What To Eat With 24 Hours In Portland, Oregon

Portland is known to be a foodie haven. It's a mecca for coffee, tea, cocktails, food carts, and fine dining. It is home to James Beard award-winning Thai restaurant Langbaan, birthplace of Stumptown, and ground zero for the ice cream sensation, Salt & Straw (where you'll find delicious oddities, such as olive oil ice cream). It's made it onto best-of lists for items as random as tuna sandwiches, for Pete's sake.

You'll find restaurants of every stripe, from Asian fare to African and South American cuisine to traditional European culinary traditions from across the continent. Literally, Portlanders defy you to try and find a taste to which they do not cater — it can't be done.

If you're hopping into town for only a day, though, it can feel pretty overwhelming to pick where to go. Portlanders are famous for saying "You have to try ... " as though their city exists in some sort of spacetime rift where clocks lose all meaning and you no longer have a schedule. You have to be choosy, so make a plan ahead of time by checking out the following list of the best places to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between.

Looking for a fun way to spend a Sunday morning? Salty's on the Columbia River will do the trick. With bottomless mimosas and endless views of the vast Columbia, you'll have a wonderful time whether you're with your S.O., girlfriends, family, or just rolling solo. It's open the rest of the week as well, but the hours vary pretty significantly depending on the day, and they only do brunch on Sundays. Make sure to check before you go.

Truly, though, if you're going to give Salty's a try, make an effort to get there on Sunday when it pulls out all the stops. Its brunch includes a breathtaking variety of seafood, from crab to salmon, unlimited oysters and shrimp, breakfast foods and sweet treats. Its buffet is truly alarming in one sense, which is that you can't possibly sample it all without bursting. It might just be the thing that drags you back to Portland again. When you add in drinks and desserts, as well as its menu for the rest of the week, it's basically the perfect restaurant.

Oh, and if you have a birthday coming up, don't hesitate to tell them. On a recent family visit, this writer's mother placed a call ahead of time and the restaurant pulled out all the stops: confetti on the table, a free dessert, and a free glass of champagne. Give it a try and see if you get the royal treatment too.

Nobody does French food in Portland like La Provence. Its original location was in Lake Oswego (where this writer grew up), a humble farmhouse-style building with hand-painted murals of the south of France on the walls. In the opinion of certain people (yours truly), it offers the best croissant in the entire world — literally — and that includes France itself. Plus, you've never seen a croissant this large, I promise.

It's not just pastries, though. You can get a huge range of breakfast items, hashes, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and more. If you've ever wondered why a restaurant salad tastes better, wonder no longer. La Provence shows you exactly why, with utterly delicious and creative lunch and dinner salads. At the top of the list sits the Northwest Salmon Salade, with salad greens and French lentils, tomatoes and salmon, feta cheese and vinaigrette all tossed up together. It comes with fresh-baked bread from their bakery, though you can always order one of their signature croissants for an extra fee.

Today, La Provence's famous pastries and Francophone cuisine has made them one of the most popular restaurant chains in the area, but they haven't lost their touch. You can now hit any one of its 11 locations and get the same experience you would at the original one. Pay a visit at any time of day, from early breakfast to late dinner, but make sure to check the hours online, as not all restaurants have the same ones.

If your goal is to avoid the bad eateries and find the best possible restaurants in town, then good news: you can make it easy on yourself by hitting up Screen Door. It's an uber-popular Portland destination for a reason. It's quality hangover food, it's fun for families, and it compares favorably with food in New Orleans, from which it takes much of its inspiration. Plus, the decorations are absolutely adorable, with an old-timey Louisiana feel that includes sparkling glassware, wallpaper, wooden details, and an eclectic array of decorative touches.

Its most famous dishes for those who live in town stem from the brunch menu, such as its biscuits and gravy or chicken and waffles (heartily recommend the latter, by the way). However, while the in-town locations on Couch and Burnside close at 2 p.m., it reopens for dinner later in the day with a whole new dinner and dessert menu. Not enough flexibility? It's open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Portland International Airport. If you're looking for grub on your way out of town, you can't find a better stop in Concourse B.

The veggie crowd often has a harder time finding a good place to eat when in a new city, but Blossoming Lotus has you covered. Its vegan menu is an appetizing blend of juices and smoothies, teas, pasta, bean bowls, and more. The food is colorful, aromatic, and well-designed, so that you leave full and without feeling like a rabbit who just munched on three carrots and seven lettuce leaves and is supposed to be happy about it. (The rabbit might be happy, but you won't be.)

