Portland has a unique food culture driven by artisan and local foods. Food carts play a central role in Portland's culinary scene, showcasing diversity and small businesses. Portlanders support local producers and specialty foods. The city has a strong coffee and cafe culture, and is known for its microbreweries and craft beer. Various neighborhoods each have their own culinary character and attractions for visitors to explore.

1. Monday, June 4 , 2018
WELCOME TO FOODLANDIA
Part II – It’s All About the Food
(and drink)

2. Monday Morning Preview–
Your Portland Food Field Guide
•Your assignment
•Unique and Quirky, Special Foods
•What’s Hot
•Trends, where Portland is heading
•Artisan Foods
•Street Food (Food Carts)
•Farmers markets
•Local Foods
•Specialty Food Products
•Food Halls
•Café and Coffee Culture
•Beervana
•Food Districts
•Where to Explore

3. Your Assignment
As you are out exploring Portland,
notice:
•Urbanism elements that contribute
to our food culture
•How does the built environment
affect our food culture?
•What makes Portland different?
•What are some common themes?
•Café, brew pub, food cart bingo
•How many Local Foods are on
menus

4. “We Do Things Differently Here”
Read more: travelportland.com/article/weird-portland/
Portland prides itself on being quirky, unique, strange,
individualistic and doing things our own way. Weird
and Wonderful is something to celebrate here.

5. Voodoo Donuts
Now in several cities. Started
as a quirky joke in a tiny
storefront in Old Town
Portland, but people began to
flock to Voodoo for over the
top donuts – fruit loops or
bubble gum covered, bacon
and maple, their signature
voodoo donut with a pretzel
stake through its heart and
raspberry “blood”

6. Viking Soul Food
Norway isn’t really known for it’s exciting, excellent traditional cuisine… but when a Norwegian
Woman and an African American man fell in love and opened a food cart…Leftse Burritos. These
potato flatbread wraps include things like Norwegian MEATBALLS in caramelized goat cheese
gravy with sweet and sour cabbage, wrapped in our lefse. Or House smoked SALMON, dill creme
fraiche, pickled shallots, mixed lettuces and green cabbage, wrapped in our lefse.

7. RIMSKY-KORSAKOFFEE HOUSE
Rimsky-Korsakoffee has a casual, communal atmosphere and sometimes features live classical music. The
house is decorated with knickknacks, art and hanging objects. Tables are named for various composers; some
of them are "haunted" (animated), at times elevating, rotating or vibrating. The coffeehouse has received a
generally positive reception and is known mostly for its desserts and for offering a unique experience to
guests. Rimsky-Korsakoffee has been called "eclectic", "quirky" and "spooky", and has been recognized by
several publications for its coffee and desserts.

8. Known as the “Bad Boy” French restaurant, this restaurant helped launch Portland into be taken seriously as
a food city – the tattooed chefs work counterside, it’s loud, raucous, and only has so many seatings per night,
allow no substitutions, and can be brusque. But they offer up some serious chops in pushing the envelope of
fine French dining with curry sweetbreads, roasted Pigeon gravy fries (poutine), beet cured trout, and one of
the best burgers in town.
Le Pigeon

9. Yes, of course we have a Dr Who themed fish and chips pub.
The Tardis Room

10. •Vegan Food
•Whole grain artisan baking
•Thai Food (but not the typical Thai you see in most other US cities)
•Brunch is hot. It’s always hot in Portland. We need fuel before climbing mountains
•Gourmet food carts – still hot, even a decade later
•Asian and Russian Dumplings
•Fried Chicken
•Gourmet marijuana edibles and dinners
What’s Hot Right Now?

