<p>We will be in Portland for a wedding. What would you do with not quite a full day?
Where would you eat if you had just 1 dinner, 1 lunch and maybe a breakfast?</p>
<p>Voodoo Donuts for breakfast ;)</p>
<p><a href=“http://voodoodoughnut.com/doughnuts.php”>http://voodoodoughnut.com/doughnuts.php</a></p>
<p>Yuck. Not a fan of fried dough.
What part of Portland?
I like the food trucks.
I really wanted to go here, but didnt want to go by myself.
<a href=“http://blpdx.com”>http://blpdx.com</a>
( the people I was with, love their meat)</p>
<p>If you love books, go to Powell’s. </p>
<p>If you will be there for Saturday or Sunday, try to get to the Saturday Market, under the bridge. Lots of excellent hand made foods and crafts. </p>
<p>Ditto Powells. Walk the waterfront. Consider taking Max to the zoo. Visit the Rose Garden. </p>
<p>Visit Voodoo downtown, unless really everyone in your family hates donuts. </p>
<p>Breakfast: Mothers Bistro <a href=“http://www.mothersbistro.com”>http://www.mothersbistro.com</a> or Stepping Stone Cafe <a href=“http://www.steppingstonecafe.com”>http://www.steppingstonecafe.com</a> or Pine State Biscuits <a href=“http://www.pinestatebiscuits.com”>http://www.pinestatebiscuits.com</a></p>
<p>Lunch: Fire on the Mountain <a href=“http://www.portlandwings.com/index.php”>http://www.portlandwings.com/index.php</a> or Podnah’s Pit <a href=“http://podnahspit.com”>http://podnahspit.com</a></p>
<p>Dinner: Imperial <a href=“http://www.imperialpdx.com/#welcome”>http://www.imperialpdx.com/#welcome</a> or Pambiche <a href=“http://www.pambiche.com”>http://www.pambiche.com</a> or even Montage <a href=“http://www.montageportland.com”>http://www.montageportland.com</a></p>
<p>Portland is a foodie town. </p>
<p>Was there for a day in April. Loved Montage and Mother’s Bistro. The day I was there the special pancake was Almond Joy…coconut, almonds and chocolate chips in the batter. </p>
<p>Breakfast on Saturday or Sunday at Screen Door (E Burnside and NE 24th); lunch at Albertina Kerr’s (it’s a strange and old-fashioned place, started out life as an orphanage, now provides services to the emotionally-needy children, has a restaurant, thrift shop, and consignment shop, NE Flanders and 22nd, you need a reservation. Alternatively, go to Salt and Straw and have ice cream for lunch. </p>
<p>Dinner is tricky, what kind of food do you like? Regional/vegetarian/fish: The Farm Cafe. Imperial: carnivores and vegetable sides; Cajun: Acadia.</p>
<p>Saturday Market is too crazy for me, but there are smaller neighborhood fairs.
<a href=“http://www.wweek.com/portland/mobile/articles/articleView/id:22688”>http://www.wweek.com/portland/mobile/articles/articleView/id:22688</a>
We do like Pambiche though and the southern relatives loved the zoo, although zoo snob that. I am ( we live within a couple blocks of the Seattle zoo), I can’t say Ive ever found occasion to visit it.
But it is more manageable size & cheaper.
I like OMSI for an outing.</p>
<p>We did a day in Portland last summer. I second Powell’s Books, and International Rose Garden. PineState biscuits was a fun breakfast/lunch (featured on some of the Food Network diner shows). VooDoo is a “can’t miss” if you love donuts.</p>
<p>It is a family wedding and I am not involved with all the details. I have the invitation but have forgot where the wedding actually is. I know it is at 5 pm on Sat. I think we are staying at the Holiday Inn Express on Vaughan. Those arrangements were made by someone else. I am hoping we don’t get caught up with family early on Sat and not get to see any of Portland. I like roses so will try to see the garden. Also Powells.
I’m not sure I will interest anyone else in donuts but I would be up to try them.
