Taprooms and brews
Portland has long been one of the West's top destinations for craft beer. From hazy and West Coast IPAs to sours and Imperial stouts, there's a pint to match your craft brew desires in the Pearl. You'll find Deschutes Brewery's Public House tucked inside a beautiful historic building, where flagship and seasonal craft brews flow from 26 taps. I sat at the pub's long bar and enjoyed a fresh hop IPA while sampling a pub menu that ranges from burgers ($18) to mushroom casarecce pasta ($21) and wild Alaskan coho salmon ($27).
At Backwoods Brewing, you can sample a wide array of brews by the pint or the flight ($12 for six). I enjoyed pints of Logyard IPA, made with Simcoe and Mosaic hops, and a crisp, light Hinterwalder Pilsner. The menu is full of tasty pub fare, from burgers ($13.50-$16) and gourmet grilled cheese ($14) to smoked salmon nachos ($16) and “Backwoods” tater tots ($10.50).
Given the weather, it was especially nice to discover that 10 Barrel Brewing has a fun, covered, heated rooftop seating area, as well as table and bar seating on the ground floor. Beer choices include IPAs, tropical sours, a saison and two stouts, and pizzas ($17-$22) are an especially solid choice on the pub menu. If you're looking for more in the taproom direction, Von Ebert Brewing's Pearl location pours several award-winning beers, including a Germanstyle Pils and Volatile Substance, an American IPA. Enjoy them with something tasty from the kitchen, a Shroom Pie pizza ($16.50), perhaps, or one of a trio of fried chicken sandwich options ($16.25) or something from their smoker, which turns out smoked chicken, pulled pork, brats and more.
Coffee and doughnut shops abound in city
If you travel on your stomach — and we do — you'll know that Portland has a reputation for both coffee and doughnuts. Really good doughnuts. You won't find the city's famous Blue Star and Voodoo doughnut shops in the Pearl District, but that is perfectly fine, because this neighborhood's fave is New Orleansstyle NOLA Doughnuts. Try their beignets and heavenly la'ssants —flaky, layered, square doughnuts made with European butter, Belgian chocolate, local jams and honey.
If you're looking for a sit-down lunch, Maurice is an unusual cafe, a “modern pastry luncheonette” known for its distinctive baked goods and French- and Norwegian-influenced lunch menu. Think pâte with brioche and scarlet turnips ($15) or chicken with crème fraîche and fresh fennel seed ($23).
As for Portland's famous coffee, the java options include: Broobee Cafe, a tiny shop where coffee meets sci-fi technology and a robotic barista named Billie crafts your drink to order. Sisters Cafe offers a wide array of coffee drinks, as well as “breakies” (breakfast sandwiches) and “sandos” (sandwiches). And familyowned Ovation Coffee & Teas serves Moroccan spiced coffee, chai and other Moroccan teas — and you might meet the matriarch known to regulars as “Momma Dee.”
Books, art and other browsing delights
Of course, the Pearl offers more delights than brews and doughnuts. This neighborhood boasts stores galore, from the 2,400-square-foot Filson flagship to outlets for Keen and Dr. Martens shoes. You can spend hours perusing the aisles and rooms of Powell's City of Books, the world's largest independent bookstore. The flagship store in the Pearl takes up an entire city block, offering 68,000 square feet of used, new, rare and out-of-print books. Useful “staff picks” cards seen throughout the aisles direct you to the reading habits of Portlanders.
Art lovers will find all sorts of possibilities from Adams & Ollman's exhibits of self-taught 20th century American artists
and the Augen Gallery`s displays of contemporary artists and printmakers to the Blackfish Gallery, a cooperative venue owned by Oregon artists that showcases their diverse contemporary works.
Definitely worth a stop: Blue Sky Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts is a venue for local photography, but it has expanded its offerings over the last 35 years to include national and international artists. Check out the Pacific Northwest Drawers section, where you can hand-inspect and buy prints by a juried selection of photographers.
And then, perhaps, dinner?