Portland the first time around was so enamoring, that we decided to take back our dearest and share with them this awesome city. Unfortunately, that makes the creation of a sequel to the original city guide quite difficult, because no one wants to hear a long list of repeats. Although we did share with them our most favorite pit stops, we were also able to squeeze in a few fresh experiences, some of which surprisingly topped a few of our faves from our last visit. Overall, I enjoyed this trip much more than the previous, due to the cheerful company and the extensive amount of disconnecting from things that do not matter, and reconnecting with non-things that matter most.
♦◊◊◊
Not worth the time.
♦♦◊◊
Good, but ordinary.
♦♦♦◊
Great. Worth a visit.
♦♦♦♦
Exceptional. A must-do experience.
$
Frugal friendly
$$
Reasonable
$$$
Pricey
Afuri
♦♦♦♦
923 SE 7TH AVE
PORTLAND, OR 97214
$$
In my opinion, Afuri was the best place we ate at on this trip, and that’s after revisiting places like Pokpok and Lardo. We had finished a day of hiking and were eager to retire. Ramen sounded like a good, quick way to stock up on carbs and fat. What we found when we walked into the restaurant in our dusty hiking gear was an industrial space that made this the most hip ramen joint I have ever been in. The decor should have been an indication of the ramen as well, but I have only tasted ramen within the limited confines of what California was serving and thus was not expecting the twist of the ramen I was about to consume. The menu seemed unassuming, with only four variations of hot ramen, and four variations of cold ramen. Half of the table got the Yuzu Shio, and the other half ordered the Tonkotsu Tantanmen. I preferred the Yuzu Shio, with it’s lemongrass-like taste due to the citrusy yuzu. It was extremely unique, unlike any ramen I have tasted before. And the noodles, too, tasted like freshly milled wheat spaghetti pasta, which ended up having the perfect texture to pair with the light, limey broth. Delicious! The boys liked the Tonkotsu Tantanmen, which included garlic ginger pork crumbles in a spicy sesame miso tare and pork broth. It seemed a bit too fatty to me, but hearing them slurp assured me that they did not agree. This was definitely my favorite meal of the trip.
Never Coffee
♦♦♦♦
4243 SE BELMONT STREET
PORTLAND, OREGON
$
Last time we were in Portland, Mike and I couldn’t help but rave about Jory Coffee Co. This time around, Never Coffee took the prize. Whereas Jory was all about the purity of the coffee extracted from an optimized and calibrated pour, Never coffee is the farthest thing from pure coffee. They pride themselves in creating the magical spaces that only exist when opposites collide. It was like drinking unicorn dust out of a KeepCup. Every drink was espresso based, but there are five signature concoctions that require one’s exploration. I ordered the Hug, which tasted of spicy cacao, smoked chilies, and cinnamon. “It’s warm and holds you close. It makes you drop your guard. At the moment of bliss, it wakes you up with a bite, a kick, and enough fight to keep you coming back for more.” It’s got me saying “Amen”. Meanwhile, Mike was sipping on The Holy Grail, with tumeric, ginger and orange blossom water tastes topped with local cherry wood smoked honey, jacobson sea salt, and tellicherry pepper. Drinking Never coffee in the early morning inspires even the dullest to become poetic. It’s like creative juices, being shared via a latte mug. It’s got us re-thinking life. Next time, I will be back to taste the Midnight Oil – fennel seed, star anise, and black licorice awaits.
Cascade Brewery
♦♦♦
939 SE BELMONT STREET
PORTLAND, OREGON
$
After a second day of hiking and epic ping pong battles, the family wanted to unwind at Cascade Brewery prior to dropping off my sister at the airport. In the two times that we have been to Portland, this is still the only brewery we have visited. We chose this place because of their selection of sour beers. I can guarantee you, they brought the sour. My favorites were the Honey Ginger Lime (Nitro) and the Vintage Cherry Bourbonic. Frankly though, a few of the sours were just way too sour to enjoy. Thank goodness tasters are only 2 oz portions, so there were no regrets.
Fifty Licks
♦♦♦
2021 SE CLINTON ST #101
PORTLAND, OR 97202
$
How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? I’m not quite sure, but I am certain it took only a few to devour Fifty Licks ice cream. After trying Salt & Straw, the fam wanted to get ice cream again but was interested in trying something different. Well, Fifty Licks specializes in different, and in a good way! I would say that Salt and Straw serves trendy ice cream flavors that are based off of more traditional ones and which evoke a sense of familiarity. Fifty licks, on the other hand, is entirely new. I sampled a good number of their flavors, all of which had me wanting more, and none of which reminded me of ice cream. The ones that piqued my interest the most were Thai Rice and French Toast. It literally had pieces of toast in the ice cream! Off course, I went with Hood Strawberry, which seems the most basic flavor upon reading, but there was something about it that was not Strawberry-ice-cream-esque at all. Unfortunately, if I had to choose between Salt & Straw and Fifty Licks, I would still choose Salt & Straw.
Screen Door
♦♦♦
2337 E BURNSIDE ST
PORTLAND, OR 97214
$$
Mike and I had many people recommend Screen Door. My sister, who also went on this trip with us, chose this breakfast joint as the number one place she wanted to eat at, so we decided to give it at try. Originally, Mike and I were hesitant, because the food looks very heavy, and we usually prefer fresh farm to table type stuff for our food (like Milk Glass Mrkt from our previous trip). The verdict: The food was ridiculously amazing, but veryyyy heavy. We thought it was delicious, but our bodies felt slow afterwards, a feeling that we do not like. Hence the three star rating. The pecan candied waffle and bacon though was soo good, but I made the mistake of eating ALL the whipped cream that went with it. If we were to return to Oregon and someone in the group wanted to visit this place, we would happily go, but Mike and I would not choose to return here if it was just the two of us. Consider it a preference for the type of food, rather than the food itself. If you love to eat and get full, then this may be the place for you!
Por Que No?
♦♦
3524 N MISSISSIPPI AVE
PORTLAND, OR 97227
$$
On the way to the airport, we decided to swing by this joint for some chips and tacos. I wanted to rate them higher, but coming from SoCal where there are taco joints aplenty, unfortunately, this only rates as mediocre. We did luck out at arriving right when happy hour started, which lasts from 3pm to Close on Tuesdays. And the one thing that they do have that I appreciate are five different house sauces to pour generously over your tacos and the like. But other than that, the tacos were pretty standard.
Saddle Mountain Trail
♦♦♦♦
$
This tops the charts when it comes to day hikes that we have done in Portland, OR. I would consider this a moderate trail, since my parents were able to do the majority of it. The last leg which was about 0.5 miles of steep climbing would be considered difficult. But the views are so worth it. This is an alpine trail that opens up to many views of the valley floor below. When you get close to the end, there is this amazing span of mountain ridges to walk out on to get different vantage points. This may even be top 3 day hikes that we have been on, and trust me, we have been on plenty. Round trip, it took about 4.5 hours with plenty of breaks for the parents and while climbing at a slow pace. Walking sticks would definitely help older hikers, because of steep and gravelly hillsides. Also, they’ve placed wiring on the slopes to help with the footing, so I would recommend wearing hiking shoes, to prevent wires from snagging through your city sneakers. A must-do hike when you are in Portland! It IS an hour and a half drive away, but VERY worth it.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my newsletter to receive all things travel! Notifications of newly published travel guides, itineraries and tips will be delivered directly to your inbox.
