(PDX) Looking to take a MAX food tour of Portland- Any thoughts?
So we just moved to Portland about a week ago and have gleaned an amazing amount of great recommendations for the city from this site, which we have already taken advantage of. Thank you! On Friday we want to explore the citys neighborhoods and light rail system, so plan to get a day pass and tour the city (not really the sites- just looking to walk around some new neighborhoods & get to know the area more) and hopefully find some tasty food along the way. Am basically looking for recs for anything that is not too, too expensive and is walking distance from Max stations. Otherwise, we like all kinds of food (veg, non veg, all ethnic types) as long as its tasty. Thanks in advance for any info you can offer. By the way, we have already been to Fire on the Mountain and the wings were excellent. Thanks again.
Risa
Apr 13, 2005 10:38PM
The Max doesn't give the best tour of the city's neighborhoods, but here are some suggestions for food options:
REDLINE TO AIRPORT
* Parkrose Stop: Walking east to Sandy and then east from there, Pho Dalat is quite close. Not much further is the German Bakery and Old Country Sausage, a German deli. A bit further is La Iguana Feliz, a taqueria with the best chips and salsa in town, good carne asada, birria de chivo, and posole.
BLUELINE TO GRESHAM
* 162nd Exit: Walking North to Glisan you have Tortilleria y Tienda de Leon the best source for guisados (Mexican stews) in Portland metro. Walking south to Stark, you have Su Casa Imports. I haven't tried the taqueria at this location, but the new one in the Hillsboro location is actually quite good now. This is the best Mexican market in PDX, though. It's about a quarter mile to either. There's also a produce market at 162nd and Glisan, but I've never gone to it.
BLUE OR REDLINE
* 42nd Ave: Hollywood Burger Bar for a big messy burger. My Canh for Chinese-Vietnamese. Trader Joe's. (This area is scheduled to get a Whole Foods.) Lungta for Tibetan. Lagniappe for Cajun/Creole. (Is Arabian Breeze open *yet*???)
* Lloyd Center: On Weidler there's a Grand Central. Broadway is one more block. Try Milo's Cafe and Cadillac Cafe, primarily for breakfast. Sukhothai. Several other okay places, such as Aztec Willie, Pizza Schmizza, Irvington Corner Table, etc. Quite close to the exit, too, is Stanford's, which is a decent local chain.
* Old Town/Chinatown: Fong Chong and Lum Yuen for decent Chinese, especially dim sum. (The tea house in the Chinese Garden, too.) Up on the park blocks is Park Kitchen, one of Portland's best. A little farther west into the Pearl District is Pearl Bakery. And if you're going to walk that far, there's Alexis for Greek and Eleni's for Greek. There's also Voodoo Doughnuts (10p-10a).
* Downtown (Multiple Stops): Too many places to mention, really. I wouldn't be surpised if you're going to skip downtown, so if you aren't, then I'll offer some recs.
BLUE LINE TO HILLSBORO
* Orenco: New Seasons and Swagath. I'm sure there's other stuff here, too, but I can't remember. Who can keep up with planned communities for Intel engineers and PMs?
* Hillsboro Central: See link on Mexican food in Hillsboro below.
YELLOW LINE TO EXPO CENTER
* Albina/Mississippi: Gotham Bldg Tavern, Lovely Hula Hands. I think there are a couple others, too, but this isn't a neighborhood I hang in often.
* Killingsworth: It's like a quarter mile to Di Prima Dolci and the taco truck across the street. Can't remember what's along the way, maybe Beaterville (never been there) but there is some stuff, I think.
* Overlook or Prescott Stops: It's not that far, maybe a quarter mile to Mississippi, but places like Gravy and Lorenzo's aren't really on the same latitude, I don't think, so it'd probably be closer to a half mile walk. Good exploring nabe, though.
Link: http://www.extramsg.com/modules.php?n...
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Great idea, and good summary, Nick. The blue line to Hillsboro should include a stop at the Round at Beaverton, which I believe includes outposts of Mio Sushi and Caffe Mingo--I haven't eaten at that particular location but I like their other restaurants. I guess Typhoon! is also there, but I'm not really fond of the original.
And no, Arabian Breeze is STILL not open. There is supposed to be some development of the property just south of there and eventually a new light rail stop. Maybe by the time the new stop is in there they'll be open.
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Mio Sushi isn't open out there yet, but they're working on it. Mingo at the round is a great restaurant and one of my favorites!
Kristi
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Isn't Syun Izakawa convenient to the Hillsboro MAX stop? That would be a good place to visit!
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It is:
Syun Izakaya
209 NE Lincoln St.
Hillsboro, OR
97124
503-640-3131
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Really??
There's some useful news...I've been wanting to try that place for a while, but I had no clue where it was (I'm bad with suburbs, ya know...;o)
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I have also wanted to try this place since I've heard a lot of good things. It doesn't look like it is all that far from the nearest Max stop, either.
Kristi
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The Laurelwood brewpub, near the Hollywood TC, has great fish + chips and excellent beers. See my very long report just down the board for more info.
You didn't ask, but having just done it myself, I highly recommend exploring Portland's neighborhoods by bike. You can get a very helpful bike map from most bike stores or from www.gettingaroundportland.org. Follow the green routes and you'll get to see the residential parts of the neighborhoods; swoop down to the commercial streets when you want to get a bite, or wander on foot. And don't miss the Springwater trail between Sellwood and the Hawthorne bridge.
of course, you can also take bikes on MAX.
enjoy!
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Sort of along the same lines . . . being a new resident of Vancouver -- if the weather permits -- I plan on visiting the Pearl District of Portland on Saturday (after a visit to the City Market and the Farmer's Market!). Being a tapas lover, I was thinking of Andina Restaurant for lunch. Any comments? Thx!
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While it doesn't have traditional tapas, I like their food. A few of us went there and tried several of their para probar y compartir dishes for happy hour a while back. See link below. Lots of good stuff.
I assume Pata Negra is not open for lunch?
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
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Pata Negra is open for lunch, there's a write-up in the A&E today.
Kristi
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Only weekdays, though.
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Oh well . . . it was a lousy day anyway. I will definitely hit Pata Negra one of these upcoming days!
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