Scarletts Portland Oregon thread
 

Hi
I don't want to take over other posters threads so I am starting my own.
The Yankee and I are going exploring, to Portland Oregon at the end of September.
We are staying at the Fifth Ave Suites, thanks to the good reviews from Fodorites.
I called this weekend and got tickets to see the Taiko Drummers one night ( cannot wait!) and the Lyon Ballet one night (cannot wait again!)
We plan on taking a JetBoat ride to see the city from the river.
We will go to the beach.
We will visit a friend and check out neighborhoods:)
I have been taking lists of names of restaurants from friends and online, but reviews and recommendations from FodorFriends always work out well.
So please feel free to direct , recommend and advise.
Thank you ((F))
Scarlett

I am sure you will get lots of advice from all the locals here! How many days are you looking at and what are your interests?

We will be there for 10 days.
Whatever one finds interesting, might appeal to us too..so jump right in :)
As you might have noticed, we have varied tastes in entertainment, we are from NYC so eating out is always part of the trip, we like to find places that are not just written up in travel mags, but that people have actually gone to and enjoyed.
Shopping, sightseeing,exploring.
That about sums it up :)

Don't leave without doing a drive/hike in the Columbia Gorge, preferrably to one or more of the famous falls. There are also some fantastic hikes on the coast (Cape Lookout!).

Lots of great eats, too, and you will have no trouble finding a good place.

http://portland.citysearch.com/

stays very current and is a good resource based on tastes or neighborhoods.

Tons to do and you are coming at a nice time of year as the rains haven't really gotten going yet (but bring a light jacket anyways...).

I've got a lot of Portland and Oregon photos online here:

http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...level2_all.htm

and has all the places mentioned and many more.

Have a great trip,
Bruce
www.brucegcollier.com

Some of our favorite places nearby are Timberline Lodge and Mt. Hood itself, the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. St. Helens, Pittock Mansion and the arboretum, the shopping around NW 23rd as well as the downtown area, wandering the Pearl District, and then the wineries down 99W.

For a fun experience you might try eating at Henry's and experience the billiards room. The restaurant opened in April and we enjoy it. If any of your party enjoys beer, they have over 100! It is right in the Pearl District on 12th and Burnside.

The Edgefield (McMenamins) in Troutdale has a wonderful brunch and they also have many events, so you might check their website and see what is going on while you are here. There are several McMenamins in the area and each is unique and they can be quite fun.

In McMinville there is the Evergreen Aviation Museum that has the Spruce Goose. You could pair that with a day of wineries...same area.

There are the rose gardens as well, but they are past their prime when you will be here.

I am sure I forgot many of the fun things to do here, but others will chime in with more:)

OMG !! Bruce, what amazing photos!!
Thank you so much! I will share these with the Yankee and can only hope to see a handful of these sights ourselves. What an outstanding photographer you are! I love the cat and dog photo :) as well as the trees in fog..all of them!
Our hotel is right around Pioneer Sq, that is nice to see too.
Thanks to both of you, I am making some nice lists ..
Wineries are definitely on the agenda.
Galleries, shopping 23rd , the Pearl, the beach..10 days will not be enough time.
Thanks again..I am getting more excited as I read these ~

You will love Portland, Scarlett! Paley's Place and the Bluehour are our top two places to eat. WE chose Paley's over Wildwood for the ambiance and decor, and it just appealed to me more.

We have also enjoyed Jake's Crawfish, The Harborside and my son raved about te Portland City Grill, located 30 stories over Portland with gorgeous views from the top.

We tried to get into Ringside one night with a reservation, but the wait was too long. It's very DARK in there, but I've heard to food is really good.

We wanted to try Clarklewis, but didn't make it over there. There are a few wine bars I wanted to try, Noble Rot, 750ML and Vigne but will do those next time also.

I've heard good things about Higgins and South Park, maybe someone has been there lately.

