My wife and I will be in Portland for about 4 days. We love to eat and go out at night to all tpes of bars. We also love to look at great architecture. Can anyone give me any ideas. Thanks for your help.

I think the Portland Art Museum is one of the best in the country. Also there is no tax so shopping is great! And Powell's Books is huge and really fun to get lost in.

When my friends and I head there for the weekend we really like to explore the Pearl District and then hit a couple of the new or well reviewed restaurants/bars.

Downtown I really like the Red Star and the Saucebox. In the Pearl District I like Bluehour (suppose to have great dinner to).

We usually eat casually in Portland. Really like both Jake's and Mothers.

Maine or Oregon??

While Portland has outdoor scenic appeal, I honestly can't think of many architecturally appealing buildings.

(Assuming it's Oregon) why not combine your interests in a couple of stops? See www.mcmenamins.com for a guide to the marvelous architectural/hysterical restorations the Brothers M. have accomplished with, among many, the Kennedy School in Portland, the Bagdad Theater, and, especially, the Edgefield in Troutdale (you'll need a car.) Architecture, art, bars, food, cool things, all in the same place(s). The food at their places tends to be okay, not great, but the beer is always good and having a pitcher and a pizza at the movies is a blast. If you stay at the Kennedy or Edgefield (both hotels as well as brewpubs, wineries, restaurants, movies, golf course...) you won't have to worry about navigating the streets after the movie or brewskis. Great fun, check them out.

(Note - the Bagdad was featured on CBS-TV's Sunday Morning news magazine this week as an example of creative restoration of a grand movie palace of the 20s.)

There is a lot of good vernacular NW architecture (wood houses, bungalow period, etc.) in Portland, as well as several pieces by more modern (or more specifically postmodern) architects in the town center. The Portland Building (complete with statue of "Portlandia" - who?) was Michael Graves' signature block of rock in his pre-Target days. Look on his works, ye mighty...

I enjoy Portland on biannual business trips, but have never found anything impressive about the architecture. Pretty blah downtown. Being adjacent to the river is the only admirable feature.

Have to agree with the Bagdad for an interesting movie viewing.

If you're interested in architecture, head over to the Oregon Historical Society shop and pick up a copy of their 1890 map of Portland print. I bought one for $1 at the last Art Quake, framed it, and our visitors love to look at it. Not only is it an interesting, attractive map of Portland and the surrounding wilderness in the late 19th century, it also has drawings of several individual buildings (most still standing). And of course, Mount St. Helens hadn't yet blown her top.
I don't think the architecture is blah, so much as subtle--you're not overwhelmed by the anyone building. Have sushi at Murata. Overall, Portland is a great town for sushi. Don't have the tiramisu at La Bella Napoli (see the letters column in the current issue of Willamette Week [www.willametteweek.com]) I don't care for Jakes--the whole vibe there is too 1980s for me.
BTilke

Go to the rose garden - it's beautiful!

Want to fill us in on why we should avoid La Bella Napoli? Pulled up WW, but couldn't find the article.

It's all in the letters column. Basically, the WW restaurant reviewer gave the restaurant bad marks for its tiramisu. The restaurant owner went ballistic and took out big ads trashing the critic. The campaign backfired, with people writing letters to WW that yes, the tiramisu was lousy and anyway it's bad taste ;-) to be so vindictive after one (apparently justified) negative review...

PDX: OF COURSE THERE ARE ARCHITECTURALLY INTERESTING SITES.

The Portland Building alone is considered one of the hallmarks of post modern architecture, you dolt.

Plus, the other postings here are good as well.