This is also food you can feel good about. It orders from local farms wherever possible, so you're helping support the Portland food scene on a wider scale. Try the vegan bibimbap, a plant-based take on the super-popular Korean dish. The Green Bowl is also yummy, blending peas, asparagus, avocado, kale, quinoa, and toasted pepitas into a hearty meal that will keep you full of fiber for hours to come. Love vegan mac and cheese? You've got to try its version.

Everyone loves a sushi train, right? What better way to come down from a long drive or a day of sightseeing than by sitting down in a dimly lit restaurant with a lovely ambiance and grabbing the first thing you see? Luckily, Portland is here for you, so go ahead and hit up conveyer belt restaurant Sushi Hada on Williams.

For melt-in-your-mouth salmon collar, traditional salmon nigiri, or a mind-boggling range of rolls, you really can't find a better option. Its food is fresh, beautiful, and always well-stocked, so you won't have one of those empty-track experiences and have to wait around for the server. Instead, it's bustling with options, so many that some of them are stacked double, and you can order hot food from its attentive waitstaff soon after sitting down.

As a bonus, this is also a good place for vegetarians and vegans to eat. The menu contains lots of animal-free or purely plant-based options, from sesame balls to edamame to cucumber rolls. If you're a soup lover, make sure to order the miso, which is the perfect blend of salty and umami. Make sure to ask to see a menu if you don't see what you want on the track, because it has lots more to offer.

Jacqueline feels like you've stepped off the streets of Portland and into a quaint seaside dining establishment. It has the actual perfect atmosphere both indoors and out, with wooden tables and chairs, funky art, and a leafy green patio vibe. Plus, it has a happy hour that's to die for. Seriously, $1 oysters with a flight of different mignonettes? Yes, please. The lobster roll and mussels are also out of this world, though they're not always on deck, and its tasting menu is super fun.

Just make sure to queue up at about 4:30 p.m. if you want to get seated during happy hour; Jacqueline bumps, people. You can expect to wait for quite a while to get in if you come later, and you may even miss the happy hour. That's not the world's biggest deal because they also serve dinner, but if you want to be sure to make it at any time of day, get a reservation. Also note that its $1 oyster deal is only available during happy hour from 5-6 p.m.

A quaintrelle is, according to this restaurant's website, "a woman who emphasizes a life of passion, expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and cultivation of life's pleasures." Even non-women want to be that kind of woman, don't they? Either way, a stop here at Quaintrelle will sure make you feel that way for a few minutes, at least. If you're on a special trip and willing to spend a good bit of money, then this is the place to go.

Make sure you have the time, though, because it's a several-hour experience that involves either seven or 10 courses, your choice. Its tasting menu rotates constantly but includes such sample dishes as pâté, caviar, scallop, octopus, cheese, pasta, beef, pork, veggies, and many other fancy-lady food groups.

It also has an à la carte menu, but it's really not the same as letting Portland-born and -raised chef Elijah Rivers have his way with you. Pay for the tasting menu if you really want to know what Quaintrelle is all about, and if you've got super-de-duper funds to throw at it, opt for the wine pairings (about $100 extra per person with the prix fixe meal). If you want to get in and get out, but still enjoy a taste of Chef Rivers, then go ahead and order off the à la carte menu.

Located on Division, one of Portland's cutest and most walkable areas, Reel M Inn is the ultimate Portland dive bar experience. It has the best fried chicken and jojos in town, according to many of its devotees — and they know it, which is why its website says "Fried Chicken. Jojos." at the top. That's seriously the only advertising it needs because the food is just that good.

Don't make the mistake of thinking it's a restaurant, though; Reel M Inn truly is a bar, so you won't see the same level of service. The same individual both bartends and cooks, so you have to plan to get there, order, and post up while you wait for a nonspecific amount of time. You don't get to be a Karen about it (the locals will boo you), so come here for the food and atmosphere, not to sate your appetite in a hurry. Order a drink and linger at the bar or take your time over a game of pool.

By German Pub fFood, this place means German pub food. This ain't no halfway Americanized version; we're talking dishes with names such as Braunschweiger, Landjaeger, and Kassler Rippchen mit Sauerkraut. Hope you remember your high school language classes.

In all seriousness, though, Prost! (exclamation mark included) offers some truly delicious dishes. If you want some lighter noshes while you down an ale or two, try the Bavarian Pretzel or the Gurken Salat, a traditional cucumber salad with dill dressing and scallions. Other appetizer options include beet salad, sausage bites, a meat board, paté, and a cheese soup. Anything called cheese soup must be good, right?

