We’ve been in Portland for a little over 2 months now, and sometimes it feels like we never left. We keep having to remind ourselves that it’s been 2.5 years since we were here last – like the time I tried to take Heidi to a wine bar only to find out once we got there that it’s now a coffee shop. We’ve been thoroughly enjoying revisiting some of our favorite haunts and trying new places as well.
Coffee
When we were here in 2016, we were just starting to get into coffee. Now, we’re bona fide coffee snobs. It’s been fun trying out new roasters to find ones that we love.
Kiosko – this has been the favorite so far. It’s a tiny shop down by the river that you’d miss if you weren’t paying attention. We randomly found it while staying in a hotel the first week we were in town, but we’ve been back multiple times since. The beans are roasted perfectly – not too burnt – and they make an excellent pour over in house. They source all of their beans from Mexico and rotate their selections throughout the year.
Case Study Coffee Roasters – Case Study is a coffee shop right in the heart of downtown. We tried two pour over coffees here: the Costa Rica Las Lajas (notes of honeysuckle, peach jam, vanilla) and the Ethiopia Sidama (notes of raspberry, nectarine, and lemonade). Both coffees were light and flavorful. The Ethiopan had a nice acidity while the Costa Rica had a deeper, creamy mouthfeel coming from the Honey Process.
Good Coffee – Good Coffee has a couple of shops around the city. The location we went to focuses primarily on espresso and espresso-based drinks. We didn’t have a cup there, but we did pick up a bag of beans to brew at home. We tried an Ethiopian roast that was light and complex with a light acidity on the front end and a rich finish.
Food
Por Que No – an old favorite that stands the test of time. The tacos are fresh and stuffed to the gills with meats, veggies, and other toppings, and the margaritas are a perfect mix of booze and tart. There’s usually a line, but it moves fast and once you get inside you can order your pint of margarita.
Food Trucks – we love all of the food trucks in this city. It’s so nice to be able to walk down the block when you don’t know what to have for dinner and get something cheap and delicious. Our favorite block is at 10th and Alder, though it will soon be closing to make way for a high rise. We also enjoyed Cartopia on the East side, which is set up more like a food court with plenty of seating and places to grab a beer.
Raven and Rose – even though this was right down the block from our 2016 apartment, we only just now made a visit. The restaurant looks like an English pub on the outside and is broken up into two distinct spaces inside: the downstairs is a full-service dining room while the upstairs bar is a more casual lounge-style atmosphere. The house cocktails are unique and mixed well (they even had fresh eggnog for the holidays!) and the food is rich and delicious.
The Daily Feast – this is a casual diner serving up breakfast and lunch. It’s a small space and can get crowded fast, but they turn tables quickly. They have a nice selection of healthy and hearty breakfast dishes and churn out some decent lattes. We’re fans of the lox bagels and omelettes, but everything on the menu sounds tasty.
Quickfish – poke joint focused on sustainability. We’ll go here when we’re craving something fresh and a little healthy. We love the different bowl options but also like crafting our own bowls. You don’t get as much fish as other places, but they don’t sacrifice on flavor or quality.
Drinks
Deadshot – we stumbled on this bar on our way to a brewery and it was the happiest accident. The drinks caught our eye with their unusual ingredients (mustard, fish sauce, and kimchi, to name a few), and they were executed impeccably. The bar is casual with comfortable couch-like seating and is the perfect location to meet up with friends for a drink.
Shift Drinks – Shift Drinks is downtown and, as the name implies, started as a way to unwind after a day of work. They have an all-day happy hour – since not everyone works the traditional 9-5 – that has plenty of food and drink specials. The drinks are crafted well and the food is tasty. We’ve gone a couple of times and can’t help but getting the bread and olive oil plate to eat alongside our cocktails.
mattandbethtravels 