Jan 7, 2011 | Food
What is it?
Casa Naranja serves Mediterranean tapas in the good ol’ Mississippi in Portland. For any one confused by tapas (like I was), these are just small plates of food… tasty, tasty food.
Where is it?
Address: 4205 North Mississippi Avenue, Portland, OR 97217
Phone: 503-459-4049
Hours: Tue-Thu: 4-11pm, Fri-Sat: 4pm-12am, Sun: 4-9pm, Mon: Closed
Website: www.casanaranjapdx.com
How is it?
Casa Naranja was one of those restaurants that I always meant to try, but whenever I walked by, I never got the courage to go inside. Maybe it was the fiery sign that I found intimidating, or maybe it was the single flight of stairs that I would have to walk up in order to go inside. Whatever it was, I have no idea what made me not want to venture in… tapas are tasty (and alliterative)!
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Dec 17, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant is a chain of brewery/restaurants … except it’s not a chain. How can this be? Each location has its own brewmaster and own special brews. In addition, they all share a menu with so much variety that it’ll make your mouth drop open (though that could also be from the beer).
Where is it?
Address: 206 Southwest Morrison Street, Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-796-2739
Hours: Mon-Sun Open at 11am
Website: www.rockbottom.com
How is it?
You can find Rock Bottom Brewery right in the heart of downtown Portland, conveniently located for those on foot, but it can be a giant pain to find parking. Trust me, it’s worth the frustration.
In the interest of full disclosure, I first heard of Rock Bottom directly from its brewmaster, Van Havig, who, sadly, does not have a handlebar mustache and drive a 1920s Mercedes-Benz as his name made me imagine. What Van lacks in German cliche, however, he more than makes up for in mad brewing skills, having won a gold medal for his Merry Prankster brew at the Great American Brewing Festival.
In addition to a wide selection of beer, Rock Bottom features some of the greatest food I’ve had in Portland, both in terms of taste and scope – their portion sizes are not messing around. Come hungry, and leave packed full.
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Dec 8, 2010 | Food
What is it?
The Hilt Bar, located on NE Alberta, perfectly demonstrates what makes Portland so great; the exterior nearly screams boring and dull while the reality held just inside is astounding. The Hilt is a jewel in the rough with a mind-blowing happy hour menu, a wide selection of tasty beer and a truly laid-back atmosphere.
Where is it?
Address: 1934 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97211
Phone: 971-255-1793
Hours: Daily, 4pm-2:30am
Website: www.thehiltbar.com
How is it?
Walking on Alberta St. will introduce you to Portland’s predominate, up-and-coming Northeast neighborhood (aptly named Alberta much in the same way the Mississippi neighborhood is named after its main street, too).
Restaurants and bars dot the street on both sides, and you’ll be bombarded with a variety of wonderful places to shop and eat. You might miss the almost nondescript exterior of The Hilt Bar, and even if you notice it, you’ll probably disregard it as a dive bar.
Doing so would be a huge mistake. Epic, even. Some Portlanders (myself included) feel compelled to describe almost everything as epic (though it really fits here, I promise).
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Dec 1, 2010 | People
You missed the Black Friday sales due to a drunken stupor from your grandmother’s rum cake (not sure what else it had in it, but it definitely had rum) and enough tryptophan to knock out a rampaging herd of drug-immune Reedies who have a developed immunity to sleeping toxins after years of on-campus abuse of all things narcotic; that’s a LOT of tryptophan. Now, you’ve woken up and realized that you forgot to buy a gift for your impossible-to-shop-for relative/friend/other-of-some-significance who also happens to live in Portland.
In Portland, the worst kind of “natives” are the ones who moved here from somewhere else (in Portland, you can be a native by simply claiming to be one). Nothing ensures full development of Epic Portland Snobbery like moving here, acting like you’re the first to discover the city, then proceeding to proclaim that it just isn’t the same since all these people started moving here from elsewhere. For some odd reason, there’s a direct correlation between this attitude and being absolutely impossible to shop for.
Have no fear. Stumped in Stumptown has put together a list of gifts with just enough pretension to entertain and amuse even the most snobbish of Portland natives. In addition, we made sure to include some for every budget to ensure you’ll be able to find something cool for that special Portland person you care about (even if you’d rather not).
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Nov 24, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Like the name implies, Mississippi Pizza serves pizza and is located on Mississippi Avenue. Sometimes, simplicity can be a good thing.
Where is it?
Address: 3552 North Mississippi Avenue, Portland, OR 97227
Phone: 503-288-3231
Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am-12am, Fri-Sat: 11am-1am
Website: www.mississippipizza.com
How is it?
Let’s say you want pizza and you’re walking in Portland’s up-and-coming Mississippi District. Plus, it’d be extra nice if you could get your food quick. Where do you go? Mississippi Pizza’s neon sign pierces the night to provide an electric beacon signifying safe haven to hungry passersby.
Not ostentatious, not pretentious – just pizza, beer and live music in a friendly environment with good people. I know what you’re thinking – what’s this place doing in Portland? It so doesn’t fit in.
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Nov 19, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Gravy offers a wide selection of breakfast fare and sandwiches. It also happens to be located within Portland’s up-and-coming Mississippi district (so-named because of the street with the biggest main drag – N. Mississippi Avenue) smack in the middle of NoPo.
Where is it?
Address: 3957 North Mississippi Avenue, Portland, OR 97227
Phone: 503-287-8800
Hours: Daily from 7:30am to 3:00pm
Website: None (at least none that we could find).
How is it?
You might think that a restaurant that focuses on breakfast food is nothing new and can’t possibly be that special. I wouldn’t blame you because this is exactly how I felt when I first heard of Gravy. Then, I tried to get in on a weekend.
