Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland, Oregon, with a population of roughly 1.7 million in the metropolitan area, is a city of discreet charms. That the city claims a rose garden as one of its biggest attractions should give you an idea of just how laid-back it is. Sure, Portlanders are just as attached to their cell phones and pagers as residents of other major metropolitan areas, but this is the City of Roses, and people still take time to stop and smell the flowers. Spend much time here, and you, too, will likely feel the city's leisurely pace seeping into your bones.
While Seattle has zoomed into the national consciousness, Portland has, until recently, managed to dodge the limelight and the problems that come with skyrocketing popularity. For many years now Portland has looked upon itself as a small, accessible city, vaguely European in character. Clean and friendly are the two terms that crop up most often in descriptions of the city. However, as word has spread about overcrowding in Seattle, people looking for the good life and affordable housing have turned to Portland, which is now experiencing the same sort of rapid growth that Seattle began going through more than a decade ago.
Portland does not have any major sights to pull in tourists--no Space Needle, no waterfront piers, no Experience Music Project. Instead, it is a city of quiet charms that must be searched for and savored--the shade of the stately elms in the South Park Blocks, the tranquility of the Japanese Garden, the view from the grounds of Pittock Mansion, the miles of hiking trails in Forest Park. Sure, there's a good art museum and a world-class science museum, but these are not nearly as important to the city's citizenry as its many parks and public gardens. Not only does Portland claim beautiful rose gardens, the most authentic Japanese Garden in North America, and the largest classical Chinese garden in the country, but it also can lay claim to both the world's smallest city park and the largest forested urban park in the country.
The city's other claim to fame is as the nation's microbrew capital. Espresso may be the beverage that gets this town going in the morning (this is the Northwest), but it is microbrewed beer that helps the city maintain its mellow character. There are so many brewpubs here in Portland that the city has been nicknamed Munich on the Willamette. While in other cities craft beer has given way to cocktails and wine, here in Portland microbrews are still the drink of choice. Wine is a close second, though, which shouldn't come as a surprise, considering how close the city is to wine country.
Portland itself may be short on things for visitors to do, but the city's surroundings certainly are not. Within a 1 1/2- to 2-hour drive from Portland, you can be strolling a Pacific Ocean beach, strolling beside a waterfall in the Columbia Gorge, hiking on Mount Hood (a dormant volcano as picture perfect as Mount Fuji), driving through the Mount St. Helens blast zone, or sampling world-class pinot noirs in the Oregon wine country. It is this proximity to the outdoors that makes Portland a great city to use as a base for exploring some of the best of the Northwest.
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Best Spot for a Romantic Dinner: With dramatic lighting, dark corners, sensuous food, and superb wines, Assaggio, 7742 SE 13th Ave. (tel. 503/232-6151), a neighborhood trattoria in the Sellwood district, is a sure bet for a romantic dinner.
Best Place to Close a Deal: The London Grill, 309 SW Broadway (tel. 503/228-2000), at the Benson Hotel, a hotel favored by presidents and other power lunchers, is an unparalleled place for business schmoozing.
Best Spot for a Celebration: With a decor that harkens back to the days of fin de siècle Paris, Brasserie Montmartre, 626 SW Park Ave. (tel. 503/224-5552), has live jazz and a performing magician several nights a week. Plus, your entire party can color all over the (paper) tablecloths with crayons.
Best Decor: If sleek contemporary decor appeals to you, Wildwood, 1221 NW 21st Ave. (tel. 503/248-WOOD), one of the anchors of NW 21st Avenue's Restaurant Row, is the place. The hard-edged interior is straight out of Architectural Digest.
Best View: Set high on an east-facing hill south of downtown, the Chart House, 5700 SW Terwilliger Blvd. (tel. 503/246-6963), has a view that takes in both Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens, plus the Willamette River and most of Portland.
Best Wine List: You can sample some of the best wines around at Paley's Place, 1204 NW 21st Ave. (tel. 503/243-2403), which has Wednesday-night wine tastings and occasional winemaker dinners. The food here is vibrantly flavorful Northwest and French-inspired cuisine.
Best Value: If you happen to be a frugal gourmet whose palate is more sophisticated than your wallet can afford, you'll appreciate the Western Culinary Institute International Dining Room, 1316 SW 13th Ave. (tel. 800/666-0312 or 503/294-9770), where a five-course lunch will set you back only about $10 (reservations required).
Best for Kids: The Old Spaghetti Factory, 0715 SW Bancroft St. (tel. 503/222-5375), may not serve the best Italian food in town, but it certainly is some of the cheapest, and the waterfront location and eclectic decor are a hit with kids and parents alike.
Best Gourmet Fast Food: It's just a tiny place, but Ken's Home Plate, 1208 NW Glisan St. (tel. 503/517-8935), is crammed full of irresistible goodies to stay or to go. If Ken's were in our neighborhood, we'd never cook again.
Best French: Couvron, 1126 SW 18th Ave. (tel. 503/225-1844), a tiny cottage French restaurant not far from downtown, serves the most eclectic and creative French and French-influenced meals in the city.
Best Italian: Far removed from the mainstream of high-end restaurants in Portland, Genoa, 2832 SE Belmont St. (tel. 503/238-1464), has for many years now been Portland's premier Italian restaurant. The multicourse dinners are meant to be lingered over for the entire evening, and, although the meals aren't cheap, you get far more for your money than at many of the city's trendier establishments.
Best Northwest: The Heathman Restaurant, 1001 SW Broadway (tel. 503/790-7758), at the elegant Heathman Hotel, features the very best Northwest meat, seafood, wild game, and produce, all with a French accent. Chef Philippe Boulot won the 2001 James Beard Foundation "Best Chef in the Northwest" award.
Best Mexican: With an outpost on either side of the river, Chez José East, 2200 NE Broadway (tel. 503/280-9888), serves the most creative and unusual Mexican food in the city. It's not what you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant, which is exactly what makes it so good.
Best Seafood: Get 'em while they're hot at Jake's Famous Crawfish, 401 SW 12th Ave. (tel. 503/226-1419). Crawfish are the stars of the menu here, and have been for years, but you can also get lots of other fresh seafood.
Best Pizza: Portland's best pizza (crispy crusts and creative ingredients) can be found at the numerous Pizzicato Gourmet Pizza restaurants around the city. The downtown outpost is at 705 SW Alder St. (tel. 503/226-1007).
Best Desserts: Papa Haydn, 701 NW 23rd Ave. (tel. 503/228-7317), offers a symphony that includes lemon chiffon torte, raspberry gâteau, and Irish coffee Charlotte, to name but a few. There's usually a line at the door, but don't let that deter you. There's another location at 5829 SE Milwaukie Ave. (tel. 503/232-9440) in Sellwood.
Best Outdoor Dining: You just can't get any closer to the river than the Newport Bay Restaurant, 0425 SW Montgomery St. (tel. 503/227-3474), which is in a floating building in the marina at Portland's RiverPlace shopping-and-dining complex. The Newport Bay provides excellent views of the river and the city skyline, especially from the deck.
Best Brunch: The most lavish brunch in Portland is served at The Benson Hotel's London Grill, 309 SW Broadway (tel. 503/228-2000), located downstairs from the marble-floored lobby.
