Portland’s 2022 Good Food Awards Finalists

Portland area food artisans did well this year in the Good Food Awards, a project of the SF-based Good Food Foundation, with a strong showing in the West region (there are five regions total). According to the Foundation, “crafters from 42 states and D.C. rose to the top across 17 categories after a Blind Tasting of 1,966 products. They then passed a rigorous vetting to confirm meeting Good Food Awards sustainability standards.”

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Small Bites: Pumpkin Edition

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A scoop of Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Bread ice cream from Salt & Straw. Photo credit: Salt & Straw.

The fall weather has arrived and that means it’s time for fall flavors—including pumpkin. Savory or sweet, it tastes like autumn, and for me the season is incomplete without it. Here are some pumpkin (and more) foods you can get in Portland that I think sound particularly good.

Bakeshop. Their Caramelized Apple and Pumpkin Hand Pie is superb (I had one a couple of weeks ago) and can be ordered on the website for the weekend (when Bakeshop is open these days). Warning: this pastry is very flaky, so you might find yourself covered in delicious, delicious pastry shards while eating it. 5351 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland 

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Extraordinary Hand Pie and Cake at Bee’s Cakes Pop-up

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Some of the tasty treats at Bee’s Cakes during their pop-up retail event.

Today was the day—the day of the bakery pop-up at Bee’s Cakes! My friend Charlene and I headed over there this morning and found an abundance of irresistible choices. So many delicious options, from full-on cake slices to cookies to savory pastries. And speaking of savory pastries, the roasted red pepper, corn & goat cheese hand pie was stellar. Continue reading “Extraordinary Hand Pie and Cake at Bee’s Cakes Pop-up”

Small Bites – Bui Tofu, Davenport’s Cheeseburger, Paccasassi, and More

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Bui Tofu’s delicious pandan cake.

Fridays are often reserved for my “Four Things I Learned This Week” column, but I have collected so many tidbits this week, I’m opting instead for a Small Bites post this week. Let’s see what’s up.

Love letter to Bui Tofu. This place is wonderful and it was nice to read of Katherine Chew Hamilton’s love of the place. Her PoMo review highlights one of my favorite items there, the pandan cake; love the sesame balls, too. 520 NE 76th Avenue, Portland

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Woodblock Chocolate and Their Bicerin in Portland

Great Portland food: The bicerin drink at Woodblock Chocolate in Portland, Oregon.
The bicerin drink at Woodblock Chocolate.

While running errands this past weekend, I found myself at a sign pointing to the cafe at Woodblock Chocolate, one of Portland’s bean-to-bar chocolate factories. I had heard about their cafe space but had never visited; I’m now wishing I had done it sooner. There, I had many choices of chocolate bars, caramels, truffles, and drinks to consume, but it was the bicerin that really caught my eye and made my tastebuds happy.

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