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A Walkable Downtown Dining Guide for Feast Portland

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Photo of Feast 2012/Pioneer Courthouse Square courtesy mastermaq via Flickr

The 2013 edition of Feast Portland kicks off tomorrow, meaning hundreds of very hungry folks will soon descend on downtown Portland (three of the main events — the Sandwich Invitational, Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, and High Comfort — are clustered around downtown's Director Park and Pioneer Courthouse Square). So for those looking to walk their way through the festival, here are Eater's recommended downtown dining options, from morning coffee through late-night, curated around the main Feast events. Need more dining suggestions for elsewhere around Portland? Click through and scroll down for those, too.


Need more dining suggestions? May we humbly suggest perusing:
· Eater's 38 Essential Portland Restaurants
· The Eater PDX HeatMap: What's Hot Now
· 21 of Portland's Must-Have Food Cart Dishes
· A Guide to Portland's 20 Best Coffeehouses and Roasters
· Presenting 20 Spots with PDX's Favorite Happy Hours
· An Epic Look at Portland's 21 Favorite Vegan Dishes

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

COFFEE: Courier Coffee

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One of Portland's most fiercely independent coffee house famously roasts its own, plays records at the bar, and delivers to wholesale accounts by bicycle. Take your pick of pour-over from the daily menu before trekking further downtown (FYI: there's very limited seating, so grab that cup to-go). [Photo]

COFFEE: Public Domain

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The downtown coffee house of Coffee Bean International, Public Domain provides a good spot for a quick check-in with the office: efficient baristas, free wi-fi. There's also an "espresso happy hour" every day from 11a.m. to noon. [Photo]

COFFEE: Stumptown

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You already knew about Portland's Stumptown, and if a pilgrimage is in order, its location in the Ace Hotel is the closest to downtown Feast happenings. Take your cup to the lobby of the Ace and enjoy its comfortable couches and great people-watching. [Photo]

LUNCH: Nong's Khao Man Gai

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Count this one as a must-visit. Downtown's beloved Nong's Khao Man Gai cart serves only one dish (poached chicken with rice and a simple broth), but it's as deeply soul-satisfying as any dish in Portland. Bonus points for its simplicity (cutting through all that Feast richness) and its supposed hangover-curing qualities. [Photo]

LUNCH: Kargi Gogo

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For a representation of the depth of local cart food, newish spot Kargi Gogo offers a unique cuisine even for the city's famously diverse cart scene: Georgian food. Create a combination plate of the khachapuri or lobiani (savory stuffed breads with cheese or spiced meats), beef and pork dumplings, and the (vegan!) eggplant, walnut and garlic rolls.

LUNCH: Lardo West

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Rick Gencarelli's Lardo joins an impressive local tradition of quality sandwich-making. In the vein of the Bunks and Meat Cheese Breads before, the spot elevates what can be accomplished between two slices of bread, resulting in dripping, satisfying pork meatball banh mis, grilled mortadella sandwiches, and arguably one of the city's best plate of "dirty" French fries.

LUNCH: The Whole Bowl

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A longtime cart favorite (now with three locations), the Whole Bowl's all-vegetarian bowl may be the perfect healthy respite from feasting. It's simply a fist-sized bowl of beans and brown rice topped with avocado, salsa, and other toppings; hearty and healthy, it'll provide the best excuse to go all-out later. [Photo]

BRUNCH: Clyde Common

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The versatile Clyde Common would also be a solid bet for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and late-night cocktails. But Clyde is best utilized as downtown's no-wait weekend brunch, offering a hearty and savory menu that's best described as an upscale lumberjack breakfast.

BRUNCH: Portland Farmer's Market at PSU

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On Saturday morning, take a walk down to the PSU Park Blocks and cobble together brunch at the farmer's market: coffee from Cafe Velo, bagels from Tastebud, huevos rancheros from Verde Cocina, and/or the infamous biscuit sandwiches from Pine State Biscuits. (And that's not even mentioning the samples, pastries, fresh fruit, and other goodies that can be found at PDX's premier market.) [Photo]

HAPPY HOUR: Imperial

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The bar at downtown's Imperial is always worth making a trip for Brandon Wise's on-tap craft cocktails. But during happy hour, they're an unbeatable deal: $5 each, best paired with a $3 basket of fries.

