A Chef's Paradise in Portland

The quest for the most eco-friendly, sustainable methods has become an obsession among chefs who flock to Portland from all over the world to take advantage of the area's local abundance. The city has taken the cooking universe by storm. Compared to major metropolitan cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and even nearby Seattle, real estate is somewhat affordable, which makes setting up shop a more obtainable reality for aspiring chefs.

Additionally, because of the city’s urban growth boundary, city sprawl is kept to a minimum. Farmland is nearby, and therefore everyday deliveries of a broad spectrum of fruits and vegetables are achievable. Many chefs in Portland try to adhere to delivery from a distributor within a 100-mile radius. Not only does this make the menu offerings exciting and ever changing, it requires chefs to come up with creative new dishes based on what's available for that month, that week, or even that day. Many chefs indicate that it's the artistic challenge and constant change of ingredients that makes Portland seductive.

Also within the 100-mile proximity to Portland are lush forests and the Pacific Ocean, where regional specialty ingredients, such chanterelle mushrooms and wild-caught salmon, are in fresh supply. Walk into any one of Portland's most notable restaurants, and you'll find entire menus serving dishes exclusively made from regional ingredients. For desserts you're bound to discover the amazing selection of local fruits—Anjou pears, peaches, and marionberries (a type of blackberry local to Oregon)—that turn up in pies, pastries, toppings, and cakes.

Exploration of creative cuisine infused by local ingredients isn't only reserved for fine dining. Scores of local bakeries and pizzerias have built their businesses around locally harvested, organic-based menu items as well.