Christine D. wrote: |> |> As you might have expected, we will stay in Boston (and surroundings) |> and later in Portland/OR for a few days, and are looking for places |> to go that are worth the money. It needs not to be luxury, but a good |> atmosphere will be appreciated. Please give a certain estimation on |> the prices to be expected. |> |> Quite exited looking forward to a long US trip, |> Christine First off, unless you've been in the States before, you should probably know that in most of the country, including both Boston and Portland, people eat small lunches and large dinners. There are places in the Midwest that adhere to the German custom of _Mittagessen_ and _Abendbrot_, but they're mostly places that tourists aren't interested in. That said, I move on to my restaurant recommendations for Portland. One popular tourist destination in Portland is the Blitz-Weinhard brewery, downtown on Burnside Street. There's no _Reinheitsgebot_ over here, but Weinhard's is one of the very best mass-produced beers in America, and they offer tours on a regular basis; phone ahead to find out exactly when the tours are scheduled. Probably the best place in Portland to gain exposure to the funky alternative culture of the Pacific Northwest is Old Wives' Tales, on Burnside east of the river. Good sandwiches; also quiche and other light fare. This is a good example of the American coffeehouse (frankly, I can't remember if the coffee was good or not). Expect to spend $5-7 for lunch. Portland is also the home of the original Original Pancake House, which has since become a chain with locations across the country. This is an experience not to be missed - the ultimate American breakfast. Pancakes and waffles of every description; eggs cooked to order, bacon, ham, sausage, omelets, FRESH orange juice. It's on Barbur Boulevard (if memory serves) in southwest Portland; it can be tricky to find, so allow a little extra time to get there. It opens at 7 AM weekdays, and usually by the time they open, there's a line at the door. Expect to spend $5-7. Portland has a couple of the best steakhouses in America. My personal favorite is Sayler's Old Country Kitchen, with locations on the east side of Portland and in Beaverton on the west side. Dinner will run anywhere from $10 on up (plan on $15 to $20), depending on how hungry you are; dinner includes appetizer, soup or salad, bread, potato, beverage (non-alcoholic; beer/wine/cocktails extra), and ice cream for d essert. Another steakhouse with a good local reputation is the Ring Side (west side location on Burnside; there's also an east side location), but I haven't been there. I think it's more expensive than Sayler's. It used to be that the best coffee in Portland was the Starbucks served for free by Horizon Airlines at the airport, but Starbucks has now come to Portland. The one I visited on my last trip there was in Beaverton Town Square, but I'd bet there are others around town. This is better coffee than you can get in Europe. Trust me. Two pizzerias with good reputations are the Flying Pie (locations on the east side and in Beaverton) and Nonna Emilia (in Aloha, west of town). Nonna Emilia also serves excellent pasta dishes. Plan on $10 + drinks for pasta at Nonna Emilia; about $15 for enough pizza for two hungry people, either place. For seafood: I liked McCormick's on the southwest side of town. I frankly don't remember how much it cost; somebody else was buying. Another place with a good reputation is Jake's, downtown. There are lots of small breweries in the Northwest; unfortunately, I personally don't know of a good place near Portland to sample a lot of them (not to claim that there isn't one). As good a recommendation as I can make is the Hall St. Bar & Grill in Beaverton; they serve meals as well, but a little more expensive than the places I've named so far. (There are some "brewpubs" around, including for example McMenamin's in Beaverton, but these tend to have just the stuff they brew right there on site.) Most of the Northwest breweries produce ale rather than lager; the best-known exception is Thomas Kemper of Poulsbo, Washington, which may be available in select Portland-area locations. Unfortunately, Oregonian provincialism makes it more likely that you'll be exposed to the product of the Widmer brewery, which in my opinion is hardly drinkable. My favorites among the small-brewery ales are Full Sail from Hood River, Oregon and Pyramid from Kalama, Washington (close enough to Portland that you might be able to get it.) Other well-known Northwest ales are Portland Ale, Bridgeport Ale (both local Portland products), Grant's (from Yakima), Hale's (from Kirkland, Washington), and Red Hook and Ballard Bitter from the Red Hook brewery in Seattle. Any Portlandians care to recommend a good, well stocked tavern?
Portland, OR