Category: Portland

portland-oregon-night

Portland! It’s where I live, work, and play. It’s where the food news happens (at least most of it). This category is one of the real constants on Bridgetown Bites and is probably a part of almost every post on this blog.

Posted on

First Tastes: Flavors of Summer in Portland

Good Portland food: Buttermilk Marionberry ice cream from Cool Moon in Portland's Pearl District.
Buttermilk Marionberry ice cream from Cool Moon.

The Portland food scene is full of mouthwatering options, and I love to try dishes that are new or new-to-me. Here are some recent tastes—the flavors of summer—and my first impressions of them.

Buttermilk Marionberry Ice Cream and Affogato, Cool Moon Ice Cream

I had passed this place before when I had less time on my hands, but after spending a warm afternoon in a few parks in the Pearl, we decided to duck in to cool down. I tasted their Coffee Crackle flavor first but the texture wasn’t as creamy as I wanted; then I tried the Buttermilk Marionberry and was hooked. It was smooth and creamy, slightly tangy, sweet and fruity from the seasonal marionberry swirl.

We also got an affogato with their cinnamon ice cream and it was a dream! Flavors of Saigon cinnamon and rich espresso were fast friends to make this dish a winner. I’d get both again. 1105 NW Johnson Street, Portland. Cool Moon Ice Cream website

Continue reading “First Tastes: Flavors of Summer in Portland”
Posted on

Asian-Style On My Mind

When I see an Oriental Chop Chop or a Secret Asian Man, I feel … weary. Because the language of the Asian salad is revealing of the dangers of bland, disembodied generalization: When you fail to see countries and cultures as discrete entities, what kind of consideration could you be expected to give to individual people?

–Bonnie Tsui, author of the essay, Why Is Asian Salad Still on the Menu?

The other night in Portland I ate a downright delicious thing called the Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich. Along with the pleasantly moist chicken with a crackly crust, the condiments hit all my favorite notes—creamy, tangy, savory, spicy—and the bun held the sandwich together without getting in the way of its filling. In the sandwich’s menu description there was a list of elements and they included, among other things, “Asian-style coleslaw.” What? 

Continue reading “Asian-Style On My Mind”
Posted on

Portland Area Food Events, July 13-20

french-flag
Bastille Day is coming up. Vive la France!

Each week we will bring you a roundup of public food events in the Portland metro area. It’s not every single event that’s going on, but the ones in particular that catch our eye. Want to submit an event? Fill out this form. Listings curated by Meg Cotner.

Vive La France Bastille Day Dinner
Thursday, July 13, 5:30pm and 7:45pm
Bergerac Bistro, 5520 NE Woodstock, Portland

Bergerac Bistro Chef and Owner Joris Barbaray creates and serves a four-course summer menu just in time pour la Fête Nat. He’ll recreate some of his favorite French seasonal dishes from his hometown of Bergerac, France. $45 per person. To book your table, call 503-777-6399; credit card required to confirm booking.

La Ruta PDX: A Gastronomic Festival
Thursday, July 13-Sunday, July 16, various times
Multiple locations

Celebrate Spain for four days in “one of the most innovative cities in the United States,” our own Portland Oregon. Spanish and Portland-based chefs “will showcase Spanish products, purveyors, and specialty equipment” to encourage collaboration and cultural/intellectual exchange on the topic of food and in the form of dinners, tastings, seminars and a Feria & Trade Show. Ticket pricing varies. 

Continue reading “Portland Area Food Events, July 13-20”
Posted on

I’m Volunteering at Feast Portland 2017

Last year when I moved to Portland, I came to know about Feast Portland embarrassingly (but understandably so) late in the game—pretty much all events were sold out by August, and I was still recovering from the intense move across the country, so attending was just too much to consider.

I’m pleased to say that I’ll be there this year, just not as an attendee—I’ll be a volunteer!

I’m pretty psyched, to say the least. I attended numerous food events as press over the years in NYC, and I saw how hard the volunteers and staff work to make each event a success. It’s my time to give back and be a volunteer myself. I think it’s going to be a great experience.