what should we do on our trip to portland?
Folks, it’s my anniversary this week, so to celebrate, my husband and I are packing up the mastiffs and heading to Portland, Oregon for a couple days. We’ll be staying at the Ace Hotel, a cool chain of boutiques that accepts animals (I’ll write about that next week) but other than that, Portland is a clean slate for me. Any suggestions on places we should go, stores we should visit, or food we should try while we’re there? Dog-friendly ideas are encouraged, too, of course! –Mary T.
Powell’s, Powell’s, and more Powell’s! That place is amazing.
Oh, and the Japanese Garden is a must-see.
You’ll have a great time. The weather there is crazy. We were there at the end of March last year, and it snowed in downtown Portland.
Have fun!
-Wander around Powell’s for a few hours (right around the corner!)
-Anniversary dinner at Clyde Common or Park Kitchen
-visit the Japanese garden/forest park on a clear day when the mountains are out
-Got a car? Drive the Hood River fruit loop– the strawberries might be almost ready…
-PSU farmers’ market on Saturday morning (unfortunately without the dogs this year) for picnic goodies
-rent bikes and ride a loop along the river and over bridges
Have fun! The weather has been amazing for the past few days!
Powell’s is a must as is the farmers market. Last time I went, I actually did a walking ghost tour of the city which besides being spooky was actually quite informative.
And my favorite meal in all of Portland is at Mother’s Bistro & Bar. They have the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever tasted.
I third the Powell’s suggestion and second the Japanese garden one. And I love the 23rd st. neighborhood for walking around and browsing and have gotten many a good meal there just walking in somewhere random. And if you are up there after dinner, Papa Haydn makes a great dessert!
We went to Portland and Seattle for our anniversary last year. It was an amazing trip! You’re going to have so much fun.
–The Ace is fantastic. Just hanging out in the lobby and drinking Stumptown is awesome.
–Definitely eat at Clyde Common. I also loved Le Pigeon, Kenny & Zuke’s Jewish Deli (near the Ace), Ken’s Artisanal Pizza.
–The Japanese and rose gardens are a must-see
–I also loved the Columbia River Gorge. We hiked around and saw a bunch of waterfalls near there. You need a car to get there, but it’s only about 30-45 minutes from downtown.
-ditto on Clyde Common and Le Pigeon (recommend reservations for both)
Would add the following restaurants:
Nostrana
Simpatica
Park Kitchen
Broder for Swedish breakfast (cute neighborhood too)
Byways Cafe-diner type place for breakfast
Mother’s for breakfast (they serve Stumptown coffee in a press pot at your table)
Genie’s Cafe for breakfast
Take the tram at OHSU for a great view of the city.
Ditto on the Columbia River Gorge. Go to Multnomah Falls …yeah, it’s touristy, but the drive on the historic highway is lovely.
For lovely design objects, visit Canoe.
Get hot cocoa at Cacao.
And of course go to Powell’s.
Have a great trip.
Powell’s is a must. I’d also recommend Ten-01 for a fancy dinner.
Dog-oriented suggestions:
If you’re a beer fan, take the pups to the Lucky Lab on Hawthorne: http://www.luckylab.com/html/directions.html
Pack some trail shoes and head out to Forest Park (especially the Wildwood trail): http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=127&action=ViewPark Technically, not an off-leash area, but if the pups are well-behaved, let ‘em go to town.
Check out some of the official off-leash areas: http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?ShowResults=yes&AmenityTypeID=14
Hope you enjoy our fair city!
Little Red Bike Cafe in North Portland for breakfast, Chef Naoko Bento Cafe on SW Jefferson/13th for lunches, Flavour Spot for stuffed waffles, Beast on NE Killingsworth/30th for Anniversary dinner (make a reservation for sure), Powell’s, N Mississippi neighborhood for shopping and coffee, Kennedy School for beers and a movie….
Powells is amazing, but they don’t allow pets inside. It’s still a must see if you can.