HAPPY HOUR: Bailey's Taproom

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Downtown's best taplist lives at Bailey's Taproom: its 24 rotating beers (mostly, but not all, from Oregon) are monitored via digital menu board. And though there are no specific happy hour specials per se, the bar opens at 2p.m. for daytime drinking at your own pace. [Photo]

HAPPY HOUR: Ración

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Need a light snack pre-event? It's a slim window of a happy hour, but chef Anthony Cafiero's Racion offers his modernist take on tapas for $7 each, 5-6p.m. Don't let the "modernist" label discourage you: food and cocktails are more playful than cerebral.

DINNER: Tasty 'N Alder

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John Gorham's downtown Tasty N Alder riffs on his super-popular brunch spot Tasty N Sons, and it provides a heavier focus on "steakhouse fare" in the evenings. But it's a steakhouse done Gorham-style, meaning global influences expertly collide: you can get a strip steak done bulgogi-style with a side of plancha duck breast and/or Brazilian fish stew.

DINNER: Grüner

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Chef Chris Israel's Alpine restaurant Gruner offers an expertly executed menu with inspiration from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, simultaneously comforting and surprising. In true Portland style, sausages and charcuterie are made in-house and seasonal salads shine. Have a pre-dinner drink at KASK next door.

DINNER: Shigezo

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Arguably Portland's best bowl of ramen can be found at Shizego, a local outpost of a Japanese chain restaurant. The latter fact may diminish some of Shizego's appeal, but all doubts will be silenced with a bowl of its Kumamoto ramen. And with its proximity to Director Park, home of the Sandwich Invitational, what better to pair with sandwiches than a bowl of soup?

LATE NIGHT: Departure Restaurant & Lounge

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Those attending the High Comfort event can after-party right upstairs at Depature, one of Portland's swankiest rooms. Pair a nightcap (neat) with chef Gregory Gourdet's carefully built, Asian-inspired dishes (like chunks of pork belly with pickled cherries) — the spot's open until 1a.m. on weekends.

LATE NIGHT: Little Bird Bistro

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Open until midnight, the more traditional bistro by Le Pigeon's Gabe Rucker and chef Erik Van Kley offers a limited evening menu designed to appeal to every need. For light eaters, there are salads, smoked trout, and a Jambon de Paris and gruyère; the famished can indulge in chicken-fried trout, hanger steak, and/pr the famed Le Pigeon burger. Want just wine and dessert? There's that, too.

LATE NIGHT: Cassidy's

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This casual "bartender's hangout" earns that designation for staying open until 2a.m. daily, serving a hearty late-night menu to help soak up all those classic cocktails. [Photo]

LATE NIGHT: Momo's

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In the mood for something divier? Downtown's Momo's isn't a true dive, but its sprawling back patio draws a diverse crowd drinking mostly cheap beer and well drinks. It's open 'til 2:30a.m. [Photo]

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COFFEE: Courier Coffee

One of Portland's most fiercely independent coffee house famously roasts its own, plays records at the bar, and delivers to wholesale accounts by bicycle. Take your pick of pour-over from the daily menu before trekking further downtown (FYI: there's very limited seating, so grab that cup to-go). [Photo]

COFFEE: Public Domain

The downtown coffee house of Coffee Bean International, Public Domain provides a good spot for a quick check-in with the office: efficient baristas, free wi-fi. There's also an "espresso happy hour" every day from 11a.m. to noon. [Photo]

COFFEE: Stumptown

You already knew about Portland's Stumptown, and if a pilgrimage is in order, its location in the Ace Hotel is the closest to downtown Feast happenings. Take your cup to the lobby of the Ace and enjoy its comfortable couches and great people-watching. [Photo]

LUNCH: Nong's Khao Man Gai

Count this one as a must-visit. Downtown's beloved Nong's Khao Man Gai cart serves only one dish (poached chicken with rice and a simple broth), but it's as deeply soul-satisfying as any dish in Portland. Bonus points for its simplicity (cutting through all that Feast richness) and its supposed hangover-curing qualities. [Photo]

LUNCH: Kargi Gogo

For a representation of the depth of local cart food, newish spot Kargi Gogo offers a unique cuisine even for the city's famously diverse cart scene: Georgian food. Create a combination plate of the khachapuri or lobiani (savory stuffed breads with cheese or spiced meats), beef and pork dumplings, and the (vegan!) eggplant, walnut and garlic rolls.

