Merlin Varaday Concierge Services and Travel Writing

Get ready!  Feast Portland, PDX’s premiere culinary event, will take over the town September 17 - 20.  The event, presented by Title Sponsor Travel Oregon and National Media Sponsor Bon Appétit Magazine, will take place at over thirty locations around the city.  Food and drink enthusiasts can witness epic battles of celebrated chefs, learn about food and drink craftsmanship, visit an entire village dedicated to brunch foods and--most important--taste all our amazing state has to offer.

September is an amazing time in Portland for the health-conscious--all of the Pacific Northwest’s farm-to-table bounty is at its most...bountiful!  Farmers Markets are chock full of colorful offerings, and dining out--fantastic all year round for those who like to keep it nutritious, fresh, sustainable and flavorful--is at its peak.  The days are still sunny and long enough to enjoy Portland’s luscious dining scene.

It is a sin to kill a mockingbird. It is also a sin to waste a sunny Portland day by spending it indoors. Now that the bright, warm weather has hit, Stumptown residents are not wasting a single minute. Here are some places that you can enjoy the fabulous dining that Portland has to offer, and not miss out on a single ray of sunshine.

Bitterroot BBQ (5239 Ballard Ave.) in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood does BBQ right. And there is lots of it. Bitterroot is the creation of husband and wife team Grant and Hannah Carter. The cozy BBQ joint is named after the Bitterroot River in Montana, where the two used to fly fish together after meeting at the University of Montana.

On a busy Saturday night, Ankeny Alley is bustling, lit up by a string of lights that hang above the short street in Old Town Chinatown. Revelers can party at Berbati’s, enjoy a notorious Voodoo Doughnut, or duck into District for a cocktail. But if they want to sit down for a hearty meal, the best way to do that is to open the door at the end of the alley – Dan and Louis Oyster Bar (208 SW Ankeny St.).