Dan & Louis Oyster Bar at SW Ankeny near the river

Jake’s, of course

Salty’s too

Here are my recommendations. I’m repeating some that deserve it.

To eat:

Pok Pok – Thai, expensive, creative and delicious. The Whiskey Soda Lounge across the street has really awesome chicken wings while you wait.

Tanuki – Japanese Izakaya, do the $20 chef’s choice, AMAZING. They play weird Japanese movies while you eat and don’t allow kids. I love it.

Tasty N Sons – Mostly American, best for brunch, not too spendy, really good. The burger is top notch, and the rest of the menu is great too.

Navarre – Tapas, not horribly expensive, great wine selection, excellent food. The vegetable plates are particularly good.

Bunk Sandwiches – Mostly hot sandwiches, $8-10 range, very very good. I like the Pork Belly Cubano, but I’ve tried quite a few and haven’t been disappointed.

Lucky Strike – Szechuan, reasonably priced, very spicy, VERY GOOD. I love the Mapo Tofu and the Dan Dan Noodles.

An Xuyen Bakery – Vietnamese Sandwiches, super cheap, fantastic. Don’t get the baked stuff though, it’s all pretty gross.

Pho An – Pho, around $8-10, terrible ambiance, good soup.

Panaderia Cinco De Mayo – Mexican grocery and Taqueria. Best beans and handmade tortillas I’ve had in a very long time, and I moved here from LA. The pastor is also delicious.

Taqueria Santa Cruz – Very popular spot. I’m a big fan of their carnitas tacos.

To do:

The Doug Fir and Mississippi Studios have the best sound, I don’t know who is playing in the next week though.

Forest park is nice to walk around in if it’s not raining (it will probably be raining).

There are lots of nice hikes in the Gorge, Wahclella Falls is a beautiful, easy hike. Again, better if it’s not raining.

A drive to Astoria, OR or Long Beach, WA is lovely. The Depot Restaurant in Seaview, WA is DELICIOUS. Get the Clams Bucatini.

Coffee shops are a nice place to relax. Crema has been mentioned, they have really good pastries. Random Order has the best pie in town. Fresh Pot or Albina Press are comfortable, and any Stumptown will get you a good cup of coffee.

Sights: Japanese Garden

You may have wanted to see what us Pacific NW people would suggest “cold,” which is fine. But I agree with some of the other commenters who have recommended you’ll read more tailored tips if we see more specifics as to your taste.

But now, plunging ahead: do Powell’s at some point fairly soon in your stay. Set aside 1.5 – 3 hrs for a quick browse (downtown store) during which time you can decide how long you’ll want to spend on your return visit.

Day trips: on an entirely rainy day, substitute a drive out to Astoria, coming back on the Washington side, for your otherwise trip up into the Gorge. But in any kind of hiking weather (includes fog, clouds, intermittent rain) DO visit The Gorge. Took me years of living here to fully appreciate THE GORGE.

Drive up the Wasnington side from Vancouver all the way to Hood River (a long hour), but watch the rivier for surfers, the second half of the way. If the wind is right and surfers are out you’ll find a park about twenty miles downriver from Hood River (Washington side) where you can watch surfers flying past just ten or thirty feet out from shore.

On your way back west (Oregon side) stop for the short loop hike between Oneonta Falls and Horsetail Falls. The hike is 2.5 miles max., as I recall, equals short, in any case, but will give you a very good feel for the magic that’s up all the green creeks and ravines that feed the Columbia.

You’ll have been two hours or so on the road by the time you get to the trail. The trail’s an easy hike, but given the scenery, if it takes you two hours to hike you’re better off looking at a thirty minute drive back west to Portland, with the Washington side already traveled and seen.

I’ll check with a few musician friends, see what they might suggest for live music, given what I can infer of your tastes from some of your weekend posts. I continue to hear that Portland music is pretty rich, multi-genre, but I still need guidance. On the other hand, I could steer you through Portland’s large and active Argentine tango dancing community : )

Any developing plans for a meet up type thing such as has happened occasionally on your other trips?

Meant to mention one more downtown hike: they call a walk along both sides of the Willamette River “the Esplanade.” This walk, crossing on bridges, let’s one see downtown from both riverbanks (east and west) in an easy couple of miles.. or one can continue upriver to the Sellwood bridge for river crossing and hike back downtown, in which case you’ll have around an eight mile hike, as I recall.

