pdx – C'est le Brie

I just got back from visiting my sister in Portland, Oregon and felt the urge to share some of the lovely meals and desserts we experienced over the course of five days. So here is my list of odd and spectacular foodie places to experience in PDX!

Screen Door – The Mother of All Brunches

Brunching is a huge deal in Portland. There are multiple episodes on Portlandia centered around brunching and the show features some of the best brunch restaurants around, including Screen Door. My sister and I are both avid brunchers always seeking both sweet and savory foods. I feel like it’s way too common that popular places are overrated, and I was nervous that Screen Door would not live up to my expectations. But indeed I was proven wrong and indulged in the most delicious brunch a girl could dream of. There were five of us dining and we all ordered different things which resulted in our table becoming a smorgasbord of an insane amount of food. We ordered basically everything: Eggs Benedict, Chicken and Waffles, Cathead Chicken and Biscuit Sandwich, Praline Bacon, Cheddar Grits, and Bananas Foster French Toast. Also keep in mind that each dish could easily feed three people until they are full. The Chicken and Waffles alone features three steak-sized fried chicken slabs on top of a ginormous waffle. It was glorious. And made us delightfully miserable for the rest of the day.

There was quite a long wait for Screen Door, but it just so happens that right next door is the perfect coffee shop to wander into while trying to waste time and which happens to be our next recommendation.

Kopi Coffee House – Best Coffee House

This is the coffee house every cafe should aspire to be. Its decor and ambiance is asian-inspired and tranquil, it has signature lattes as well as the classics, and features delicious breakfast sandwiches. I got the Crème Brûlée Latte that the barista caramelized with a torch in front of me. Perfection, right? So go and check it out!

Pip’s Original Donuts – The Best Bite-Sized Donuts in the Universe

If you wanna skip the VooDoo Donuts line, and stand in another line, albeit, a much shorter one, check out Pip’s Original. Grab yourself a dozen of Honey, Sea Salt and Nutella doughnuts and a yummy Chai drink before spending your day exploring the city!

Cascade Brewing – The Best Brewery in Portlandia

You have to go to at least one brewery when in Portland, and Cascade Brewing has a diverse beer menu as well as upscale bar food. It also has a great open patio where you can sip on as many beers as you like and just hang out in Portland and eat yummy pretzels.

Yataimura Maru – The Best Asian Cuisine

I don’t think I had ever truly had authentic Japanese food before coming to Maru on Division St. in Portland. The restaurant seems to transport you to Japan and allows you to soak up the culture. It has the most incredible Ramen dishes I have ever tasted and their Teriyaki Chicken is definitely worth a try as well. Definitely make sure to save room for dessert. We ordered the Red Bean Ice Cream and Mochi as well as the Tempura Banana with Vanilla Ice Cream— we may have gone a little bit overboard!

Rimsky-Korsakoffee House – Best Dessert House with a Thrill and a Really Creepy Bathroom

This is one of the most “Portland” places you could possibly go, it’s located on a dark street, in a creepy, creaky old house and serves dessert and coffee late until midnight. My sister hadn’t originally planned to take us here, but we decided to go after spending a long day hiking at Mount Hood and exploring the Timberline Lodge. We were just getting back to the city and the house seems like the set of a scary movie.

It has dark lighting and is decorated with candles and creepy puppets and wallpaper. My sister warned us of the enchanted trickery that the house is famous for, so we kept out eyes and ears open. Our waiter was extremely nice and had an intensely dry sense of humor that matched the spooky vibe of the house perfectly. We ordered a variety of the desserts they offer (the Banana Split was to die for!) and sat back and observed the eclectic frills and mischief.

The most alarming thing I have to admit is the bathroom. It is by far the creepiest room due to the most terrifying man-doll I have ever seen in my life. Even after we covered his face with a napkin, I made my mom wait for me right outside the bathroom door. I was more than certain he was going to start turning his head to stare at me or start whispering in my ear. He didn’t though, thank goodness!

Even More Amazing Places:

Salt & Straw – The Best Ice Cream in the World

Nothing I say about Salt & Straw will actually do this place justice. It is simply magic. And simply the best Ice Cream ever. Make sure to get a waffle cone, sample as many flavors as you desire, buy some merchandise, and enjoy uninterrupted happiness. Seriously, the line is worth the wait and you will not regret coming here!

