Portland Food Diary
I visited Portland for the first time earlier this year and it made me wonder why I've never been before. Portland is so close to the Bay that it's an easy trip to make for a long weekend.
When I went, I stayed half an hour away from downtown so I didn't get to try all the restaurants that I wanted to. But it's okay, I'll definitely be back!
Tasty n Sons - They serve brunch everyday so of course that's what I went for. I went on a weekday afternoon to avoid any lines they may have on the weekend. Everything on the menu sounded soo good that I had a hard time choosing. I ended up with the Shakshuka and Erin's Sweet Biscuits and both were delish.
Prasad - Vegan heaven! Everything on the menu is vegan and gluten-free so if you're trying to be healthy, this is definitely the place to be. Even my boyfriend who's a meat-eater enjoyed his dish. If there was a Prasad Cafe in the Bay, I'd be there everyday. They also have an extensive menu of drinks, fresh juices, and smoothies that all sound amazing (liquid diet, anyone??).
Grassa - Get ready for carb heaven, this place is pasta galore. Even though Grassa is a super casual, order at the counter type of restaurant, all of their pastas are handmade in the store. The prices are extremely reasonable with most dishes around $10-$13, which is probably why this place is so popular. They have communal tables that fill-up fast, so try to go on the early side or at an off-time. Their dishes are very rich so prepare yourself for a burst of flavor. I tried the Cacio E Pepe and my boyfriend had the Pork Belly Mac & Cheese and both were tasty, but a little too heavy for our liking. Also, that yellow lighting was really killing me.
Screen Door - Apparently people in Portland don't work because I came here on a Friday morning and had to wait 1.5 hours for a table...or this place is just a tourist trap. By the time we finished eating, half our day was gone! The portions are huge and could probably be made into 2 meals. They're known for their Chicken and Sweet Potato Waffles, which I'll admit were good (at least the waffles were because I don't eat chicken), but I wouldn't waste my time waiting again because there's so much else to see and do in Portland!
Salt & Straw - Everyone raves about this ice cream shop so you can't go to Portland and not try it. They have multiple locations throughout Portland and LA as well. Luckily, they'll be opening up 2 stores in SF in 2017! They have some very unique flavors as well as an ice cream flight that allows you to try multiple flavors.
Flavors I've tried: Strawberry Balsamic with Black Pepper, Sea Salt with Caramel, and Gingerbread Cookie Dough
Kachka - Ever try Russian food? Well here's your chance. I went for happy hour because $5 Moscow Mules so why not?? And they offer their popular dumplings as well. Although, I had the farmer's cheese dumplings and got a little tired of them halfway through the dish. My suggestion would be to share the dumplings and order other items off the regular dinner menu because I was eyeing the other tables and their food looked bomb.
