2.10.20

Portlandia

Sean and I got the opportunity to travel to Portland, Oregon for the first time last month. We did a lot of exploring, eating, and celebrating (we were there for a wedding). We stayed downtown, and it wouldn’t be my first choice if we were ever to go back. All of our wedding festivities were downtown, so it madde sense for us but I think there are much better options. My first recommendation would be to get an Airbnb instead. Downtown has a pretty high homeless population which led me to feel unsafe at times. With that being said, there were some really great parts of downtown, and I will talk through those! Below is my Portland bucket list.

  1. Powell’s Bookstore

    1. This is the largest independent book store in the country — they have books of all genres, and it is an experience just to go and walk around

  2. Eem

    1. This is an asian twist on BBQ — they have phenominal drinks (we receommend their frozen drinks which are called Jesus & Tequila and Drugs), and you have to order the white curry with burnt ends. It is phenomenal and so unique. They don’t take reservations and the line typically curves around the block, so arriving around 5 or 5:30 is key if you don’t want to wait

  3. Ox Restaurant

    1. Ox is an Argentenian steakhouse. Our favorites here were the dungeness crab bruschetta for a starter, any 0f their red meat, and bruseel sprouts and maple-glazed heirloom carrots on the side.

  4. The wineries within The Willamette Valley

    1. We visited Stoller, Domaine Serene, and Soter — Soter was definitely our favorite (opt for the tasting + lunch — they pair wines with food that was locally grown on their property. If you don’t have time for lunch, request a tasting in one of the children’s cabins. It is breathtaking!) Stoller was very educational and the wine was amazing. They will give you a tour of the facility and explain how everything is made. Domain Serene was great wine, but the atmosphere is a little more corporate and less mom and pop. Not necessarily a bad thing, just different than the others. We enjoyed visiting all three while we were there.

  5. Harlow

    1. Harlow is a phenomenal spot if you have a dairy and/or gluten allergy. Everything in the restaurant is free of both!! Our entrees included biscuits and gravy, smoothies, juices, oat panckaes, etc. So delicious!