As far as type of food. Someplace on the casual side that would give us a feel for Portland. We will have our car. The bisquits look yummy but definitely not Weightloss for Dummies compliant.</p>
<p>Yes, Powell’s Book…
YES, Salt and Straw Ice Cream …walk NW 23rd Street…pretty and bustling street of shops and restaurants
Of course, VooDoo Doughtnuts…downtown</p>
<p>Your hotel is northwest, so the main Powells will be closeby, and Id suggest either the Deschutes brewery ( if everyone is over 21) for lunch( lots of seafood & good salads. Also great gluten free options), or food carts. <a href=“Search - FoodCartsPortland.com”>http://www.foodcartsportland.com/maps/</a>
Food carts are very Portland, an advantage to them is that there may be 10-20 different food carts in a pod ( parking lot) so everyone can pick what they like, you get to sit outside & it is fairly fast.</p>
<p>Enjoy the no sales tax, especially if you will be in town during the Nordys anniversary sale. 
You may not need a car, + lots of confusing one way streets & the light rail makes it easy to get around.
( however, to go to the Japanese garden/zoo/rose garden, a car will be handy & since you will only be in town a short time, driving can be faster, depending on where you are going.)</p>
<p>Also, changeable weather. Don’t know where you are coming from, but even though Portland can be very warm( in the 90’s lately), it can also get cloudy and cool. But sunset is later than eastern parts of country.
At my daughters reception a few weeks ago, we were the only ones with a car, & that was cause we drove down from Seattle, although the reception was in Sellwood, which is a nice neighborhoid, but it is easier with a car.</p>
<p>There’s a funky breakfast place…Jam on Hawthorne and an even funkier Mexican restaurant Por que no? (sp?) that are both very good. Pok Pok is very famous and consistently rated a top restaurant.</p>
<p>What you should know about Voodoo donuts: There is a line. It is often a very very long line and a very long wait. If you have just one day to see Portland, you may not want to spend it waiting on a very long line. Last time I was in Portland, a friend took us to a Voodoo donut that’s not downtown – in the northeast section of Portland – and there was a minimal wait. It was fun and the donuts were good. </p>
<p>@mom60 looks like you are right near NW 23rd. You could walk that street and get a great feel for Portland…(and Salt and Straw Ice Cream…don’t miss this…) If you want something really casual and unusual there is a very small restaurant (window front) on NW 23rd…PBJ’s Grilled…with yep, all kinds of pb&j combo sandwiches…kinda fun!</p>
<p>If you’re on Vaughan at NW 23rd, have lunch at Meriwether’s, which is at Vaughan and NW 26th. <a href=“https://www.meriwethersnw.com/”>https://www.meriwethersnw.com/</a> It’s a lovely restaurant, excellent food, with one of the nicest outdoor spaces in the whole city. I have lunch there regularly with a foodie friend (they are both in the food business). </p>
<p>After lunch, walk down 23rd toward Burnside and you will pass Salt and Straw for ice cream. My favorite is their salted caramel ice cream. </p>
<p>Powell’s is at NW 10th and Burnside, which is about 1.5 miles from your hotel, but it’s not an unpleasant walk. I’d take a taxi back, since you’ll be carrying books. (Powell’s will ship your books home for you for a very reasonable fee.)</p>
<p>Yes, we enjoyed Meriwether’s. We had several meals there. They also have reduced priced happy hour appetizers and drinks, which was fun as well. Several streets of small shops near Meriwether’s. We stayed at the Silver Cloud Inn, across the street from Meriwether’s. The food from Meriwether’s is mostly locally sourced and specials change regularly.</p>
<p>We will have to try Salt and Straw. Never heard of the place. There are quite a few branches of Powell’s books throughout the Portland area–we chanced into one at a shopping center as well as the downtown one.</p>
<p>We spent a weekend in Portland for a wedding a few years back. We had a great breakfast at Mother’s Bistro and everyone enjoyed visiting the food trucks for lunch. It was a great city to wander around and easy to navigate. The college aged kids had fun going to VooDoo Donuts but none of the adults felt the need. We also ventured outside the city and visited Multnomah Falls and went wine tasting near Newberg.</p>
<p>We enjoyed our time in Portland. The only part we found troubling was seeing the number of homeless on the streets. It was quite a huge population and really saddened us. We had never had a panhandler ask us if we had a spare $100 before! </p>
<p>Yes, we enjoyed viewing the falls–see my sideways photo of it as my avatar. :)</p>