From LAX to PDX - My week in Portland

[SauceSupreme]

I had been waffling between going to Chicago or Portland for my fall vacation, and when the NYT article came out, I knew I had to go. Booked my flight on Sunday. I was sitting at Clyde Common on Monday.

I'll admit that I wasn't prepared for how good Portland was. I mean, I had heard -- I've had friends who have visited, I'd seen the No Reservations bit, I'd read the article, but I was just shocked at how much Portland still retained its small-town feel. It's one thing to have a lot of quality restaurants, it's quite another to do so while retaining a down-to-earth atmosphere.

Clyde Common was a great jumping off point for me because it was so close to my bar in LA, The Hungry Cat. The next day I decided to explore downtown a bit, stopping into Carafe for lunch and then dinner at Murata. My closing bar of the evening was Teardrop Lounge.

On Wednesday, I crossed the river. Pok Pok was my lunch destination, and after spending the afternoon staring at the human body at OMSI, I grabbed a seat at the bar at Le Pigeon. Afterwards, on the recommendation of a bartender at Clyde Common, I had a great time at Ron Tom's.

Thursday, I was all about the Pearl District. Wanting to stick around for First Thursday, I first had lunch at Hiroshi (based on a rec of the guy sitting next to me at Le Pigeon) and dinner at Park Kitchen. I meant to stop into Gilt there on Broadway, but I figured that an evening of culture would be better than an evening of debauchery. I'm now realizing that I could have had both.

Friday I turned my attention to Nob Hill, but not without first ducking into the surprising Silk/Pho Van. I will say this, if the Pho Van group decided to open a restaurant on the west side of Los Angeles, they will make a lot of money. A lot. To this point, every spot just screamed a Portland aesthetic, but Silk struck me as very Los Angeles. I spent the afternoon at a great coffee house before having a very questionable so-so dinner at 23 Hoyt. I decided to head back to Teardrop afterwards just so I can wash the taste away with some of their home-made tehache.

Saturday, I stayed in, scared and confused by all the water falling from the sky. After perusing ExtraMSG's site, I found out that the menu at Sel Gris contained sweetbreads, and so I made haste to go.

Sunday, I woke up late enough to miss the marathon, but after spending the afternoon at the Portland Art Museum, I first dropped into Blitz next to Powells for some sports bar action, but ultimately decided to go back to Clyde Common which had become a nice standby during my short stay.

Monday, before my plane left, I decided to have one last lunch at Silk, exploring different parts of the menu. Yup, still convinced it would *kill* in LA.

All told, yes I am suffering a bit of high-end fatigue, but I'm glad that I got to experience Le Pigeon and Sel Gris, two very very good restaurants. And while Clyde Common isn't aiming quite as high, their beef tongue hash was one of the top two plates I had all week (number one has to go to the sweetbreads at Sel Gris). Disappointments included the sushi at Murata and the dinner at 23 Hoyt, while surprises include the fact that there are great bars *everywhere* in Portland. Even a place like Pok Pok, with its fantastic Issan-style Thai menu, featured an awesome selection of whiskey. I guess I always knew that Portland would have its share of chefs, but I was blown away by all of the quality mixologists. Who says it's a wine and microbrew town?

[bbqboy]

Drinking & Rain are a match made in Heaven.

[MichaelG]

Everyone's always asking "where should I go?" "Tell me the perfect place for this or that" but few take the time to let us know how the recommendations actually fared. Thanks so much!

[teach]

Thanks for the rundown. I'll be visiting Portland from LA in a few weeks and am trying to decide on one high end restaurant. Between Sel Gris and Le Pigoen (my original choice), which did you like best?

[SauceSupreme]

That's really a hard choice. Creme-brulee torch to my head, I'd probably chose Le Pigeon based on the fact that it's an experience you can't really get in Los Angeles (that act of hovering right over the chef). Osteria Mozza in LA approximates that with Nancy's station, but Le Pigeon isn't a station -- it's the whole damn kitchen. But both were really good, and you can read my Sel Gris writeup here:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/448433

Thinking about it a little more, Sel Gris probably has the better menu, but I'm picking Le Pigeon based on the "fun" factor.

[Leonardo]

Thanks for the report. It is a rare & welcome re-enforcement for all the help we give visitors. Yes it's true, we have retained the small-town feel!
Yes we've finally expanded beyond the wine & beer world.
You didn't comment on your Hiroshi experience. I've had stellar meals there.
So Clyde=Hungry Cat. OK. We've played the equivalents game with SF visitors, so that is a helpful note.
Teach: I'd go with Le Pigeon yet I haven't been to Sel Gris.

[teach]

Thanks for the replies.

[SauceSupreme]

We're a very chatty bunch over on the LA board, and I think restaurant reports are just as vital as restaurant suggestions.

I forgot to mention that I thoroughly enjoyed Stumptown Roasters. I went to both the Skidmore location and the on Stark (and was even pleasantly surprised to see that the Stark location had a Clover machine, something that has been quite balleyhooed in LA).

By the way, I love the "Trendy-3rd" nickname, even if for me it seemed a bit misplaced. 23rd certainly has many boutique stores along there that I would never shop in, but I was a big fan of the vibe of that district with all the Victorian. Certainly a different pace, and I'll freely admit that I scanned some craigslist apartment listings after spending the afternoon in Nob Hill.

I also wished I had time to check out all those food carts there downtown. We've got our taco trucks here in LA, but I'd never seen a whole convoy of them parked.

[JillO]

"I also wished I had time to check out all those food carts there downtown. We've got our taco trucks here in LA, but I'd never seen a whole convoy of them parked."

Yep, we call 'em "pods." The variety is astounding, eh?

Thanks so much for reporting back. You know you've only scratched the surface here, right? ;o) Ya'll come back now, y'hear?!

[JayBe]

Thanks for the report. I believe we dined with your parents at Clyde Common a few months ago. We were out with our two girls, your folks were enjoying their meal after canceling a trip to the coast, too rainy for SoCal tastes. They like Le Pigeon too.

[tewald]

My husband and I are headed to Portland from NYC for the weekend. We are planning to try Pok Pok and Le Pigeon...among other spots we hope to stumble upon. This post has been very inspiring. Could you tell me what the dress code is like at these restaurants?

[duckduck]

Ummm...it's Portland. No dress codes. Wear what you want. We do. lol

[Leonardo]

Ditto unfortunately, IMHO.
The only dress code you might encounter is "shirt/shoes required"!

[Nettie]

I think there might be a minimum of three tattoos required, but only one of them has to be showing.

In a more helpful vein, there is a picture of Le P here which shows typical clientele: http://www.portlandmercury.com/portla...
It's a small picture, but I don't see no suits and ties.

[SauceSupreme]

I "felt" underdressed at Sel Gris, but I was certainly welcome and under no obligation to adhere to any dress code, real or imagined.

Oh yeah, and I finally uploaded pictures.
http://taste-buzz.com/taste-buzz-road...

[tewald]

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like casual and warm clothes will be in order this weekend!

[Leonardo]

Bring your most formal fleece!

[SauceSupreme]

Yup, and your "going out" beanie.

[allegro805]

Your post was extremely helpful for my very, very brief weekend in Portland. Just updated with a report on my great dining experience as well (link below). Viva Portland!
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/451049