If you're here for a main meal, don't worry: this place has you covered. Smaller items include a Bratwurst or Pretzel sandwich, the latter of which features a pretzel roll with meat, cheese, lettuce, onions, and mustard, served with soup or salad. You can also order up plates of sausage or pork tenderloin, accompanied by a huge selection of draft or bottled beer, wine, or German spirits.

If you need that cocktail as soon as you drive into town or climb off the plane, Gold Dust Meridian has your back. It's the perfect blend of laid-back and upscale charming, with mid-range cocktails and tons of tasty bar food with a classy twist. If you love a speakeasy vibe with wooden detailing and lots of leather, then this is the place to make your late-night pitstop. Make sure to come earlier if you want fast service, or later if you want that bumpin' bar scene.

As for cocktails, the sky is really the limit. Yes, you can ask for your favorites, and they'll whip them up quite competently. However, if you're the type who likes to be surprised, there's no better place for it than Gold Dust Meridian. Its cocktail list includes imaginatively named items, such as the Bleeding Heart, Pink Pillow, Radio Cab, and Chi Chi Slushy.

The hours are convenient for afternoon eaters and night owls alike, with the bar opening at 2 p.m. and closing at 2:30 a.m. the next day. Located on busy, charming Hawthorne Street, it's a great stop after a day of fun shopping in one of the artsier parts of town.

Pastries, but make them incredibly extra. That's what JinJu Patisserie has to offer, with pretty much everything you could ever need to sate your sweet tooth at any time of day. In its "dry case," it offers a range of croissant choices, coffee cake, scones, tarts, and more. Try the Cinnamon Orange Morning Bun, which is basically a croissant with cinnamon and orange zest ... yum. The Butterscotch Almond Blondie is also amazing, and if you're in the mood for savory, try one of its savory tarts: spinach and feta or mushroom and cheese.

In its cold case, you'll find all kinds of dessert tarts (such as lime-strawberry or lemon-raspberry flavors), cakes, and fruity creations. Homemade frozen Snickers? You know it. Add in Lemon White Chocolate Cake and a dark chocolate equivalent, as well as a carrot cake, and you're good to go.

As if that wasn't enough cases (is there any such thing?), it also has a chocolate case. There, you can choose chocolates in flavors ranging from citrus, tiramisu, tropical fruit, lavender, and so much more. Be careful with your planning if you want to visit JinJu, though, as it's only open from Thursday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. You cannot call ahead to order and its goodies tend to sell out quickly, so get there earlier in the day for the widest possible selection of treats.

If you've never had the Korean treat bingsu before, what are you even doing with your life? Bingsu (which you may also see spelled as bingsoo) is the perfect marriage of ice cream and snow cones — a rich, condensed milk-drenched shave ice chimera topped with cookies, fruit, whipped cream, or basically anything else you can think of.

Snowy Village on N Vancouver is the perfect place to lose your bingsoo v-card, with tons of options and a self-service ordering system that makes it easy to see all the options visually. Be careful, though, as the portions are absolutely enormous. You should definitely share the large, and possibly even consider sharing the small, which is the equivalent of roughly 2 cups of assorted dairy products. Yum! But also, stomachache.

If other people in your party love the sweets but you're looking for a savory treat, no worries. It also serves a type of panini-croissant combo filled with umami options, such as pesto cheese, pizza, and bacon cheese. Even those come in a sweet variety, though, so consider trying the red bean, custard, or (drool of all drools) Nutella.

It is literally impossible to find better cakes in Portland. Not only does Papa Haydn have an amazing selection ranging from patisserie-style bourbon balls to its signature boccone dolce, but it uses in-season ingredients and sources much of its food locally. This writer's family has been going there for special occasions for 30 years, and there's nowhere we'd rather celebrate a birthday or promotion. It has two locations, so you'll have an easier time finding one close to where you're staying.

One of its specialties is the Boccone Dolce, which translates to "sweet mouthful" in Italian, and it's a classic dessert from that region. It's a miraculously tall creation consisting of three tiers of meringue, filled with whipped cream and fruit. Raspberries and strawberries often figure prominently, though in summertime when they're fresh and plump, you'll get blackberries as well. In winter, the bananas make for a satisfyingly sweet filling. Because that's not enough, apparently, there's plenty of chocolate drizzle to top it all off. If Italian isn't your thing, don't worry: it has plenty of French cakes, cheesecake, and cookies to suit any taste.

You can also get a range of espresso drinks, beers, wines, cocktails, lemonades, and more. If you really want to blow it out, plan to eat dinner and dessert. Its menu features amazing pastas, burgers, meat dishes, pâté, and more. Just be warned: You will not have room for a whole dinner and a whole dessert. You just won't, so plan to share.