Portland, what a quirky little city. I did not know what to expect, from my point of view in the world, Portland has been a bit of an overshadowed city. The few people I did know whom had visited gave me totally mixed reviews. I heard a lot of “unique” and “different” comments. Portland was in fact, unique and different, just as I had been told. Coming from New York I have a very jaded view of what a city looks like and how people act. Portland, in a way, tore down all those preconceived notions. The people are friendly, and super proud of their city. The food scene is thriving and fun and I only wish I got to experience more. Portland’s location in the world also puts them just a short drive away from some of the most beautiful spots in America. I will give you just some quick things I checked out during my extremely brief stay. All in all, visit Portland at least once.

1. Walking Tour:

As a whole Portland does not really have a ton of ‘must see’ monuments. Therefore, I think this makes Portland a bit of a challenge to navigate as a tourist. I have utilized free walking tours in a lot of cities, since I find that those tour guides are most passionate (don’t forget to tip your guide!!). Honestly, I think now I would have a very different view of Portland if not for this tour. My guide was super passionate and excited, as he was a Portland local. He gave us small bits of history, showed us good food spots, as well as brought us to so many major spots around the city. I will leave it up to you to go see what I mean.

2. VooDoo Doughnut:

Yes, I went, I had to see what all the fuss was about. To be honest, I liked them… I didn’t LOVE them. The problem for me was that I let the cool designs get in the way of what I thought the best flavor would be. They were good, but I wish I chose different flavors. In the end we tried two, ‘Bacon Maple Bar’ and a ‘Dirty Snowballs Doughnut.’ VooDoo definitely takes the cake on experimental flavors and names… I’ll let you have a look at their website to see. I shall return and try a few more (got my eye on the Mexican Hot Chocolate and the Memphis Mafia, also open to suggestions).

3. Blue Star Donuts:

Now THIS place was actually my favorite. Apart from the doughnuts, just want to give a nod to how lovely the staff was… always elevates an experience. Again, we tried two, Lemon Poppy Buttermilk and Raspberry Rosemary Buttermilk. Both were delicious, tangy and packed with flavor. Wash your doughnut down with some of their coffee, and be on your way!

4. Pok Pok:

If you are a fan of Thai food, and can handle a bit of heat, this is a MUST. Pok Pok is a Thai eatery, set in a unique and casual, yet cool space. Most dishes are served family style, and I think it’s best this way to get a small sampling of what they have to offer. You want to get there just as they open, because there is always a line. Make sure you go to the original one (yes I showed up at the wrong one first, wasn’t funny then, but hysterical now) on Division Street. You cannot leave without getting their Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings. We mostly let our server decide on everything we orded. We had Muu Paa Kham Wan, Kaeng Hang Leh, Neua Naam Tok and Sunny’s Yam Wun Sen Chao Wang . I want to eat here over and over and over. I shall return, and you should too.

5. Salt and Straw:

Salt and Straw is a bit of a cult favorite in Portland. Serving up some unique flavors, in locally sourced way. Sample a few flavors, try a crazy one, that is their thing. I had Freckled Woodblock Chocolate. This place was tasty, bit pricey, but a lovely pre – flight / post dinner treat.

6. Stumptown:

Though Stumptown is now being served in NYC, its origins are in Portland. Let’s honest, Portland has many, many standalone coffee shops with equally delicious coffee. But being that Stumptown is iconic, I made sure to make a pit stop and, delicious it was.

7. Prasad:

Want a quick, casual, healthy & tasty lunch? Go here. This was a recommendation from a friend who was on the trip with me. Everything is vegetarian/ gluten free (not my thing, but I’ll try anything once). It was good, little bit out of our way, but definitely a fulfilling salad and wrap.

8. Food Trucks:

I am closing with this one, because to me, the food trucks were the most Portland thing we did. There are literally hundreds of trucks lining the streets and you can get ANYTHING. They are all delicious, and all have a bit of a unique story. Portland actually has a competition for the best food trucks, this is no joke. We sampled a few spots, a Venezuelan truck, a tapas truck etc. Around where VooDoo Doughnut is located you can find tons of these trucks. Don’t leave without sampling a few.