to list my current favorites and old standards (please feel free to add to the list!):
My current fave wine bar - retail - snacks: Negociant in NW Portland. Located on NW 22nd, you can roll in here for wine and snacks, and then stroll up to take in the charm of NW 23rd and explore the lovely local retail shops and admire the houses. Negociant has everything: excellent people; amazing wines; an incredible selection of tinned fish (IYKYK); cheeses; oysters and a killer food menu.
St. Jack- NW 23rd - St. Jacks is a true French-inspired bistro. Utilizing all the bounties of the PacNW, they have a delightful menu, excellent frites, a killer chicken liver mousse, and great wine list. What else do you need?
Måurice - right across the street from Powells, this modern pastry luncheonette transports you to Europe with its Norwegian + French fare. Roll in for a later lunch, order wine, and stay til close. Wednesday-Saturday 11 am - 4 pm. Pastries are a MUST.
La Moule - sister restaurant to St. Jack - in SE Portland - is a more casual St. Jack and has delicious mussels and frites made to perfection.
Jacqueline - a wonderful tiny restaurant in SE Portland (down the street from La Moule) with a killer seafood-centric menu. The cedar-plank trout is to DIE FOR.
Apizza Scholls - Portland has some of the very pizza in the country. I am very fond of Apizza Scholls. Even after all these years of being open, you can still expect a queue when they open at 5 pm.
Le Pigeon and Canard - the restaurants of Gabe Rucker are not to be missed. I would say it is reasonable and recommended to go to both.
Coquine - tucked up in a sweet residential neighborhood in SE Portland, Coquine has an incredible full-service dining experience with a pre-fixe menu that is very in demand. Also, Coquine has a market café that is more casual but no less impressive in its menu, which is walk-in only. They also have a lovely little market where you can buy lots of great pantry items, frozen goods and wine, beer, and other libations. I highly recommend a visit. Also - pastries and coffee! Really - it has it all for the food adventurer visiting Portland.
Broder - for breakfast/lunch - I adore Broder! There are a few locations in Portland, with the original Broder Cafe right next door to La Moule in SE Portland. There is also one at the Nordic Northwest in SW Portland called Broder Söder. Tuck into a delicious Scandinavian feast. Highly recommend.
Bella’s Italian Bakery - I just visited here for the first time after I hit send on this piece and I had to come in and edit it immediately to include this delicious bakery. Located in the Lents Town Center, in SE Portland (closer to the 205 than to central Portland), this sweet spot is worth the drive for pastries, sandwiches, focaccia, Italian wines (at incredible prices), and more. Make the trip. You won’t be sorry.
I know that brunch is big in Portland but its never been my thing. Sorry that I don’t have any brunch recommends but Eater is an excellent resource.
SHOPS:
Wellspent Market: my favorite little tucked-away shop in NE Portland, this is where I get my imported Italian olive oils, sakes, vermouths, and salt. They also have flowers, a spritz bar, and cool wines.
Providore Fine Foods: located on NE Sandy, this market has everything you need: incredible produce, fresh pastas and sauces, a fish market, a huge wine section and every cool condiment you could ever need. Be warned: it is pricey.
CANNON BEACH - The magic of the Oregon Coast - I wrote about Cannon Beach, which is one of my favorite places in the world, last month. Make sure to include time for a good visit.
DON’T SKIP THE GORGE:
A couple of weeks ago, I was dog-sitting my favorite little red-nosed pit bull for the weekend, and I got the urge to do a day trip with her to the Gorge. I hadn’t been for over a year and even though it was a Saturday, and might be very busy, I decided to just go. I loaded my doggo, a bag with provisions, water, books, a blanket, and took to the road.
An hour and 15 mins from Portland, a trip to Hood River, is an easy day excursion and one that you will not regret. The drive itself is so stunningly beautiful, you will have to remind yourself to keep your eyes on the road.
About halfway between Portland and Hood River sits Multnomah Falls and it is worth your time to visit (hopefully not on a bonkers busy weekend day in summer). It is nothing short of magnificent.
Hood River is a charming little hamlet of a town but it draws huge crowds for its windsurfing. Sitting right on the Columbia River Gorge, the high winds make for excellent kiteboarding and windsurfing. Hood River also has cool breweries and bakeries and some interesting winery tasting rooms.
Hot Tip: try to time your visit to go to the White Salmon Baking Company in White Salmon, Washington - just a 15-minute drive from downtown Hood River. They have legendary pizza (only on certain days/nights) and baked goods.
