No work trip in a different city is complete without having a little fun. After all, Portland ranks at the top of the list for craft breweries in the United States. They also have some great food.
While the days were filled with long hikes and video shooting, the evenings were for exploring. I think we can all agree that we would go back simply for the beer and food. Here is the list of the places we had a chance to visit, and why we recommend everyone who visits Portland check them out.
Han Oak
On night one upon arriving in Portland, we had been up for nearly 20 hours. You could say we were on the verge of insanity, but we weren’t about to let that interfere with our dinner plans. After some help from our trusty friend Google, we found this incredible Korean-American restaurant and decided to give it a try.
We followed the map location to where it was, but couldn’t seem to find the restaurant anywhere. All that was in view was an Italian restaurant called 24th and Meatballs, to which Ryan decided was the greatest restaurant name in the history of all names (we could write a blog, simply about Ryan from this trip, but we’ll try to keep things on topic). Finally, we saw a door opening covered in leaves, and thought, this must be it.
What was waiting for us on the other side was an open air restaurant with a modern tropical rainforest vibe.
One look at the menu, and we were sold. With appetizers like Korean fried chicken wings and plenty of unique noodle bowls for entrees, our mouths were watering. It may have been 10 p.m., but we didn’t leave with empty stomachs.
10 Barrel Brewing
Portland is known across the U.S. for its numerous breweries and craft beers. We knew our second night was the chance to test this out. Upon turning to Google again, we found a list of breweries almost too long to handle. With so many options and so little time, it was nearly impossible to pick one.
However, we settled on 10 Barrel Brewing on Flanders Street in Pearl District, and were not disappointed. With 20 selections of beer on tap and an extensive pub style menu featuring homemade pizzas, burgers and sandwiches, this place felt like a staple of the city.
The Bollywood Theater
If you like Indian food, or even think you might, this is the place to go. After a long day of shooting, we were ready to chow down. Thankfully, our talent Bryce recommended The Bollywood Theater, and was even able to join us.
The authenticity of this place was unbelievable, as we felt like we had stepped into a part of India upon arrival. There was even a table with Indian spices and pepper blends you could add to your entrees. Even though the restaurant wasn’t overly crowded, we were told the line to get in usually wrapped around the building. After eating a meal here, we understood why.
Salt & Straw
Every trip, in our opinion, requires a quest to find the best dessert in town. Salt & Straw not only met our expectations, but exceeded them. As soon as we walked in, we knew we had found the best ice cream shop in Portland. With flavors like Campfire S’mores, Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache and Roasted Strawberry Coconut, you really can’t go wrong.
It didn’t hurt that they offer unlimited free samples, so naturally we held up the line and sampled almost all the flavors. Yes, it was worth it. Summer or winter, if you’re in Portland, you must get yourself here.
Public Coast Brewing
Now, while this brewery might not be in the heart of Portland, it’s definitely a must for anyone visiting Cannon Beach on the west coast of Oregon. Public Coast Brewing happily took most of our final hours on this trip, and the memories we made here are sure to last a lifetime.
On our last day of shooting, we were delayed by the heavy rains that came through. We took this opportunity to head to Public Coast, and treated all our wonderful talent to their craft beers. The atmosphere reminded us of a coastal bar in Florida, with even better food to match. The owner himself served us at the bar, and we could tell this was a place where they learn you by name.
Try out the Haze IPA or one of their fruity sours, and just relax. They’ve got you covered here.
Coffee huts
Something we noticed while driving around the Portland area, and even out to Cannon Beach, was coffee huts everywhere. I’m not talking about your typical free standing Starbucks or Dunkin’, but actual shacks that the owners were serving coffee out of. This was easily my favorite part of road tripping.
Most of the huts had a drive through, or you could simply walk right up to the window and order. The ease and simplicity of this only encouraged our caffeine dependence on the trip, but we really weren’t mad about it.
We barely scratched the surface on food and drinks in Portland, and would gladly return for me. If you want to check out any of these places for yourself, we’ve linked restaurants in this article. Until next time, Portland!