Pambiche - Originally Published 2008

Always talk to the locals.  After all, they use the city and are aware of some places you might not normally happen upon.  Pambiche is such a place.  It’s a Cuban restaurant up in the northwestern part of town.

I make no claims about its authenticity.  I disqualify myself when it comes to Cuban food because I grew up on the West Coast.  But authentic or not, the staff was great and the food was delicious.  I had the chicken with rice.  Mai had the rice with chicken.  I would definitely make it a point to go back again.

Corbett Fish House - Originally Published 2008

Corbett Fish House was a lucky find.  It just happened to be a neighborhood spot in the neighborhood we were staying in.  This is a place that does one thing and does it right.

Their specialty is fried lake fish.  It has to be the only place I am aware of on the West Coast that serves walleye.  I would recommend that if you happen to be in Portland, go out of your way to get here.  A nice plate of fish, a few oyster shooters, and a cold draft beer is a perfect way to end a Pacific Northwest evening.

Voodoo Doughnut - Originally Published 2008

Portland is the kind of place that will change your perspective about things, even something as simple as a donut.  Prior to our excursion up north, I believed that a donut was just a donut.

What the good folks at Voodoo have done is taken the humble donut and spun it on its ear.  When we stopped in, I helped myself to a Butterfingered.  That’s a devil’s food topped with crushed Butterfingers.  Mai had the Tang.  That’s a donut topped with Tang.  Really.

Bridgeport Alehouse - Originally Published 2008

Portland is an amazing riverfront city, the kind we don’t seem to get on the west coast.  The locals are fiercely proud and there is an emphasis on the local economy and talent.  To get the full experience, don’t go looking for a TGI Fridays.  Talk to some folks and be ready to try something new.

Rookie traveling mistake #1:  Go to a new place and try the same stuff you can get at home.  You’ll only be disappointed.  If you’re disappointed, you’ll tell everyone that the city you visited was crappy.  And it wasn’t.  Your choices were crappy.

The Bridgeport Alehouse is a great place to get a feel for what Portland is all about.  This city is home to more microbrews that anywhere else.  The beer coupled with the food made from local ingredients make this place a winner.

We tried the hummus, the beet salad, and the open-faced salmon sandwich.  If the leaders of the world spent a few hours here, there would be little need for a standing army.  Yep, it’s that good.

Oregon Zoo - Originally Published 2008

Here’s some advice.  If you plan on visiting Washington Park and Zoo, make sure you pick a day when the weather isn’t sweltering.  We made the mistake of trying it on a day when the weather was not kind and as a result, we didn’t get the full impact of the place.

I mean, it was so hot that the only animals that were moving around were the dopey people like yours truly.  This leopard had the right idea of what to do with a day like this.

If you happen to end up there on such a day, I recommend jumping on the train and taking a ride down to the Rose Test Garden.  The train winds through a shady forest.