11. Where Portland is Heading
•Regional Asian, Regional Latin American, Regional Eastern European, Middle Eastern
•Hyper Local – restaurants that grow their own food
•European cafes that stay open longer, offer coffee and high quality beer/wine
•Chocolate cafes – bean to bar chocolate makers also doing high quality coffee
•Might see a dip in number of restaurants, bars due to oversaturation
•More competitive as retail spaces become sparse due to supply

12. Artisan Foods
What do I mean by “Artisan”? Hand crafted, takes time, don’t cut corners,
best ingredients you can find. Smaller offerings/menus/products. Do a few
things, but do them very very well. So, we have chocolate shops the size of
postage stamps, breweries that make three types of beer, bakeries that
specialize in just heritage whole grains, pizza joints that make 100 dough
balls a day and when they are out, they are out. It’s that Portland ethos
again…

13. Food Carts are King!
Portland loves its street food. We like gathering, being outside
(or under cover), mingling. Creative Food comes from the carts
– cheaper to experiment, start up, do something very specialty.
They are one of our most loved and touristed food elements in
Portland.

14. Food Carts Are Culture
As mentioned, Portland is a very white city. But in our food world, and
especially the carts, this is where our diversity is. And it’s a place with many
women, minority and immigrant owed businesses. This has led to a rich, and
delicious, diversity in culinary and cultural contributions to our city.

15. Local Foods
Local foods and cross collaboration with local foods are such a fundamental
part of Portland’s culture that we often take it for granted. Besides growers,
ranchers, dairy, farmers, foragers, product makers, restaurants buy local
from local vendors – salt, breads, jams, local beer, local coffee, local milled
grains – it’s just how we eat and live.

16. Farmers Markets
Many cities have excellent farmers markets. Ours are spread in almost every
neighborhood, and rotate around by day of the week. Our markets are also
seasonal and do not operate during the winter months, meaning our farmers
markets are truly tied to local growing seasons. The farmers markets are
non-profits. The downtown farmers markets are the largest, most
established of the bunch.

17. Specialty Foods
We have a whole economic, regulatory,
educational and cultural ecosystem to
support the development and growth of
specialty food businesses. OSU’s Food
Innovation Center is the biggest, most
established but several incubator kitchens,
education programs, and groups have
formed in recent years as well.

18. Food Halls
This is a national trend and Portland has hopped right on board. It’s the idea of
micro food businesses locating together in an indoor market hall. Think food carts
indoors, or an elevated gourmet “food court”. They can be low cost, flexible, great
for startup businesses. Notice the food offerings at the PDX airport by the way…this
will become the national trend in airports and malls…mark my words.

19. Artisan Coffee and Café Culture
Coffee and Cafes play a huge role in Portland’s culinary culture and
our Portland lifestyle. We drink a tremendous amount of coffee and
we are snobs about quality. However, we like to support the little
local guys, not the Starbucks, so we have dozens of artisan, small
batch coffee roasters, most with their own cafes. Cafes overall are
“Third Space” gathering places and act as anchor businesses for other
neighborhood retail. If a café moves in, bars, restaurants, shops, art
galleries, and development will soon follow.
Read: portlandfoodanddrink.com/portland-coffeehouse-guide/
Read: nytimes.com/2012/02/12/travel/portlands-purist-coffee-scene.html

20. Beervana – we are talking craft beer here
Read: americancraftbeer.com/state-american-craft-beer-portland-oregon/
Small breweries.
Interpreting historic
styles. Focus on
quality. Community
oriented.

21. Food Districts
Read: thrillist.com/eat/portland/best-food-and-drink-neighborhoods-in-portland
•Downtown
•Pearl District
•NW 21st
/23rd
•Central Eastside
•Lower Burnside
•Hawthorne
•Division Street
•82nd
ave
•NE 28th
•Alberta Street
•N Mississippi
•N Williams

22. Go Out and Explore!
Read: 25 most iconic Portland dishes
pdx.eater.com/maps/portlands-25-most-iconic-dishes
Read: 50 best things to eat in Portland thrillist.com/eat/portland/the-50-best-things-
to-eat-in-portland-iconic-foods-bucket-list
Read: 38 best Portland restaurants pdx.eater.com/maps/38-best-
portland-oregon-restaurants
Read: 21 must have food cart dishes pdx.eater.com/maps/presenting-21-
of-portlands-must-have-food-cart-dishes