What We Ate: Portland

So we’ve got ourselves a series! Make sure you’ve eaten before reading on to avoid drooling on your computer…

We were starving by the time we rolled into Portland on Monday afternoon so we went straight to Bunk Sandwiches and ordered the meatball sub and pork belly cuban. These sandwiches were all-caps-worthy. I’m talking GOOD. Straight-forward, hot, filling and delicious. I wish I could try every sandwich on their extensive menu. 

We stopped by Lovejoy Bakers in the Pearl District to take a breather in the adirondack chairs that line their patio. This was where we first tried our new favorite coffee, Stumptown. A friend told us about Stumptown in Seattle and after trying the cold brew, we bought a bag for french press mornings at campsites. 

Blue Star Donuts wins the award for first restaurant we hit up twice in one city! We had heard that Blue Star was better than the now-famous Portland original Voodoo Doughnut and needed to confirm the rumor (we had Voodoo a few times in Denver). Well, consider it confirmed, folks. On our first try, we got a coconut coffee cheesecake donut that was decadent and just the right density. Interestingly, for a donut, it wasn’t super sweet, so all the subtle flavors were able to come through without being overpowered by tons of sugar. The next day, breakfast was another Blue Star donut, this time the buttermilk lemon poppyseed. Again, just the right density and not too sweet, even with a glaze. These donuts are the real deal. 

We drove to Hood River before dinner one night so we ended up having pizza at Double Mountain Brewery. Although you’d probably go there for the beer, it was actually really tasty thin crust pizza. (And I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just the beer making it taste so good…)

If I lived in Portland, I would be at Pine State Biscuits at least once a week. The Reggie (fried chicken, bacon and cheese on a biscuit smothered in sausage gravy) gives even a Charleston favorite, the Hominy Grill’s “Big Nasty,” a run for its money. The biscuit was big and fluffy, the chicken was crispy - this was so(ooo) delicious. Mike and I split one - we’re learning self control one meal at a time!

Before meeting our friend AJ for dinner on our last night in town, we stopped at The Sweet Hereafter for a beer and appetizer. It’s a vegan menu, which I would normally roll my eyes at, but everything sounded great and the antipasto plate full of hummus, olives, pickled veggies and piled high with slices of baguette, which we split, was epic. And, it was only $8. Paired with a $2 tallboy PBR, it doesn’t get much better. 

We’ve found that local recommendations are almost always the best meals we have. This was true again in Portland when AJ picked the dinner spot and met us at Güero PDX. The food truck is located in a food cart "pod," or lot, an area with three food trucks and a microbrew truck, complete with taps sticking out of the side. Very Portland. We split a torta, which we hear they’re known for. It was big, so splitting it left us both happy and full enough to round out our food tour in Portland. 

What We Ate: Seattle

Sampling new and unique cuisine is one of my favorite things (if not my very favorite thing) about traveling. This is especially true when visiting a foodie paradise like Seattle. On the drive in, I was already reading articles on Eater, Thrillist, Buzzfeed and others about Seattle’s best, essential restaurants. Though we’re sticking to a budget (or at least trying to), we were still able to enjoy a range of delicious Seattle eats - more about each of them below! 

Marination Ma Kai in West Seattle was the perfect first stop for us, thanks to both an incredible view and easy parking. (If you can’t find a spot in their parking lot, there’s ample street parking in the area.) You can eat Hawaiian fare while overlooking the water, taking in the awesome city skyline and watching ferries come and go. How “Seattle” is that? Better yet, low prices mean you can sample a decent portion of their menu. For $22, we tried the miso ginger chicken taco, kalbi beef taco, SPAM slider, kimchi quesadilla with kalua pork and hawaiian mac salad (with SPAM). If you haven’t already guessed, SPAM is what they’re known for. The slider was salty but surprisingly tasty! I read that Marination got its start as a food truck but became so popular that they were able to expand to two storefronts (including Ma Kai, where we ate) with another opening soon. After eating there, we totally get it. We’d definitely recommend this place!