We were tempted to try the Varitable Quandary, but I read on Chowhound that it was overpriced and the food wasn't that great there.

You may want to take the drive over to the Cannon Beach/Seaside/Astoria area. All three places are close to one another and each town offers it's own unique things to do. What are your interests? Wine tasting, museums, gorgeous scenery, the Sunday Market, art galleries, harbor cruises,? Astoria has all this and more to offer you! www.oldoregon.com to learn more about the Oregon Coast. ***kim***

sigh, Kim, yes, you have me summed up there. Museums, good food, shopping, galleries, shopping , food, wineries..lol.
Cannon Beach was the town we wanted to visit, thank you!
Did you stay at the Fifth Ave Suites?
We also have to leave time to (shhhh) househunt ~ just in case we love it that much! :)

No, we stay at the Riverplace Hotel when we visit Portland because we like the water views, but the 5th Ave. Suites sounds very tempting for next trip!

Cannon Beach is nice, there are lots of shops there but not really anywhere great to eat. Cafe Mango is proably your best bet there. We enjoyed the halibut, but it doesn't compare to anything you will find further up the coast.

My son and his fiance are working with realtors to relocate there after they get married. We plan on moving to the area within three years! Happy house hunting! ***kim***

Oh, Scarlett, househunt? Do you really want to go through all those moving headaches again?

Jocelyn, I am a glutton for punishment :D
Just playing with the idea at the moment ~

I have it on the best authority that Higgins Restaurant on SW Broadway is as good as it gets.

Grasshopper, we drove by this place and it looks really nice. We were deciding between Higgins or South Park, a clerk at the Gift Shop at the Rose Gardens was raving about South Park also. Looks like Higgins is on the list for next trip! ***kim***

Thank you, Scarlett! Glad you like the photos and I hope they were a help.

Both Higgin's and South Park are very good and close-in to the theatres and museums, not to mention shopping. The Pearl and NW 23rd/21st areas are also populated with great restaurants. Just ate at a new Greek one, Eleni's Philoxenia, where the great Cafe Azul use to be. It is NOT your typical, American version of Greek food. After dinner, you can stroll a block north to Powell's Bookstore and the Brewery Blocks district next to the Pearl.

But, don't forget the east side. There are some great neighborhoods there, and a very different feel. And, Sellwood is always nice if you haven't been.

Lots to choose from...

Regards,
Bruce
www.brucegcollier.com

Scarlett, I will be green with envy if you move to Portland. We left two years ago and I miss it! Here's the website for a great restaurant. The owner is a former New Yorker, and also a former neighbor of ours in Portland:
http://www.mothersbistro.citysearch.com/

Oh Scarlett~it will be lovely. We were just there(again) the end of July. We often eat at the Bluehour and think it's simply grand. The Pearl District is especially good on first Thursday when the various galleries are open in the evening. I did just have lunch at Andina-sp?(Peruvian in the Pearl) and was somewhat disappointed. Check out the linens at French Quarter in the Pearl(Oh my god!)While the rest of our party was jetboating my friend Judy and I did the lunch thing. Those who returned from the jetboat ride reported a grand time but you do get wet so dress accordingly. The neighborhoods...oh the neighborhoods. Our friend lives in Portland Heights(SW Broadway). It's worth a drive up there to check out the place. We also really liked Irvington and Ladd's Addition. We have an old house(1912) and are always in some stage of repair or renovation or just plain dreamin'..if you are inclined check out Rejuvenation. There is a great deal of wonderful salvage and reproductions as well.
Try the Rose Garden. It will delight you. Follow the names of the Queens of Rosaria over time. It's a commentary on the social status of women.
Our friend took us to a place to eat called Tabla(I think near Irvington neighborhood but I can't be certain)..it was casual,small plates and very good. We did take a day trip to the wine country. We tried to check out different Oregon Pinots. Ponzi has a decent tasting room but we are not big Oregon Pinot fans since we live in California and spoil ourselves all the time with Russian River Pinots. The Ponzi Reserve got a 91 from Wine Spectator.(I think a 2002. For lunch in the Willamette wine country you might consider the Ponzi Bistrot(ask them for directions). We had good food at a reasonable price. Our favorite Oregon wine was A to Z Pinot Noir which we bought at the grocery store. (under $20). The Portland airport is very easy to navigate and you can take the train from the airport all the way to Pioneer Center(easy and about $1.60). You will see signs for the train as you head out of baggage claim.
I'd say(imo) skip Timberline Lodge but definitely venture out to the gorge if possible. We drove throught the valley (looping out to Timberline and then over to the Gorge) and the valley was delightful.It was mid summer and we filled ourselves with cherries. Enjoy..it will be very different from Florida. Tell the Yankee(I grew up on the Eastern seaboard) Portland's neighborhoods remind me very much of there. There are big trees and old houses. It has a very good feel. Let us know.(And where will Pup be?) P.S. We're off ot Paris 10/3..any must dos especially to dine?

