We arrived in Iceland last night and it reminds me of the Pacific Northwest in many ways – the stunning greenery, the grayish-blue of the water, and the abundance of Gortex jackets and coffee shops. It takes me back to a spring weekend I spent in Portland to attend (and serve as bridesmaid) at one of my best friend’s weddings. Â Though I lived in Seattle for four years, I never ventured to the other metropolis of the Pacific Northwest. Â The city is charming, full of great food, and is extremely pedestrian friendly. Â Here are my picks for Portland:
Stay: The Hotel deLuxe. Â Gracie’s, the hotel’s restaurant, boasts Portland’s best weekend brunch and the hotel’s cocktails are delicious – I favored the Elizabeth Taylor at this Old Hollywood-themed, boutique hotel. Â The service was impeccable and the rooms were beautiful (with one of the best beds I’ve ever slept in). Â It’s a must-stay.
See: Though I was unable to hit this up, one of my hotel roommates went to the Saturday Market and came back with some real finds. Â I also recommend taking advantage of the lack of sales tax and shop until you drop in this city (iPads, anyone?). Â My first stop would be indulging my bookaholic self and go to Powell’s for vintage finds of my favorite reads. Â I’d end the shopping spree with a tour of one of Portland’s many breweries – I firmly believe that the Northwest is home to the best beer in the United States.
Play: My newly New York self forgot about the casual vibe of the NW, and donned a dress and heels to celebrate our bachelorette. Â I quickly realized that my striped tee and leggings I wore on my flight would have more than sufficed. Â Decked to the nines, we enjoyed karaoke (and very cheap drinks) at the Boiler Room. Â Sadly, this concluded my tour of the Portland nightlife, but the city is filled with tons of great little bars that I’m dying to check out on my next visit.
Taste: The food. Â Oooooh, the food. Â While I was stuck eating soup and a bagel in the O’Hare airport on Friday night, my visit to a Mexican food cart for the best veggie tacos that night was well-worth it. Â Some of Portland’s best food are at these little four-wheeled stops, and I only wish I could’ve done a proper food crawl of the city’s best food carts. Â Voodoo Donuts – another MUST-EAT. Â I indulged in the M&M and Oreo donuts, and was sorely tempted to try the famous bacon maple syrup one. Â Alexis Restaurant, where the rehearsal dinner was held, boasted some of the best Greek food I’ve ever had – I helped myself several times to the turkey kabobs and vegetarian mousakka. Â As mentioned before, Gracie’s is renowned for its brunch, but the dinner at the reception was outstanding – from the grilled cheese sandwiches (with cheese on the outside of one slice – swoon) to the lemon meringue…just delicious.
