I’ll be there for a week-long conference next week, so I won’t have time to do the touristy thing. But I would like to see a few things and get a taste of town.
What’s a quintessential Portland restaurant in the downtown area?
Is the Pearl District interesting enough in the evenings?
I’ll be staying at the Crowne Plaza. Anyone have any cool walking routes (2-3 miles?) they’d like to share? I want to fit in an hour-long hike early in the morning and one in the afternoon every day that I’m there.
First, go online and get up-to-date restaurant and nightlife info from our local weeklies-The Willamette Week and The Portland Mercury. If you get a chance, hit the world famous Powell’s Books on 1005 W Burnside downtown. Make sure you get a snapshot of the infamous “Hung Far Low Chinese Restaurant” sign.
Just spent a couple of days there last week. Stayed at the Marriot. Walked to Powell’s, enjoyed about five hours of browsing and buying, took the free trolley back to the hotel.
Things to see, whether you want to or not- Starbucks. Saw a couple that were literally within a stones throw of each other.
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Besides the obvious Powell’s, the Leatherman factory (maker of cool pocket tools) is in an industrial area by the airport. You need to reserve a tour. It was very interesting, they have a factory store, but I don’t know how easy it is to get to on public transportation.
Take public transit and get yourself some Voodoo Doughnuts. Veritable Quandary is right downtown and has a really good Reuben and other sandwiches; also dinner. Also the Nel Centro restaurant in the Hotel Modera on 5th. Or just go pig out on the zillion food carts for very little money.
I actually started a brief thread about this, and got no replies. I’ll be at the Cinco de Mayo festival on Saturday the 5th for most of the day. I’ve never been, but it sounds like a blast. Wonderful food and great music – battle of the mariachi bands!
[hijack] PDX mini Dopefest, anyone?[/hijack]
And monstro, I will second Powells. Plan to spend several hours drooling.
Are you staying at the Crowne Plaza near the convention center? It’s in NE Portland. The area’s not too exciting, but since you’re willing to walk a few miles, I think your options are pretty good. Tasty N Sons is about a mile north or your hotel and serves a really good happy hour food menu (no drinks necessary). In the same neighborhood is Pix Patisserie, one of the best macaron places I’ve tried.
A little further north than Tasty N Sons is the Alberta district. Heading south from the convention center is Burnside, Belmont, and Hawthorne, all of which have pretty vibrant communities and really good restaurants. Although I like the Pearl, I actually like the east side neighborhoods a lot better. The vibe of the Pearl is much more commercial, which isn’t a bad thing, but I find the east side neighborhoods more charming.
For a true Portland experience, try some of the food carts if you stumble past them. They’re clustered in pods around the city. This is the definitive website on food carts in Portland.
I like Veritable Quandry as well. It’s at the west end of the Hawthorne bridge and has a terrific view. Food is good and a short skip away from the waterfront park.
Oh yes, and Powell’s too. There are also two Powell’s locations on Hawthorne.
Have dinner at McMenamins. They have numerous locations around town. I particularly liked taking people to their Kennedy School location. A bar and restaurant in a turn of the century elementary school in a regular neighborhood. Used to blow my guests minds.
If you want to blow your per diem one night, several blocks up the street from Powell’s is the Ringside steakhouse, which claims to be one of the best steakhouses in country. I’ve eaten there, and they could be right about that. To get there walk out on Burnside, look up the hill, you will see Jim Fisher Volvo (huge sign) the Ringside is across the street.
