Tusk PDX Along With A Few Other Portland Faves
Well we finally made it to Oregon on this trek! At this point it had been about two and half weeks or longer that we traveled from Oklahoma on our little BMW motorcycle named Ramona and I am finally sharing my Portland faves to today on Go French Yourself including the most amazing stand-out-meal of my whole Northwest Trek last summer. And I went to a ton of places in various states so Tusk, this should be a huge compliment to you! And thank you for making my Portland trip! If you all have followed me for quite some time, you know that I did not exactly have the best time in PDX and was so angry to use 48 hours there but time has gone by and I am choosing to focus on the positive experiences there vs the negative.
But really if I could do it over again, I would have skipped Portland but then I would have never met Tusk soooo....
I am still dreaming of that "Feast From The Middle East" in fact. Best meal, best place, and I would return to Portland just to dine at Tusk.
Tusk takes the top spot for most beautiful restaurant in my eyes. The bustling bright, white dining room is so swanky and modern. And a giant portrait of Keith Richards floating in a swimming pool will greet you with a 'Okay I loooove this place' kinda greeting. We chose the perfect little spot right at the very corner end of the bar actually. We didn't make reservations so it was pretty slim pickings but honestly-I think I would do the bar every single time. The energy is amazing up there and you can get a pretty good view into the kitchen where all the magic is happening. They do have a patio also!
All veggies and most flours and grains are sourced directly from local farms. All the dishes are meant to be shared so don't be shy. Their small portions too which we loved so we could really sample as much as possible and still leave room for some ice cream. And even the dishes are so gorgeous. They really did think of every detail here.
Oh Tusk, how I love you so.
2448 EAST BURNSIDE STREET
PORTLAND, OREGON 97214
503.894.8082
And for a few other Portland faves....
Alder Street Food Cart Pod-The largest downtown collection of Portland’s famed food carts is located between Southwest Alder and Washington streets, from Southwest Ninth to Southwest Tenth avenues. Most carts are open extended lunch hours on weekday afternoons. A few carts have limited sidewalk seating but Director Park is nearby. We grabbed our lunch and ate in the park.
Blue Star Donuts- I much prefer these brioche made donuts from scratch, with fresh fruits, herbs and spices and liquors to the craziness of Voodoo Donuts. I am just simple. And you cannot go wrong with their Raspberry Rosemary Buttermilk or their Passionfruit Cocoa Nib donut. The coffee is great too.
Cassidy Restaurant-Cassidy's Restaurant is located in a historic building in the heart of downtown Portland, within walking distance of major hotels and steps from the Crystal Ballroom. Cassidy's menu features creative regional cuisine of local seafood, premium-cut meats, and fresh pasta. They offer a well-chosen wine list, a beer selection including the best microbrews, classic cocktails and a bar that has earned its reputation as one of the finest in town — all in a friendly and comfortable atmosphere. It's open late too!
Cloud City Ice Cream- Handmade ice-cream comes in many unique flavors! It's delish. Need I say more?!
Clyde Common- Adore this European style tavern serving delicious food and drinks. Plus it was in our hotel-The Ace.
Stumptown Coffee- Also in The Ace and one of my favorite coffees in the whole world!
Frances May- Frances May is a directional men's and women's boutique and I want every single thing in here! Founded in 2008 with Pamela and first FM employee, Ashley, at the helm, the brand began curating select women's products and quickly expanded into menswear in the Fall of 2009 due to customer inquiries and enthusiasm. Frances May's approach is both personal and aspirational and has built a reputation on stocking hard-to-find goods from both established and up-and-coming, independent designers. They are a team of 9 holding it down at the store, creating content for the web, shipping out your packages and providing free astrology advice.
Backtalk- Backtalk was started in 2012 by Katie Freedle in Portland, OR. It displays a unique selection of work from emerging female designers around the USA. Everything is either handmade or vintage, uniting affordability, ethical production, and accessibility within the Portland fashion industry. It is a retail space that blends independent apparel, jewelry design and art with vintage womenswear. Everything is drop dead gorgeous.
Powell's Books- Powell’s City of Books is the largest used and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block and housing approximately one million books. Located in downtown Portland’s Pearl District, the City of Books has nine color-coded rooms and over 3,500 different sections, offering something for every interest, including an incredible selection of out-of-print and hard-to-find titles. Dozens of acclaimed writers, artists, and thinkers visit each month to read in the Basil Hallward Gallery (located upstairs in the Pearl Room), and a one-of-a-kind Rare Book Room draws bibliophiles from near and far to browse an impressive collection of autographed first editions and other collectible volumes.
Let me know of some of your fave Portland gems in the comments below!
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