First time Portland & Seattle

[Fernwood]

Our first time to Portland (2 nights), then Seattle (3 nights), in late June.  This is part of a two-week trek; with so many restaurant meals, we're trying to avoid completely overloading the metabolism and the wallet.  We live in Connecticut; when we're traveling, we like to eat local favorites as well as ethnic cuisines that are not well-represented at home (most--but we usually keep our pizza-eating in New Haven).  We love seafood, meats and vegetables, cocktails and beer, etc. So I'm more interested in casual than special-occasion, dinner entrees maybe $10-29.  No car but we're happy to take public transportation.  In Portland we will stay downtown, near PSU.  In Seattle we will be in Belltown, on Blanchard St.  

 

I have bookmarked two places in Portland so far: Taylor Railworks and Kachka. For Seattle I'm having a harder time focusing.  Any feedback, other suggestions?

[FrogPrincesse]

In Seattle, for reasonably priced shellfish in a casual setting, Taylor Shellfish (multiple locations).

For more upscale and a very wide array of local produce, seafood etc, Lark. A bit expensive but absolutely worth a spulrge.

 

Eater.com has a bunch of other recent recommendations.

http://seattle.eater.com/maps/best-seattle-restaurants-38

http://seattle.eater.com/maps/best-new-seattle-restaurants-heatmap

 

Edited to add-

I just realized that I had already recommended these two restaurants in a Seattle-dedicated thread that someone else had created. At least I am consistent! 

 

Two more recommendations from my husband who just travelled there a few weeks ago.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Matt's in the Market (Pike's Market)

 

Edited June 6, 2016 by FrogPrincesse
added links (log)

[Fernwood]

Thank you, FP.  I had at least made note of each place you mention, so I am happy to have the endorsements.  And I will take some time to look at Eater (and then probably some more time... it can be down the rabbit hole there ).

[FrogPrincesse]

You are very welcome. I added links to these various places so they'd be easier to look up.

 

Seattle is a fabulous place for food. And I am sure Portland is as well, but I haven't had a chance to go there yet.

 

Have fun on your trip, and please report when you get a chance!

 

[Jaymes]

I'm headed to Portland for a three-week stay. Been doing a little bit of investigation but can always use more. In particular, wonder who is turning out the best oyster stew. Love me some oyster stew. 

[Bernoulli]

In Portland  -  Apizza Scholls.  Better pizza than any I had when I lived in New Haven.  Pho Van on SE 82nd for Pho.  Jin Wah also on SE 82nd for salt and pepper fried squid and Vietnamese hot & sour soup.  Big breakfast?  Original Pancake House - just off I5 South - check google for best map.

[Fernwood]

Thank you.  Apizza Scholls does sound good!  Of course, now Jaymes has me thinking about oyster stew....

[pastrygirl]

"ethnic cuisines that are not well-represented at home" ... such as?

 

In Seattle:

 

lots of great Vietnamese food here, pho or pickup from a deli

 

Farmers markets usually have a few food trucks or carts, especially South Lake Union on Saturday

 

Eating your way through Pike Place Market is always fun, try the szechuan flatbread sandwiches across from Emmett Watson's oyster bar

 

I'm not sure what the Belltown scene is like anymore, it seems pretty bar-focused.  There are some decent places on 1st, Local 360, Macrina for breakfast/bread. 

 

You could walk from Belltown up to Taylor Shellfish on lower Queen Anne.  Also on QA, a lot of people love Toulouse Petit, especially for brunch (I wasn't that impressed).  And if you just feel like a salad one night, the Whole Foods on Westlake and the Metropolitan Market on Mercer both have good prepared food & salad bars.

 

Le Pichet on 1st near the Market is a perennial favorite and easy on the wallet.  Quinn's on Capitol Hill is a good casual spot for meat and beer.  Lots happening on Capitol Hill theses days, I can barely keep track.  Do check the Eater top 38. 

 

I don't know if I've ever seen oyster stew on a menu here, it may exist and I haven't noticed or it may be more of an east coast thing.  Plenty of raw oysters, though!

 

 

[Fernwood]

On June 11, 2016 at 0:05 AM, pastrygirl said:

"ethnic cuisines that are not well-represented at home" ... such as?

 

Everything but pizza--we do have great apizza!  Well, we've had enough quality French, Italian and Spanish that those usually go farther down the list, though a menu like Le Pichet's, that highlights regional ingredients, still gets serious consideration.  Thanks for all the suggestions.

[pastrygirl]

We do have good pizza in Seattle or at least reasonably "authentic" if you get the craving. I don't know about east coast pizza, but via Tribunali, pizzeria 22, and I think a few others are VPN certified. 

 

Lots of Asian cuisines to choose from, some with more upscale options such as lionhead, monsoon, seven beef, ba bar, joule, kraken congee. We also have a couple of branches of Din Tai Fung - I don't know how they compare to Shanghai, but I certainly do  enjoy the juicy pork buns (soup dumplings). 

 

[hongda]

There are also a nice selection of ethiopian restaurants in Portland

 

http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-18715-teff-love.html