I don't have a travel mantra, but if I did it'd be "follow your stomach," and no, I'm not referring to gut instinct here. Indeed, it was largely Portland's title of "best foodie city in America," that convinced me to hop on a southbound train from Vancouver, Canada — a city with a diverse culinary scene of its own.
Portland, Oregon (aka "Rose City," aka "Bridge City") is a Pacific Northwestern gem known for its counterculture, eccentric hipsters, natural beauty and coffee shops, and in 2022, the city was recognized by personal finance website WalletHub as the number-one spot in the US for gourmands, closely followed by Orlando and Miami.
The report evaluated 182 American cities by 29 criteria — including high-quality restaurants, food festivals, craft breweries and wineries — and Portland topped the list for its "large number and diversity of restaurants, the large ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food establishments and the large number of food trucks per capita."
Well, the city lived up to my expectations; I've been eatin' good, and here are just a handful of my favourite eateries.
Rocket Breakfast Food Truck
Nothing could prepare me for the omnipresence of meals on wheels in Portland. Where in Canada food trucks are typically festival and farmer's market staples, they're at nearly every corner here: coffee, bao, BBQ, whatever you've got a hankering for, there's a truck for that.
On my first morning in Portland, I got two "French Toast Roll-Ups" from Rocket Breakfast at Rose City Food Park for $2.50 each — one sweet, one savoury — and that was enough to turn me into a food truck enthusiast.
Grits N' Gravy
Breakfast at Grits N' Gravy in Portland, Oregon.
Another thing you can find in droves here? Southern food. My partner and I visited Grits N' Gravy, a Black-owned diner in downtown Portland, to order its eponymous meal and we haven't stopped thinking about the generous portions of buttered grits, rich gravy, biscuits, eggs and chicken-fried steak since.
The old-school decor, friendly service and bottomless coffee were just the sprinkles on top.
Guilder Cafe
Scone and coffee at Guilder Cafe, Portland.
As a literary/movie/fantasy nerd, I felt an obligation to check out Guilder Cafe, a Princess Bride themed coffee shop with arched windows and signature vegan pastries. I ordered the Earl Grey apricot jam scone with drip coffee (black); a simple start to the day that felt vaguely enchanting.
Website
Pine State Biscuits
Sierra Riley at Pine State Biscuits.
I'll never act like I'm above eating at a supposedly "touristy" restaurant — after all, I am a tourist — and I'm glad I didn't write Pine State Biscuits off. I had a vegan biscuit with mushroom gravy, faux bacon and a veggie patty that was deceptively delicious — even meat eaters should consider ordering it.
My partner got a fried-chicken sandwich with apple butter — apple butter being the key ingredient here. I'll dream about that stuff for a long time, maybe even for the rest of my life.
Life of Pie Pizza
This place had me at "$7 Margherita pizza."
The happy-hour special may have been what drew me in, but the spaghetti at Life of Pie won me over completely. Just thinking of that homemade pasta and simple sauce right now has my mouth watering. I'm Italian, so you can trust me on this review.
An American Big Mac box.
A Canadian Big Mac.
A digital kiosk at McDonald's in Portland.
An American Big Mac.