To promote American eau de vies, Clear Creek Distillery, 1430 Northwest 23rd, Portland, OR 97210 Telephone 503-248-9470. Call for appointment.

Actually, Oregon suits both Yankees and nonesuch. The northern part of the state (e.g., Portland - now there's a co-inkidink), and the north coast (Astoria, Cannon Beach, etc.) were settled by "State of Mainers," while the southern part of the State (Rogue Valley, etc.) was heavily influenced by folks from the south, and is still referred to (by some) as "Little Dixie." Certainly the politics of Oregon - north/south, east/west, plus Eugene (Martian) - is diverse enough for any "new" Southerners, or the other kind. ;)

A folk tale that I refuse to let go of (even when faced with a general lack of evidence, but so what?) was told to me by a history professor in Eugene back in the days when GAR chapter meetings were still possible, was that Oregon voted to join the Union cause by two votes, thanks to the fact that three Rebs were hogtied in the attic of the State Capitol and couldn't make the voting bell.

Y'all coulda made it a more sportin' contest, what with the Brits up on the north coast and all of God's gold in California, if you'd had a Confederate outpost on the Columbia. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Pam SF, are you a fan of the Oregon Pinot Gris? I found the best to be at the Raptor Ridge Winery. We also tasted a great Syrah at the Abacela Winery which was given a 92 rating by Wine Spectator. They also make a wonderful Grenache there that you can purchase at the Cannery Cafe in Astoria, OR. Astoria now has a very extensive wine shop called The Wine Shop on 10th Street, if you make it over there Scarlett, there is also a new tea room that is delightful called the Windsor House of Tea.

I don't know if you like spas, but the Columbia River Day Spa is wonderful. We had massages and pedicures there and they're wonderful and reasonably priced. A lot less pricey than the Napa/Sonoma areas.

The Jet Boats make really fun 360 turns, so be prepared to get a little wet. I usually wear a hat and take a small towel on the trip.

Here's a great website for the Pearl District, www.shopthepearl.com My recent issue of Sunset featured a three page article on just the Pearl District in Portland and was making me homesick for the Coast. :( ***kim***

WOW. You are all SO great! Thank you so much for this wealth of great advice, names and experiences and vintages :)
I am copying copying!!

We are plotting our days according to the wineries & beach, shopping the Pearl (great site! thanks kim)
The Yankee is happy to hear about the wineries , thanks PamSF ..
Gardyloo, since I grew up in the South and lived in NY with my Yankee for many years, Portland sounds like it will suit us well, if only it does not really rain every single day~
Orcas, thank you for the bistro, looks good :)
mms-the Yankee happens to be a fair pool player (what NYC boy isn't?) so he might really enjoy Henry's, thanks!
This is so great, thank you so much, and feel free to chime in whenever you think of more :D
you can also email me at hotmail((F))