I’ll be looking forward to the post about Ace Hotel since we’re always looking for great places to stay when we visit my family down there.
yep, powells and the japanese garden definitely – the garden will be stunning right now! clyde commons is great, mother’s is sooooo divine (also a great brunch, if you can get a reservation) – and i also love a restaurant on the other side of the bridge called clark lewis – great “pacific northwest” fare. and lisa is totally right about ken’s pizza…holy smokes, it’s good. if you get a sweet tooth, saint cupcake is wonderful, and there’s nothing quite like getting the full late-night experience at voodoo donuts – it’s very, very portland (all easily google-able).
as for shopping, don’t miss a home store called canoe – the owners are fabulous at merchandising and display, it’s just a gorgeous place to see. it’s just up the street from the ace, they’ll certainly be able to point you there. and while you’re wandering, check out my favorite clothing store: covet (in the same neighborhood).
and, just wander around the pearl district – it’s full of shops, art galleries, and fabulous people-watching. have a WONDERFUL time!!!
As a former resident, I must insist you at least consider eating at the following restaurants.
Dalo’s Kitchen 4134 N Vancouver Ave just south of Skidmore.
Dalo’s kitchen is an Ethiopian restaurant run by a family and housed in an industrial warehouse remarkable only in that is has a giant pink stripe on the outside. It looks like NOTHING, let alone an amazing restaurant.
I recommend the small vegetarian platter regardless of your meat-eatatude. $5 filling and delicious meal for two? you just can’t beat it. Ignore the flouro lighting, the food is worth the painful decor. Located in North Portland, four or five blocks off the Mississippi Ave strip. Head back down Skidmore toward Mississippi for coffee at fresh cup and shopping along the strip.
If you’re not renting a car, you can take the MAX yellow train to Prescott street and hoof it a couple blocks.
Also totally required is a trip to Nicholas 318 SE Grand Ave just south of Burnside on the east side. It would be a short walk across the burnside bridge from the Ace. A near-legendary Lebanese/Mediterranean cafe, it’s tiny, and constantly packed for a reason. Expect to wait 20+ minutes for a table, I deeply recommend the mezza platter split between two people but you really can’t go wrong here menu-wise.
If it’s sunny, they often have outdoor seating and dogs are welcome to chill.
Powell’s books is a given. it rules.
Really good stuff is a junk shop from HEAVEN located at 1322 SE Hawthorne. Be warned, it’s pretty much a cross between the best thrift and antique stores you’ve ever been in, and it’s packed floor to ceiling with junk to look at.
oh, also food-wise, SW 5th and Oak in the shadow of big-pink is home to many lunch-only food carts. I had a person soft spot for the loco loco’s mexican cart near the corner, but there are many other seriously delicious street food options along that row if you get there early enough in the day.
have fun, fingers crossed it doesn’t rain!
Ooh, right! The food carts! You must find them. So delicious and super-cheap.
You must stop by Kenny and Zukes Deli for a pastrami sandwich, if that’s your thing. Best pastrami I’ve had in years! They just opened a new sandwich shop you might want to ask about as it sounded great in the email announcement I received.
My favorites: Spend an afternoon wandering up and down Hawthorne Blvd. in SE Portland, Alberta St. in NE, and Mississippi Ave in N. Portland. Shops, cafes, and galleries galore!
You MUST go to Cupcake Jones in the Pearl. Their cupcakes are super delicious and they even make dog cupcakes. The Pearl is a great dog neighborhood in general. There are a lot of really great pet store and there’s Jamison Square Park. It’s just a few blocks north of Powell’s.
There’s also a really great arcade called Ground Kontrol, if you’re into that sort of thing.
There are plenty of food suggestions so I’ll just second Nicholas’s cause it’s great and Mother’s is one of my favorite places to go for breakfast. There’s also the Cup and Saucer on SE Hawthorne or Pine State Biscuits on SE Belmont.
The Waffle Window at Bread and Ink (on SE Hawthorne)
Pix Passtiserie (SE Division or N Williams)
Dining advice galore: portlandfood.org
Portland Dog parks
Apizza Scholls best pizza in town hands down! expect a wait or get there before opening
Good shop and stroll areas: NE Alberta, N Mississippi, The Pearl, SE Hawthorne, NW 23rd
Eat a maple-bacon bar at Voodoo Donuts for me!
