The Case for Portland, OR as the best “Food City"
In this week's newsletter, Stephen elaborates on a nugget from his interview with Chef Gregory Gourdet, in which he calls Portland “The Best Food City in the USA.” Read why below, and then listen to the full episode with Stephen and Gregory here.
People want to know why I have the biases I do when it comes to the food in Portland, Oregon. Well, today I’m going to tell you why. My impartiality toward the Pacific Northwest city is a firsthand affair.
There are a few things (I’ve counted at least seven) that make Portland an elite “Food City" and to begin, in a word, it's the same thing that convinced me to move there sight unseen as a teen, and that is its geography.
Portland's food is unmatched because its geography is unmatched. You are at once situated in the middle distance between oceans, mountains, and forests, which means seafood, seasonal produce, plus berries and mushrooms. It rains all the time and it is hot in the summer, ensuring its destiny as the best soil within US borders.
“Portland's food is unmatched because its geography is unmatched.”
This would be an empty promise if not for the fact that there is a culture among Portland restaurants to prioritize procurement from within this ecosystem. The best example is the Saturday Farmers Market at Portland State University. That right there is a ball of abundance, a kaleidoscope of flowers and fruit and dairy and produce.
Just up the hill from that market is Murata, a Japanese place I've been going to for decades now, and still one of my favorite restaurants of any kind in the USA. And in the same neighborhood is Higgins, an institution of the Pacific Northwest culinary philosophy and vision, and the place I drank a five-star vintage Barolo on my 21st birthday. It was in this ilk that lots of other places would later iterate, serving increasingly refined food absent the fine dining pageantry and pricing.
It was the first place that had a real thriving food truck scene, and the pop-up to restaurant pipeline was a well-lubricated and proven way for cooks to graduate to owners if they wanted. That could definitely not be said of other places with prestigious culinary reputations. Or at least that was the case back in the day.
It is a city that can be overwhelming white, so it is counterintuitive that it has great in its food. If you love Southeast Asian food you would be in the same city as the super-restauratuer Akkapong Earl Ninsom, and eating Southern fried Thai at Hat Yai or drinking something sunny and enlivening the bar at Eem. Everytime I even think cocktails and Thai BBQ I feel something inside!! Then there’s Kachka. I’ve had vodka in Moscow, but didn’t understand it until pairing it with the food here. A revelation. Maurice, a French Norwegian cafe with warm daylight. C’mon. Portland just shows out with these types of places. And now, home to one of the greatest restaurants in the country, Kann, which as you all know is the source material for this dialogue.
Now let’s talk about the pizza. Ken’s Artisan Pizza and Apizza Scholls are two old favs, the latter of the two back in the day had barbecue pop-ups. Inexplicably it was some of the best I’ve ever had in my life. I know it ain't right but it’s true! I haven’t forgotten.
“Portland is a culture of food people serving people who love food.”
What I also love, is that, if you just stumble into a place, any place that even looks the part, odds are, it's fire. Portland is a culture of food people serving people who love food. I remember the last time I was there stumbling into a nondescript tapas bar and having my socks knocked off. It was just correct in every single way, a self-aware place with operators that clearly know a lot and also know not to go outside of what they do and instead do fewer things and do them better. I drank an $8 Sherry with perfect stemware and temperature, and ate pickles, had bread service and conserva. Bar Botellón. Absurd
Last but certainly not least, if you're like me and love wine, Portland has some of the finest on earth. The viticultural tradition of the Willamette Valley plus the winemaking upstarts really make for a vibrant wine culture that has the right amount of reverence for experience and experimentation.
Portland is a city of craftspeople and it shows up beautifully in the food and drink. Even if you're not into wine you will find the same rigor and care wherever you look, from the people who make your coffee and teas, to the beers from the local breweries. People here just really care, and care is at the center of everything exquisite. Okay, that's my Portland PSA.
TLDR, what makes Portland the best food city in the USA?
1. Local produce/ farmers markets/seafood
2. Legacy food truck/cart culture
3. Diverse restaurants
4. Year-round produce!!
5. Established and delicious wine industry
6. A culture of dining that supports it all!
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What a great write up. People have told me it's a foodie city but this explains why so eloquently. I'm moving there next month and even more excited about it after reading this.
Big biased AGREE 🤣