Coffee: Crema
Cocktails: beaker & flask
Sushi: bamboo sushi
Good cheap eats with a hip crowd: muu muu’s
True Portland locals joint, Italian: Gino’s

Grab a willamette week it will give you a calendar of everything going on.

Okay, coffee. Yeah, it’s Portland. Stumptown’s not bad, though I feel like Albina Press and Barista are the places to go for our particular brand of coffee snobbery. If you want to get good Java while being accosted by a smug hipster overflowing with knowledge concerning the specific neighborhood in Brazil where the beans were harvested (they didn’t just buy the beans from the farmers, they shook hands too), these are the spots for you. Also: they might just ignore you.
For coffee that is amazing, really, truly amazing, go to Love Cup in the Sellwood area. The people that run it are super friendly, the coffee is great, and they make a damn fine Turkey sandwich. It’s easy to find good food, beer, and Coffee here, but not good service.

If you’ve got time and company to help you eat: Toro Bravo for dinner, Tasty & Sons for brunch, and Apizza Scholls for pizza (get the one with truffle oil and sea salt and watch your companions take their first bite_. The wait at any of these places is worth it, and you can pass the time upstairs from Toro Bravo at The Secret Society and across the street from Apizza Scholls at The Space Room.

Solo: Food carts. You could probably pick one at random and it would be delicious, but I would check out http://www.foodcartsportland.com or Yelp to find more unique/eclectic ones. Why eat something you can eat anywhere else?

I would avoid McMenamens if you are only going to be here for a short time. The buildings are cool, they seem to be a good company, and they have a good concept, but the beers, coffee, and wine are only good, and the food and service are mediocre.

Powells can’t be missed if you are a book lover. It would be best to come with plenty of time, spending money, and maybe an agenda to find something particularly rare, or you may just feel overwhelmed.

Man, it is a shame that you won’t have more time. There is so much to see and do around here. I won’t be able to make your speech because I have class at PSU until 4PM. You should look into coordinating something with the Law & Disorder Conference next year though. You are just missing it this time around. https://lawandisorder.wordpress.com/flyer/

Keep up the great work and have a great time in the Rose City. Cheers!

For lunch, go to downtown Portland and find one of the various foodcart gathering grounds, or try Cartopia on the SE side.

For dinner, Beast, Laurelhurst Market, Le Pigeon, suggested in that order.

Saburo’s sushi is not good at all, it’s just large. It’s not bad really, just very meh.

Go to Voodoo Donuts for the experience, not the food – well, get like one donut, but don’t wait half an hour or anything.

Make sure to checkout Powell’s.

A word from Chart House Restaurant – Portland- http://www.opentable.com/chart-house-restaurant-portland
http://www.chart-house.com/

Located on historic Terwilliger Boulevard overlooking the Willamette River, Chart House features magnificent views of twinkling city lights, the river and on a clear day, Mt. Hood and distant Mount St. Helens. It’s one of the most remarkable settings in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1961, Chart House has been dedicated to providing the ideal dining experience. With 29 historic, waterfront & showcase locations across the U.S., Chart House offers spectacular views and exceptional service that you’re sure to enjoy. From fresh fish specialties to our slow-roasted prime rib, our renowned chefs have tailored a menu to complement local cuisine while introducing a hint of the exotic. Choose from our delicious entrées such as Lobster Francese, Macadamia Crusted Mahi or the Blue Cheese Filet Mignon. We also offer a daily selection of fresh fish, an extensive collection of fine wines and decadent desserts like our famous Original Hot Chocolate Lava Cake.

All 5 star recommendations

“Both the meal and setting were just perfect for the day. The server was excellent.”
OpenTable Diner since 2010 – dined on 04/01/2012

“This was our anniversary dinner it wat fantastic! Dinner was great and the sun lit up the mouintains. picture perfect!”
VIP OpenTable Diner since 2008 – dined on 03/24/2012

“A wonderful Portland institution that did not disappoint. Whether you eat in the restaurant or the lounge, the view is stupendous and the food was fabulous! The complimentary valet parking also very…”
OpenTable Diner since 2012 – dined on 03/23/2012

Hope it is a clear day or at least one clear day as to see the beauty of the PNW. It is a daunting sight to see all the scenes described above in one location.

I myself have dined here a few times myself and loved it every time.

Thank you for coming to the Portland-metro area. Welcome.