First lesson: be prepared to wait. Lines out the door are the norm – even in torrential downpours – and you shouldn’t be surprised to have a wait time of upwards of two hours to seat your party of four. This was my first hint that Gravy might not be your average breakfast restaurant.
Second lesson: ignore any preconceptions you might have about personal space. Gravy has a limited amount of real estate to work with, and they try to fit in as many people as possible to attempt to reduce the wait time. Cuddling up to your neighbors’ tables will give you a good eye to what they’re ordering, though.
An astute observer will notice that the amount of space dedicated to the kitchen is more than half of the restaurant space. Yes, you read that right – Gravy prioritizes the kitchen over the seating area. I never truly thought about it before, but doesn’t that make perfect sense? I would later find out that a restaurant with a larger kitchen means larger portions.
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Nov 12, 2010 | Food
What is it?
The Rogue Distillery and Public House can best be described as the mothership for anyone who enjoys Rogue beer. Conveniently located on the corner of NW Flanders St and NW 14th Ave., Rogue serves a variety of food including pizza and excellent sandwiches. You shouldn’t be coming for that. You should come for the sheer bliss of 36 varieties of award-winning beer on tap.
Where is it?
Address: 1339 NW Flanders Street, Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503-222-5910
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11am-12am; Friday-Saturday 11am-1am
Website: www.rogue.com
How is it?
My first Rogue beer was the Hazelnut Brown Nectar, and I drank it over 2500 miles away on the east coast. Naming a beer as nectar might sound pretentious, but, despite the fact that Rogue has a significant presence in Portland, the name actually accurately describes the wonder of the beautiful, brown brew.
Granted, the very fact that I was able to get the beer all the way across the country sealed Rogue’s fate, making it oddly difficult to find residents who will admit they enjoy the beer. You see, if something a Portlander enjoys becomes popular anywhere else, s/he will no longer like it. In Portland, success is a sign of failure.
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Nov 5, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Serratto offers Mediterranean cuisine with a particular focus on Italian-inspired dishes with entrees ranging in price from the high teens to low 30s.
Where is it?
Address: 2112 NW Kearney St., Portland, OR 97210
Phone: 503-221-1195
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11am-4pm (Lunch), 4pm-6pm (Happy Hour), 4pm-10pm (Dinner – Mon-Thu), 4pm-11pm (Dinner – Fri/Sat), 4pm-9pm (Dinner – Sun)
Website: www.serratto.com
How is it?
Right off the bat, Serratto has its location going for it right there in the middle of NW 21st Avenue – there’s a lot of foot traffic wandering to and from the ritzy Portland equivalent of Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, 23rd Avenue. Parking can regularly be a problem in the Northwest quadrant, and seeing as how it’s such a beautiful area to walk in, I highly recommend heading a little off the beaten track to Pettygrove. Between 23rd and 21st, Pettygrove has a plethora of free street parking with no hour limits during the evening hours, and also gives the excuse of enjoying one of my favorite parts of Portland – its walkability.
Serratto offers a number of different seating options – from sitting at the bar to nice living-room style chairs surrounding intimate tables as well as more traditional table and chair combinations. Obviously, the soft lighting intends to relax – this is not your rush-in-grab-a-slice-of-pizza-rush-out place – you need to plan to spend a few hours here.
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Oct 29, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen lives up to everything you would dream a deli would be — a huge selection of fresh meats, sweet desserts, amazing sandwiches and a wonderful atmosphere.
Where is it?
Address: 1038 SW Stark St, Portland, OR 97205-2610
Phone: 503-221-1195
Hours: Monday-Thursday 7am-8pm; Friday 7am-9pm; Saturday 8am-9pm; Sunday 8am-8pm
Website: www.kennyandzukes.com
How is it?
I first heard of Kenny and Zuke’s Deli from a Serious Eats review of their pastrami cheese fries sent to me by a friend of mine who lives, quite literally, on the other side of the country. Being a huge fan of cheese, meat and french fries, I knew that I had to take a look at this restaurant that could only live in my dreams.
My first attempt was totally denied. I showed up to the deli on a Sunday evening around 7pm, and the place was empty. I sat down, ordered the pastrami cheese fries and a sandwich, and was dismayed when the waiter returned to my table and politely apologized explaining that they had experienced a huge rush that day and had run out of fries.
I took a final swig of my root beer (which was supposed to be a diet cola) and left. Lesson learned: be sure to call Kenny and Zuke’s in advance to make sure they’re not out of their signature dish.
My second trip (and subsequent third and fourth trips) fared much, much better.
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Oct 22, 2010 | City
One of the things that makes Portland unique is the fact that it’s split up by two rivers and fifteen billion bridges. The rivers divide Portland into an east side and a west side while Burnside Street divides into north and south – making five quadrants.
Wait. Five quadrants? How is that even possible seeing as how, by definition, a quadrant is one of four?
You’ll discover that what Portlanders lack in math skills (and, often times, common sense), they make up for in eclectic lifestyle preferences. The quadrants are simply named as followed: Northwest, Northeast, NoPo (Northern Portland), Southeast and Southwest.
I’ve had the unique experience of living in almost all of them (and more) within a 3-year time frame, and Northwest is my personal favorite. Now, in no way am I trying to disregard any of the others (except for maybe the overrated and highly odoriferous Southeast which is filled with slackers, hippies, and, worse, Reedies), Northwest just happens to be where I spent the most time when I first moved here.
Northwest is everything east of 25th Avenue, south and west of the Columbia river and north of Burnside St. It encompasses the prestigious, pretentious and snobbish NW 23rd Ave, the less exclusive 21st Ave, the Pearl District, Forest Park, Chinatown, Old Town, Powell’s Bookstore, Henry’s Bar, Ringside Steakhouse and numerous other restaurants and stores.
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