Portland, OR. Whether you are new to town or a long-time resident, Liz Crain’s recently published “Food Lover’s Guide to Portland,2nd Edition”, will fast become your friend when navigating the local food scene whether you’re hungry or thirsty.
Food-centric people come to Portland largely due to the freshness of the local foods produced here and also because of the chefs and artisans who take those ingredients and make them their own. Think of charcuterie, chocolate, fermentation, butchers, bread makers, distillers, let alone the insanely creative chefs who excel at producing dishes that make us eaters swoon. But where to start? How to find where to go and what they are making? That’s when you reach for “Food Lover’s Guide to Portland”.
The hundreds of spots, people, and resources mentioned in her book come after years of research. Says Crain, “I always tell people that this is definitely not a comprehensive book — there’s no way to include everyone and everything that makes the Portland food and drink scene so special without it being dry and reading like a phone book. Put simply, I’ve included the people and businesses that I dig the most. It’s a very subjective and biased eye into Portland food culture.”
And it’s more than just getting an idea where to go to eat – Crain drops in all kinds of tidbits of information that will educate even a self-proclaimed foodie. Learn the scoop about chef tattoos, artisanal salt, where to buy black truffles, sushi-grade fish, and who has a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) near you.
The gamut is wide, the deliciousness is deep. So if you’re headed to Portland, Oregon, in the near future or even if you’re a native, I recommend you pick up a copy. It’s one of those books you’ll keep in your car or your bike bag because you’ll never know exactly when you’ll need it and you’ll always wish it was nearby.
Note: If you’re in town Monday, September 1st, stop by Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider in NE Portland for the “Food Lover’s Guide to Portland” book launch party. Festivities begin at 6pm.
Full Disclosure: We received a free copy of this book prior to a review. Our opinions are freely our own, and are not influenced by any means of financial compensation.