See See Motorcycles Coffee – Best Merchandise and Portland Vibe

Its a dream coffee shop for motorcycle enthusiasts and has super cute clothes and decadent hot chocolate, I wish I could bring it back to the East Coast with me.

So now I recommend that everyone go to Portland and try these awesome places for yourselves! ❤

by Myles Katherine ❤

I’m obsessed with sugar. It’s bad. On every birthday, holiday or weekend day I treat myself to something extra sweet. As you’ll probably tell from the list, chocolate is my go-to. Plus, my birthday is on Valentine’s Day so it’s absolutely necessary and understandable to indulge in dessert. So, if you’re in the mood for a decadent treat, check out some of my favorite Portland dessert spots.

Petit Provence‘s ANYTHING – One of my favorite places to go in Portland if I have the travel bug and want to feel like I’m in Europe. The Brioche Banana French Toast is incredible, and they give you a free tart on your birthday (photo featured above)! They have multiple locations throughout Portland but the one on NE Alberta is my go-to. Their dessert case is beautiful and colorful and delicious. Fleur de Lis Bakery comes in a close second. I’m biased to this bakery because they are in my neighborhood and hello, convenience. But in my opinion, they have the most authentic tasting croissants this side of France.
Chocolate peanut butter pie from The Pie Spot – This is my I’ve-had-a-terrible-day-I-just-need-a-dang-chocolatey-treat dessert. Whenever I’m sad I need one of these or I can’t move on with my life. I like to take it home and warm it in my toaster oven. The chocolate and peanut butter combination is perfection.
Bourbon Ball from Papa Haydn – My boyfriend and I go here every so often for the Bourbon Ball because it’s enough for 2. It doesn’t look gigantic but it is so rich and filling. Plus, it has bourbon in it, and is there anything better than alcohol and chocolate? And if you don’t like chocolate, there are TONS of delicious options to choose from here. A lovely date night spot.
Cookie Monster Babycake from Petunia’s Pies & Pastries– This bakery is gluten free AND vegan. This cupcake is the best one I’ve ever had. EVER. ANYWHERE. So good. And sugary.
Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache Ice cream from Salt & Straw – In my opinion, the BEST ice cream in Portland, and possibly in the world. They rotate their flavors every month and use local ingredients. They pair up with restaurants around town to create completely unique flavors depending on the time of the year. I’ve been meaning to head down there this month to try their February flavors. They’ve paired up with a few chocolate shops around town to make flavors like Maple and Rose Chocolate and PB&J. CAN’T WAIT. The Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache is my go-to flavor but you really can’t go wrong. The Snickerdoodle is AMAZING too.
Chocolate lava cake from Pix Patisserie – Another fabulous date night spot. A wine bar AND dessert bar?! Count me in. The atmosphere is amazing. Everything I’ve had there is incredible. Macaroons, chocolates, cream puffs, etc. It’s like going to Paris without spending $1300 on a plane ticket. They also give free birthday desserts!
Alma Chocolate‘s Boozy Box – I make my boyfriend buy this for me every year for my birthday. These chocolates are the best in Portland (in my opinion, of course). They are intensely flavorful and rich. I’m a dark chocolate person, so I crave the bitterness and simplicity of a strong chocolate. The boozy box is filled with alcohol-infused chocolates. Their drinking chocolate is also incredible.
Saint Cupcake‘s Classic Vanilla Cupcake – In case you don’t like chocolate and want a simple, delicious basic cupcake, Saint Cupcake has you covered. I don’t typically enjoy simple cupcakes because I’m one to go for the cookie-dough-caramel-chocolate-coconut-peanut-butter all-in-one deals. But the vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing is everything you’d ever need in a cupcake. SO GOOD.
Pip’s Original Doughnuts & Chai – Made to order, these miniature doughnuts are a MUST every single time I’m in Portland. There is truly nothing better than a warm doughnut.
Blue Star Donuts Original Buttermilk – Yes. BETTER than Voodoo Doughnuts. Obviously, Voodoo Donuts is a nice tourist spot and fun to visit (I still go there for an ODB when I need oreos and peanut butter in my life). But Blue Star is where I go for quality and pure bliss.

Tag: pdx

Best Dessert Restaurants in Portland, Oregon