Pacific Northwest Thread

[dji]

starting a thread to discuss the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, etc.).

to kick things off, any recommendations for food in Portland?

[sargon97]

Lots of options in Portland. Probably my current favorite that also provides the quintessential PDX food experience is Ned Ludd. Other good options (at least in the NE are) Bollywood Theater, Tasty and sons, and Sweedeedee. Cup & Bar has good coffee.

[dji]

cheers Sargon, Tasty & Sons sounds like my sort of place for brunch!

some places I've enjoyed eating at since moving to Seattle.

Brunch
Mollusk
Porkchop & Co
Portage Bay
Stateside (dinner was disappointing but brunch was very solid, get the charcoal waffles)
Super Six
Toulouse Petit

Lunch/Dinner
Marination Ma Kai (more for the view and patio than anything else)
Tamarind Tree

Ramen
Jinya
Kukai

Booze
Fremont Brewing

[sargon97]

Oh for brunch there is also muscadinepdx which I have been going to as of late.

cheers Sargon, Tasty & Sons sounds like my sort of place for brunch!

some places I've enjoyed eating at since moving to Seattle.

Brunch
Mollusk
Porkchop & Co
Portage Bay
Stateside (dinner was disappointing but brunch was very solid, get the charcoal waffles)
Super Six
Toulouse Petit

Lunch/Dinner
Marination Ma Kai (more for the view and patio than anything else)
Tamarind Tree

Ramen
Jinya
Kukai

Booze
Fremont Brewing

[gregor]

Booze
Fremont Brewing

second this

long is also great, food and design wise.

[limorr]

Thanks dji for starting this thread! I was hoping someone would make one sometime soon...

Living in Portland and here are my food lists. (On top of the good ones from sargon97)

Quick and Easy
-Boxer Ramen
-Urban Farmer (Happy Hour)
-Luc Lac

Dinner
-Mucca
-Beast
-The Mend

This are just some of my favorites, but I think PDX is a pretty good food city.

[ilurkaround]

Fremont Brewing

second this

I 3rd this, fremont brewing is good, have a future relative that works there.

Went to Stateside once for lunch and liked it a lot. Also try Revel, if you haven't, for "Korean fusion."

[dji]

thanks for the tips guys.

ilurkaround I was pretty underwhelmed by Revel and Rachel Yang's other restaurant Joule, maybe I was there on off days though.

BBADS: Coffee Edition is probably the single best local beer I've had since moving here, fantastic stuff but it'll hit you.

any advice on Vancouver BC? looks like I'll be holed up there for about a week in early March..

[absintheparty]

lemme chime in on Vancouver:

Ramen
Jinya

there's many here as well, very good too.

Cheap/Quick/Streetfood
Japadog
ChewyPeppers
Meat and Bread
Wakwak Burger (formerly Burger 2.85)

Local Booze
Brassneck (food truck outside after 5:30 wed-sat)
Storm
Postmark/Urban Winery (Belgard kitchen attached is good too)
Liberty Distillery
Artisan Sake Maker

Food
Alibi Room
Tandoori Fusion (they deliver)
L'abattoir
Medina (brunch, busy, plan to wait a bit for a table)
Devils Elbow
Chambar (brunch + dinner)
Gyu-Kaku
Toshi Sushi (will wait a while)

yet to find any good coffee here, maybe someone else can point me in the right spot?

[Senpai]

Wild, never knew there were other Portland people on here.

Coffee
Courier Coffee

Food Cart
Carte Blanche
El Nutri Taco

Restaurant
Luce
Little Bird
Ox
Biwa
Cafe Castagna


Easy Quick Food
Spielman's Bagels (see me almost here every day)
Nong's
Roman Candle

Local's tip
HA VL Soup
(If you must try Pok Pok, go to "Pok Pok Noi" as there's almost never a wait)


Ice Cream
Don't bother with Salt & Straw line, go to Fifty Licks instead. Much better

[Analytic Philosopher]

lemme chime in on Vancouver:

yet to find any good coffee here, maybe someone else can point me in the right spot?

Given your list, I'm assuming you've been to some of the standard places. Is there something specific you're looking for or are you just not a fan of the style here?

L'abattoir's a good recommendation. Go sit at the bar during happy hour (5:30 - 6:30), and you can eat through the entire first half of the menu for half price. Wine and cocktail specials, too, which are usually extremely good for Vancouver. Cocktail program is still very strong even after Shaun's departure.

The Alibi Room is also essential if you're a beer drinker, though I've always found the food to be completely forgettable. I'm always tempted to say the same about Chambar (go for the bar program and forget the food, especially at those prices), but that's a much more controversial opinion.

Other places in the area I like for cocktails:

Bambudda
The Diamond
Notturno
Pidgin
Keefer Bar
Wildebeest
Juniper
Campagnolo Upstairs (great burger, but they sell out really quickly these days)

Scout's 25 is a pretty decent list to look through when it comes to restaurants. It's not perfect, and it leaves out all of the "ethnic" places that make Vancouver great (go to Chowhound for that), but if you're interested in more contemporary dining, Scout does a pretty good job of covering what's out there. Standouts for me on the current list: Annalena, Bao Bei, Blue Water, Burdock (when they're on their game), Cinara, La Quercia, Vij's, Farmer's Apprentice (when they're on their game).

[dji]

great rundown everyone!

thinking of staying at Opus unless someone has better recommendations for hotels in downtown Vancouver. any shopping worthwhile? considering driving up to the Arc'teryx factory store while there, do they carry much Veilance?

was at Fremont again today, [codename] S.T.O.U.T. w/ Coffee, Cacao, and Oak is a very solid milk stout that's only available on draft at the brewery. highly recommended.

[hausofblaq]

I second Meat & Bread and Gyu-Kaku for Vancouver.

I recommend the various Guu locations around Vancouver, each one has its own unique theme and serves a slightly different menu.

Shopping-wise, I think you might be pretty disappointed.

A Nordstrom opened recently downtown, but the selection of brands they carry is subpar to the Nordstroms in the states.

Roden Gray in downtown carries brands like Nanamica and Thom Browne.

Neighbour, also in downtown, carries brands like Acne, Sunspel and Stephen Schneider.

If you dare wander into Richmond, Kokko in Aberdeen Mall carries brands like _7, RO and Guidi.

[dji]

cheers hausofblaq, is the Simons in West Vancouver worth the drive?

[hausofblaq]

Couldn't answer that for you, I actually haven't been there myself because it opened in October and I'm over in Ontario for school from Sept - April every year.

Other members could probably chime in, but the drive itself to where Simons is located is less than a 20 min drive from downtown Vancouver, if traffic is light.