Just got back. We rented an apartment in Alberta which turned out to be a great decision. Nice neighborhood, lots of food options on Alberta st, tho pretty dead after 8. The challenge was picking something walking distance over the many great options 5-10 minutes away. I chose the latter each night though there were some interesting looking eats in Alberta like Gumba, Swiss Hibiscus etc. I will give you the full rundown starting with the carts, then restaurants, then wateralls, then food eaten with waterfalls…
Sorbu
Went here straight after landing (after checking out McMenamins Kennedy School hotel - what a neat place). Sorbu is Tuscan inspired sandwiches recommended to me by a friend who lives in Livorno (Tuscany) years ago. A very nice combination of flavors, textures and quality homemade bread. Supremely juicy and crispy Porchetta. Eggplant with Torta di Ceci (Tuscan coast chickpea pancake) and Mozzarella was probably even better. These two are the menu staples while the rest rotate. Our favorite cart bites of the trip
Bing Mi
Excellent Jianbing (“bing”). This is of course a Chinese crepe, and this was a typical yet solid version. Got the crisp, flavor and spice level just right. I opted for the Chinese sausage and extra egg.
Bake on the Run
Guyanese cart in the new Lil’ America, tho the cart has been around for a while and seemingly popular. We sampled a few items but settled on the Dahl soup/stew. Very rich, deep flavors. Really one of the better Dahls I’ve ever had, tho wished I had tried something else to go with it.
Baon Kainan
A Filipino cart serving Sunday brunch. A serviceable Talongsilog, fried eggplant with garlic rice, veggies and perfectly cooked sunny side eggs. Just good comfort food. What I liked more was the sweet Ube (purple yam) rice cake. I’d come back just for this.
Tov Coffee & Tea
I think every city should have an Egyptian caffe inside a double decker bus. This turned out not just a gimmick for tourists as the product quality is very important to the owner. One of the specialties is a cold brew they make with cardamom and I really liked the “Nectar of the gods” drink they make with the cold brew and caramel. But just sitting inside the bus is pretty cool.
There are over 500 carts scattered all over in a city with the population size of Staten Island, NYC. The whole food scene is just ridiculous.
Scotch Lodge
Fun meal at this basement speakeasy/whisky bar, voted one of the best bars in the US by Esquire. Probably the most interesting drink menu I’ve seen with great inventive food. Favorite drink turned out to be gin based, “Remain in Light". Just the kind of balance I like.
Started with some nice Shishitos dusted with magic dust. A bit unevenly cooked but enjoyable overall. House specialty Fried Brie, like mozzarella sticks on crack. The dill fries are like the perfect McDonald’s fries. Dill as in dehydrated pickle seasoning worked really well here. The beets were just what you’d expect from a place like this.
The albacore crudo was probably my favorite dish. Silky smooth buttery awesomeness. The pappardelle were just creamy and complex enough. Added the candied duck extra ($5) which was fine, not really necessary but price sort of reflects. I’d skip the pastas in favor of the smaller dishes. Go!
Kann
Very high expectations were met and then some. Making reservations was like reserving Taylor Swift tix, though if you time it right and got mad “refresh” skills, its doable even on a sat night. Awarded a James Beard for best new restaurant in the country. If you, unlike the couple sitting next to us and a certain Portland newspaper critic, can’t handle a little heat, don’t fall for the FOMO. Just about every dish has some habanero.
The tomato, stone fruit and berry salad will make you rethink fruit salads. Spicy and cooling at the same time with that amazing coconut dressing. The twice cooked pork was outstanding. Crispy, ultra tender, supremely flavorful. A must get.
The duck was very good. The flavor and texture was there, and the bed of cane syrup was particularly addictive. But the leg and breast had widely different temps. The breast pretty much room temp. I asked the waiter if it was on purpose and he said no. Enjoyed it nonetheless, though it didn’t quite match the brilliance of the chicken. If you ever had good jerk in the Caribbean or elsewhere, this will be a revelation. The peanut creamed greens side was superb as well, Highly recommend.
I hope you aren’t done.
Tremendous so far.
Got a couple more
Eem
Another fun meal. I also considered half sister Phuket Cafe, but very happy with this choice. Great value, and smaller, concentrated menu that I appreciated. Its a delicious marriage between Thai and Texas BBQ. Well, and beach vacation as they offer “vacation drinks”. Tried the Pina Colada and it was spot on, if not best I ever had.
The white curry with brisket is that marriage consummation. Beautiful milky, well balanced curry with that smoky brisket. Same with the chopped brisket fried rice. Nice socarrat action. Smoked pork Krapao was another winner. A sloppy fried egg but superb pork belly. Very solid sweet and sour (and hot) boneless fried chicken thighs. Nothing wrong with it but not as distinct as the others.
I was warned of legendary waits but it was only 30 minutes for us on a Sunday night. I’m really impressed with Portland’s variety as I mentioned before. The only thing is after dinner you want to walk around a little, but these supposedly livelier neighborhoods get really quiet after 8.
Cabezon
Finished the trip with another doozy at this seafood specialist. Comfortable room with ample space between tables. Felt almost like old school in a new school setting. We didn’t quite “get” the first dish, chive blinis. Sounded good but flavor didn’t pop enough for such a tiny two biter. No biggie for only $9 but probably not worth it imo.
The basil and phyllo wrapped shrimp was superb. Beautiful Asian flavors from the Thai basil, glass noodles and curry sauce. The mussels were even better. While not the best mussels I ever had, one of the better mussel dishes thanks to the fries soaking up the great sauce, beans, and bits of chorizo. It’s good size too, more of an entree.
The house specialty Cioppino was fresh tasting and just terrific. The grilled Tomba tuna was fine. Nicely cooked, and came with a complementary ratatouille. Since it wasn’t seasoned much it needed to be eaten fairly quickly before it dried.
I dont usually get excited over dessert but I did here. An outstanding honey lavender Creme brûlée and a peach cake that was like a sick bread pudding. Not so much a negative in this case but we enjoyed the desserts and apps more than the mains.
I’ll have another short mention and the moment you are waiting for. My waterfall rankings!
Petite Provence
This became our reliable morning delight as it was right near our apartment. Whether for pastries, eggy breakfasts or waterfall picnic supplies, namely Baguettes with butter and jams.
In other news, one day we dedicated to Silver Lake State Park and Willamette Valley. The south fall alone worth the schlep. Great hike. Trisaetum Winery took very good care of us. Surprisingly robust reds, whites on the sweeter side, and a nicely crafted charcuterie board. Really good for a winery
Another day we devoted to Columbia Gorge. Latourell with its basalt gave me Iceland vibes. Wahkeena and horsetail were cool as well. But the money shot was Multnomah Falls from the bottom. Hood River is a nice little town with great looking breweries. Had a nice lunch at pFriem Family Brewers.
Thats all folks. Thanks for reading.
Glad you had an enjoyable time 
I have enjoyed reading your posts. Thank you for reporting back. Kann sounds like something I would like. How is the noise level? Is it low enough to have a conversation?
It wasn’t too bad, especially for us since they sat us in quiet spot, sort of behind the bar by the wall. You can just request for a quiet table.
One other thing about Kann is that it’s extremely bright.
