My wife and I recently spent a few days in Portland, Oregon. Our family stepped up to take care of the kids while we were away, and we had a great time. Why Portland, you ask?

This is the second of a two-part series of travel blog posts on good reasons to visit Portland, Oregon. In this post, I want to talk about food. Now, I don't want to talk about food from the perspective of a food critic. Food critic blogs are legion, and I'm not interested in joining them anytime soon. I am, however, drawn to talk about food in the context of value and connection.

The best way to connect with any community is through the food it offers. Experiencing the tastes and flavors of the local food scene is a great way to understand the culture of any city you might visit. My best vacations are the ones where I connect with good food. When you travel, your senses tend to heighten, and you have a way of being more mindful of what you're eating. The smell of coffee brewing will always stand out when you enter a cafe in a city you visit, and a humble dish of Pollo Scarpariello can change your life.

Portland has a legendary food scene and has a lot to offer in terms of experiences that will leave you feeling full and satisfied. Portland is notable for attracting lovers of coffee and beer. Those who love either or both will often make a pilgrimage to this city to partake of these soul-fueling drinks. As a result, there are dozens of great cafes and brewpubs in Portland.

A PINT WITH A TALKING TREE

My favorite brewpub on this trip was Treebeerd's Taphouse. A Lord of the Rings Themed taphouse designed for those who are fans of those stories. I loved the Gandalf quote at the entrance, "Speak Friend to Enter." For those of you who have forgotten, that was the riddle The Fellowship of the Rings had to solve to enter the mines of Moria. In case you're wondering, the answer to that riddle is the Elvish word for friend; “Mellon." I didn't have to use the password; I just went in and had a friendly visit. There were at least 33 different drinks available. I found the list a bit intimidating because I was familiar with none of the offerings. What I like to do when I come across a big menu is take a chance and trust that a server knows the menu well enough to make some helpful suggestions. All I had to do was tell the server what I didn't like and that I was open to anything else. In my case, I can't have a beer with milk or nuts in it, and I'm not into sours. He nodded and simply said, "I got this; let me pick some of my favorites for you." I also ordered a pretzel and waited for him to bring me a flight of beers. I enjoyed my flight! There was enough variety to keep the experience exciting, and at the end of the tasting, I couldn't settle on a favorite because they were all great. What stands out from this experience was that I was reminded that at the core of hospitality is trust. I trusted the server to find something good for me and was rewarded for it. You know you've found a good restaurant if you can trust the team working there to serve you something great when you need help deciding what to order. This risk-and-reward experience often happens in small independent restaurants or hotels. More often than not, I’ve had rewarding experiences when I’ve asked a server or bartender to make something for me that they’re proud of. Give it a try!

KACHKA

Tammy and I wanted to try the restaurant "Kachka." This eatery was featured on a "Somebody Feed Phil" episode on Netflix. Kachka features Russian and Eastern European cuisine. We have never said to ourselves at any time, "Hey, let's go have Russian food tonight." so this visit was a bit out of left field for us. It’s also odd, considering the current conflict in Ukraine. That being said, I was impressed by their explicit support of Ukraine and made the decision to book when I read their statement of support. I was also intrigued that this is a "no tipping" restaurant. A few years ago, someone started a restaurant with a similar concept in Edmonton; sadly, it did not last. How did a no-tipping environment impact the experience at Kachka? All of the staff were smiling, hard-working, and extremely hospitable. The food was delicious and arrived at our table relatively quickly. At one point, our server brought us an extra serving of dumplings because they felt bad about a slight delay in delivery time because they were serving a larger party. We certainly were not looking for this, but we appreciated it and love the spirit of generosity! This menu was foreign to us, but our server patiently and kindly walked us through the offerings and made some helpful suggestions. Our server went the extra mile for me and noted directly on our menu which items I should avoid for my food allergies. We felt like this restaurant had a great culture, and we would be happy to go back and support them in the future. In terms of the food quality, what impressed me most, was that the goal of the kitchen was to prepare the dishes as authentically as possible without pomp and circumstance. I’m a fan of fancy plating, but in this case, I think trying to be fancy would have taken away from the experience. While I didn’t grow up on cabbage rolls, I feel like going out of your way to make an avant-grade cabbage roll would kill the soul of the thing. It was prepared like a home dish presented to a visiting friend. It was wonderful and delicious. The restaurant had a genuine sense of welcome and hospitality. I’m really glad we tried it, if anything, to be reminded that being great doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to be unusual; you just need to put your heart into whatever you’re doing and be authentic.

Donuts.

When in Portland, you must have some donuts! Most people would have heard about Voodoo donuts and the strange but creative donut offerings. While they certainly get a lot of attention, I would rather point you in the direction of Blue Star Donuts, one of Portland's great home grow businesses. My wife and I agree that while Voodoo Donuts has a catchy gimmick and brand, Blue Star Donuts has substance, flavor, and a much better experience from start to finish. We enjoyed it so much that we went back for a second experience. My favorite donut was the Cointreau Crème Brûlée. With a name like that, you would expect a torched sugar surface and a cream-filled center- but the small pipette filled with orange liqueur is next level! The quality and creativity of the donuts made us feel extra happy to be alive. If you’re in Portland, I recommend doing a bit of research and trying at least 2 or more different donut shops.

Parting thoughts on our trip to Portland.

I'd be remiss if I didn't address an aspect of visiting Portland that some would highlight. There are many interesting parallels between Portland and my hometown Edmonton. Both towns have a lot of space and opportunity for entrepreneurs or anyone wanting to try something different. However, both are really challenged right now in terms of the effects of homelessness on a city. Some parts of the city are very dirty, and you need to keep your eyes and ears open when traveling. It didn't phase me at all because that's what our downtown is like now. These unique experiences of hospitality that I’ve highlighted in this post shine through amid large-scale challenges. All that to say, It's important that we train our eyes to see the good in a city. I’m going to tell you about the great experiences we discovered. A different traveler could visit Portland and return only to talk about a messy street they came across. Both stories are true.

Same city, but a different perspective.

Being hopeful does not make one naive; it makes one deliberate.

If we're privileged enough to travel, It's vital to remember that not everything is going to be perfect or free of risk. You can have a risk-free travel experience, but there's a price tag to that. If that's what you're looking for, there's Palm Springs for that, not Portland. I feel slightly foolish typing out something so obvious, but there is no opportunity for surprise in certainty. I say this with little judgment because assurance and security have their place; when traveling with our young family, we lean in that direction. We might have chosen a different destination if the kids were along for this trip.

Destinations like Portland and Edmonton are full of surprises-hospitality has a way of shining bright in landscapes of uncertainty and challenge. If you find yourself always cheering for the underdog, you would love a visit to Stumptown! We loved our time there! I hope this post has helped you do a bit of research in case you are planning a visit!

Friend, thank you for reading. May your travels take you to unexpected places of surprise and delight!