On my visit, I grabbed a deliciously tart lemon sorbet and watched the surfers while walking the promenade down at the waterfront park. The park is very nice, with lots of green spaces, fountains, and good public restrooms. There is a beach as well. The park also has several restaurants, breweries, and food trucks. It is a great place to spend an afternoon.
My drive back to Portland was just as scenic. The Columbia River is absolutely stunning and the mountains, waterfalls, and inlets are nothing short of magical. Autumn is also insanely gorgeous, with all the rustic colors of fall.
I made a great choice to go down that day - the pup-cake and I were worn out and happy from our adventuring when we returned home.
WINERIES:
*I have worked in the wine industry, with a heavy focus on Willamette Valley, for almost 16 years (yikes!). I now consult and work with winery owners on many aspects of their business but one of my favorites is to help them curate their experiences for guests. Below are some of my current favorites.
Willamette Valley is one of Time Magazine’s 2023 50 Worlds Greatest Places along with Kyoto, Japan (another of my all-time favorite places - see my post here) and Tucson, Arizona where I lived [some of my best life] for 10 years, just to name a few.
One of my major pet peeves is when I google “best wineries to visit in Willamette Valley” a lot of the time the first search page is full of articles featuring the SAME 10 or so wineries that have shown up for over a decade. No disrespect (even though I strongly disagree with a few) but there are now close to 700 wineries in the Willamette Valley. There are a lot of great ones to explore.
The Willamette Valley actually is quite large - 150 miles between Oregon’s Cascade Mountains and the Coast Range. For the purposes of this piece, I’m going to focus on the area outside of Portland, roughly 30-45 minute drive, including Newberg, Dundee, Carlton, and Yamhill areas:
Shea Wines - a renowned family vineyard and winemakers, Shea Vineyards produce some of the most sought-after fruit in Oregon. The Sheas keep a small amount of their glorious fruit for themselves and make beautiful Pinot noirs, Chardonnays, and Rosé. Historically only open twice a year for Thanksgiving and Memorial Day weekends, they started doing tastings by appointment in their winemaking facility in 2021.
Brick House - I have been a super fan of Doug Tunnell as a winemaker since 2002, when I had my first Brick House wine. The Brick House Gamay is one of my most favorite expressions of that wine ever made. Tastings by appointment only.
Bergstrom - the seated tasting experience here is one of my favorites in the last 5 years. The wines are stunning and they have truly taken great care to think through the customer experience. I had one of the very best hosts in all of my wine-tasting experience here in 2022. While visiting their historic home converted into their tasting space be sure to ask about the gardens - they are beautiful. By appointment only.
White Walnut - the winemaker here is someone who I’ve known since I first moved to the valley and worked with for many years. White Walnut is his own label and vineyards and his spot in the Dundee Hills is one of the most charming and idyllic, with incomparable views. Taste with the winemaker by appointment.
Evening Land - the wines are just stellar. They have a tasting room in downtown Dundee which is a lovely place to stop in without an appointment for a visit and enjoy a flight of their incredible wines. They also have a wonderful experience at one of their vineyard sites that includes a vineyard walk and extended tasting by appointment.
Soter - honestly, the OG of really creating epic customer experiences. I enjoyed their wines before moving to the valley and it wasn’t until 2008 that they opened their doors for limited appointment-only tastings. I was an immediate super fan, club member, and devoted acolyte. Their program has grown immensely since those days but the experience still surprises and delights. Highly recommend the Provisions Tasting Experience. It is pricey but worth it. Appointment only.
HOT TIP: if you are going to the coast from the Valley, I highly recommend making a stop at Clos No Radio - the home of Fossil + Fawn and Maloof Wines. Newly open to the public with a tasting experience that includes food for purchase and wines by the glass, the people and wines are incredible. Located in the Coast Range foothills, on the western edge of the Willamette Valley, they are easy access to hop on the 26 and head to the coast, so a great stop before heading to Cannon Beach to sip, savor and stock up on delicious wines.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12-7 all summer long (2023).
WINE TO BUY WHILE DINING OUT: Walter Scott Chardonnay - Walter Scott is a winery of awesome people making killer wines. Some of my very favorite wines are from Ken and Erica at Walter Scott. They don’t have a tasting room or do appointments but do have a great club and if you see their wines on a restaurant list or in a shop, scoop them up - especially the chardonnays - they will blow your mind (and possibly change your mind from what you thought chardonnay is/was).
Whew….there we go. Honestly, I could write another few pages on Portland, Oregon, the wineries and experiences I would recommend, and the food but this is a good start for anyone who wants a really GREAT visit. As always, hit me up with any questions or suggestions. Always happy to have a conversation and help in any way I can.
Cheers to a lovely weekend, friends.