LUNCH: Lardo West

Rick Gencarelli's Lardo joins an impressive local tradition of quality sandwich-making. In the vein of the Bunks and Meat Cheese Breads before, the spot elevates what can be accomplished between two slices of bread, resulting in dripping, satisfying pork meatball banh mis, grilled mortadella sandwiches, and arguably one of the city's best plate of "dirty" French fries.

LUNCH: The Whole Bowl

A longtime cart favorite (now with three locations), the Whole Bowl's all-vegetarian bowl may be the perfect healthy respite from feasting. It's simply a fist-sized bowl of beans and brown rice topped with avocado, salsa, and other toppings; hearty and healthy, it'll provide the best excuse to go all-out later. [Photo]

BRUNCH: Clyde Common

The versatile Clyde Common would also be a solid bet for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and late-night cocktails. But Clyde is best utilized as downtown's no-wait weekend brunch, offering a hearty and savory menu that's best described as an upscale lumberjack breakfast.

BRUNCH: Portland Farmer's Market at PSU

On Saturday morning, take a walk down to the PSU Park Blocks and cobble together brunch at the farmer's market: coffee from Cafe Velo, bagels from Tastebud, huevos rancheros from Verde Cocina, and/or the infamous biscuit sandwiches from Pine State Biscuits. (And that's not even mentioning the samples, pastries, fresh fruit, and other goodies that can be found at PDX's premier market.) [Photo]

HAPPY HOUR: Imperial

The bar at downtown's Imperial is always worth making a trip for Brandon Wise's on-tap craft cocktails. But during happy hour, they're an unbeatable deal: $5 each, best paired with a $3 basket of fries.

HAPPY HOUR: Bailey's Taproom

Downtown's best taplist lives at Bailey's Taproom: its 24 rotating beers (mostly, but not all, from Oregon) are monitored via digital menu board. And though there are no specific happy hour specials per se, the bar opens at 2p.m. for daytime drinking at your own pace. [Photo]

HAPPY HOUR: Ración

Need a light snack pre-event? It's a slim window of a happy hour, but chef Anthony Cafiero's Racion offers his modernist take on tapas for $7 each, 5-6p.m. Don't let the "modernist" label discourage you: food and cocktails are more playful than cerebral.

DINNER: Tasty 'N Alder

John Gorham's downtown Tasty N Alder riffs on his super-popular brunch spot Tasty N Sons, and it provides a heavier focus on "steakhouse fare" in the evenings. But it's a steakhouse done Gorham-style, meaning global influences expertly collide: you can get a strip steak done bulgogi-style with a side of plancha duck breast and/or Brazilian fish stew.

DINNER: Grüner

Chef Chris Israel's Alpine restaurant Gruner offers an expertly executed menu with inspiration from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, simultaneously comforting and surprising. In true Portland style, sausages and charcuterie are made in-house and seasonal salads shine. Have a pre-dinner drink at KASK next door.

DINNER: Shigezo

Arguably Portland's best bowl of ramen can be found at Shizego, a local outpost of a Japanese chain restaurant. The latter fact may diminish some of Shizego's appeal, but all doubts will be silenced with a bowl of its Kumamoto ramen. And with its proximity to Director Park, home of the Sandwich Invitational, what better to pair with sandwiches than a bowl of soup?

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LATE NIGHT: Departure Restaurant & Lounge

Those attending the High Comfort event can after-party right upstairs at Depature, one of Portland's swankiest rooms. Pair a nightcap (neat) with chef Gregory Gourdet's carefully built, Asian-inspired dishes (like chunks of pork belly with pickled cherries) — the spot's open until 1a.m. on weekends.

LATE NIGHT: Little Bird Bistro

Open until midnight, the more traditional bistro by Le Pigeon's Gabe Rucker and chef Erik Van Kley offers a limited evening menu designed to appeal to every need. For light eaters, there are salads, smoked trout, and a Jambon de Paris and gruyère; the famished can indulge in chicken-fried trout, hanger steak, and/pr the famed Le Pigeon burger. Want just wine and dessert? There's that, too.

LATE NIGHT: Cassidy's

This casual "bartender's hangout" earns that designation for staying open until 2a.m. daily, serving a hearty late-night menu to help soak up all those classic cocktails. [Photo]

LATE NIGHT: Momo's

In the mood for something divier? Downtown's Momo's isn't a true dive, but its sprawling back patio draws a diverse crowd drinking mostly cheap beer and well drinks. It's open 'til 2:30a.m. [Photo]

Related Maps