I live for road trips and adventure. Maybe it’s the Vancouver girl in me- being raised beside the mountains and the ocean, I always feel like adventure is calling my name. When I was in University, my summers were filled with road trips. I think my parents thought I was crazy, because I always had this urgency to escape and chase fun. And now, in my late twenty’s that feeling is still here. I love getting away and exploring a new city, and by exploring I mean eating at every good restaurant and cafe in the city. Any other foodies out there?!

Portland is a very understated city. It is seriously a culture shock. Portland is Main street in a city (for those of you who aren’t from Vancouver, Main street is also known as our “hipster” street). I am not a hipster, but I will say, hipsters have good taste in coffee and food. And it helps that Portland has ZERO tax. That’s right, none. So if you buy a new pair of shoes for $120, it actually costs $120. Which means, it would be wrong if you didn’t shop till you dropped in Portland, right?

So as much as I’d love to talk about all the touristy things to do in Portland, I’m going to tell you what I look for in a travel blog, and that is where to eat and drink. So here are my recommendations for all the foodies out there:

Where to eat

Tasty N Alder: We went for brunch, and it was absolutely to die for. Their brunch is more “shared plates” style. My recommendation: order everything. It’s so good, you’ll have no regrets.
Tusk: Tusk is everything I look for in a quality restaurant: food is sourced locally, constantly evolving seasonal menu, and tons of vegan options.
Cafe Alorra: Yummy Italian food.

Where to drink

Heart Cafe: Make sure to add their housemade almond and cashew milk.
Good Coffee
Tula: Which is also an amazing gluten free bakery.
Stumptown Coffee at the Ace Hotel: The atmosphere is just as good as their coffee. Bring a good book, and make sure to order a latte or kombucha on tap.
Tusk: Try their Gucci Flip Flop, so good!