After spending the greater part of our first afternoon looking for parking, we finally met up with our friends Nicole and Lance, who just moved to Seattle, at Elliott’s Oyster House's Cafe 56. A few cold beers and fish & chips was just what we needed to de-stress and satisfy my seafood craving. This place checked all the right boxes with good food, a great location and even better company. (Thanks again for dinner and letting us crash at your place, Nicole and Lance!) 

Mike had read about The Wurst Place, a Belgian-inspired bar known for frites. It was our first stop while riding the Ruckus around downtown and we were not disappointed. It was just before noon in Seattle but 5pm somewhere, as they say… No matter what time of day, cold beer with double-fried fries, plus tater tots and creative dipping sauces (we had basil aioli and honey mustard), is a righteous pit stop. Seems like it would be a great choice for happy hour, too!

Sorry about the photo quality - it was dark in there!

After our beer and fried potato indulgence earlier in the day, we weren’t hungry until late in the afternoon, which is a sort of awkward time to eat. Luckily, Nicole and Lance were in need of a packing break and Lance suggested Pike Place Chowder. Stoked to eat more seafood and even more stoked to explore Pike Place Market, we accompanied Lance on the food run. Pike Place Chowder's sampler, with four 5oz cups, was just the right amount for sharing. We tried the seafood bisque, new england clam chowder, market chowder and southwestern chicken and corn chowder and they were all delicious. I also love that they aren’t shy about giving you as much sourdough bread as you want. (I would dip my bread into bread if i could...)

On Saturday night, we were looking for casual food at a casual place not too far from Nicole and Lance’s new apartment. I stumbled upon an article that called The 5 Point Cafe out for being one of the best, grittiest dive bars in Seattle and, after taking a glance at their menu, knew we had to try it. While some of us were super happy with our meals (the hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes that I ordered probably weighed about five pounds and I ate the entire thing), two of five in our group ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich and were served the wrong thing twice. I guess even though they have a buffalo chicken sandwich on their menu, they don’t actually know what it is? So, this one seems to be hit or miss.

It’s hard to pick a favorite because we ate so much yummy food in Seattle but I think the brunch we had at Oddfellows Cafe + Bar may have been the best. The recommendation came from the lovely Mina, a 6+ year Seattle resident, who met us there. We sat in their charming back patio area, where there are only a few small tables, and filled up on homemade biscuits with eggs, cheese and bacon as well as a huge piece of french toast covered in raspberry compote. (To be honest, it was more like a cake than french toast, but I wasn’t complaining.) 

Din Tai Fung popped up on a few “best restaurant” and “Seattle staple” lists. Mike and I both love dim sum, so we penciled it in for dinner. But, since we had eaten such a big brunch, we kept it light, ordering the sweet & sour spare ribs, potstickers and the pork XiaoLongBao dumplings, Din Tai Fung’s most popular. (We were also able to side-step the hour-long wait by snagging two seats at the bar, which is full service!) The food was well worth it but the location was kind of odd (in a corporate shopping mall), so we’d recommend checking out one of the other locations. 

On our way out of town, we stopped at Husky Deli & Catering, a gourmet food store that’s also known for their homemade ice cream, which I discovered easily by Googling “best ice cream Seattle.” There was a line when we got there but it moved quickly and within 10 minutes we were happily monching rich, creamy ice cream. Mike got coconut and coffee oreo, I got swiss chocolate orange and “husky chip” (a classic vanilla with dark chocolate shavings). Hands down, it was some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. This one is a must if you’re in the area. (We also heard great things about Seattle ice cream chain Molly Moo’s but never had a chance to check it out!) 

Honorable mention: Cherry St. Coffee. Would you believe me if I said I didn’t drink Starbucks once while in Seattle? Well, it’s true. The only coffee shop stop was Cherry St., where we picked up morning joe for everyone on our first full day. While we only grabbed coffee and didn’t eat there, the smell of everything bagels combined with super helpful staff was as welcoming as it gets. Plus, I guess it means something for a coffee chain to be able to survive on Starbucks’ home turf? 

PS. we were loving the food in Seattle so much that we forgot to take photos before we devoured most of it! We’re working on that for future posts…