Lots more PDX tips/travelogue posts here: http://morewaystowastetime.blogspot.com/search/label/Portland
Have fun!
Why didn’t you ask this question two weeks ago? Then I could have benefited from all this advice…
My favorite Portland places:
* Muddy’s Coffeehouse (3560 N Mississippi Ave) – the breakfast is amazing! I know a lot of people don’t get oatmeal when they’re in a restaurant but it was THE BEST breakfast I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Plus it’s very charming, which cannot be underestimated.
* Powells is unbelievable – I’d recommend ending your day there so you don’t need to lug all your purchases around all day!
* Walking around The Pearl, Hawthorne, and Mississippi/Alberta neighborhoods are good for hidden gems and superlative people-watching.
* I actually really love visiting the Pittock Mansion (3229 NW Pittock Drive) – it’s really beautiful, inside and out. My mom and sisters and I used to imagine living there, eating breakfast out on the veranda, etc. The gardens are beautiful too!
Have fun!
make sure to take in all the fun stuff Ace has to offer!! i just stayed at the Ace in Palm Springs and they had community outdoor fireplaces and retro beach cruiser bikes that they rent out for free to guests! So rent a bike to get around to the awesome places that everyone suggests. :)
Yes, Powell’s, any of the Pix, Voodoo Donut (I like the glazed w froot loops), Ground Kontrol (even if you aren’t a video game person, upstairs is pinball!), if you have to choose a garden, I’d pick Japanese over the Roses (the Japanese is stunning landscaping, the roses are beautiful themselves but pretty much just in rows) BUT if you want to go on a mad garden-viewing spree, I also recommend the less known Rhododendron garden on the SE side.
There is a store on Hawthorne, Magazine & Periodical Paradise (I think?)… FILLED with old magazines (sorted pretty well) of all kinds. Incredible reference material. Office on NE Alberta is keen.
Lucky Lab Brewery is sooooooo Portland–dog & beer focused. Besides, Hawthorne Blvd (which has the better Lucky Lab location) is one of the key East side musts
There’s a great state park in West Linn just south of Portland called Mary Young. Has a wonderful hugh off leash area plus miles of trails that include along the river for dog swimming
As a former resident of portland I highly recommend a stroll down Hawthorne and Belmont. Tons of great little eateries, vintage stores, bookstores, street musicians etc. Have a cup of coffee at Rimsky Korsakoffees (if it’s still there). Some of the tables move up and down. I also recommend going to the Columbia River Gorge. The Oregon side is beautiful heading up to Hood River. Stop at Multnomah falls or Horse tail falls. There’s a great trail from Horsetail up to Pony tail falls. Cross over the Bridge of the Gods to Washington and take a hike up Beacon Rock. The view from the top is amazing. Stop in the general store and eat at the “restaurant” there. I seriously urge you to try the “Whatchamacallit” It’s good. have a good trip.
I think the lucky lab is a great place to relax with some good beer and some dog socializing. I like the one on SE Hawthorne. You really can’t go wrong with any food in Portland. A lot of the restaurants mentioned here are pretty busy and kind of pricey. I tend to go the other way. I don’t mind paying, but I hate the whole trendy restaurant/crowd thing.
I really like Jade, a teahouse with amazing Vietnamese food in Sellwood and Skavones on Division (also has outdoor seating for the dog) and Pad Thai Kitchen on Belmont has the best Thai ever. (But, these are all SE and you will be in the NW)
Also, I highly recommend the Classical Chinese Garden. It is the only one like it in the US I believe and there is a teahouse inside where you can get some good treats. Really beautiful and unique.
Have fun!
Pok Pok Whiskey Soda Lounge
http://www.pokpokpdx.com/
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Thanks! We live in Tacoma and are going to Portland in a couple of weeks. I always hit Powells and the Pearl and the Chinese Garden but a lot of these other suggestions look fabulous! I can’t wait!
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