Portland, Oregon: Portland Farmers Market and Portland Saturday Market; things to do

Though these markets are both held on Saturday and they are both festive and fun, they are not to be confused and their merchandise doesn't overlap.

Portland Farmers Market  

At Portland State University, South Park between SW College & Montgomery, (503) 241-0032.  Saturdays; Apr-Oct 8am-2:00pm; Nov-Mar 9am-2 pm. 

Spread over about 2 square blocks, through a park several blocks long, the grassy open area that is the Portland Farmers Market allows plenty of space for this usually crowded market.  Produce varies depending on the season.  In the spring, I saw incredible displays of wild mushrooms, multi-colored carrots, and fiddlehead ferns.  In the fall there were gorgeous crispy apples (the Crimson Crisp and pink-fleshed Mountain Rose apples are particularly noteworthy) as well as the last of the fresh strawberries and the first of the holiday wreaths.  Freshly made prepared food is also available.   I even picked up a lovely felted ball for my sweet kitty.

sign at Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon

bok choy and mushrooms at Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon

Crimson Crisp apples at Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon

organic veggies at Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon

happy shopper with season's last strawberries at Portland Farmers Market
in Portland, Oregon

seasonal wreath at Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon

soups and sauces at Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon

strawberry tart at Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon

colorful felted balls at Portland Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon

Portland Saturday Market  

2 SW Naito Parkway, bordering the Willamette River, (503) 222-6072.  Sat 10am-5pm & Sun 11am-4:30pm, March-Dec. 24.  Free.  

Held since 1974, all items sold at this busy arts & crafts market are required to be handmade by the person selling them.  The artist-vendors at Portland Saturday Market are chosen via a juried selection process.  The week before Christmas it operates daily with its holiday "Festival of the Last Minute" market.  

entrance sign at Portland Saturday Market in Portland, Oregon

shoppers at Portland Saturday Market in Portland, Oregon

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Portland Farmers Market images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 
Portland Saturday Market images courtesy of venue

Portland, Oregon: Mediterranean Exploration Company; restaurant review

Mediterranean Exploration Company  

333 NW 13th Ave., (503) 222-0906.  D daily.  No reservations. 

Diners line up to feast on the innovative eastern Mediterranean cuisine served family-style at the Mediterranean Exploration Company.  The small-plates menu offers dishes from Israel and surrounding areas in a vibrant setting.  Decor is industrial, with a variety of seating, including some high round tables and a bar that works well for solo diners. 

Cocktails are fun--I enjoyed a Peach Panther featuring gin and crushed ice that went well with the food--and draft beers and wine and plenty more are also available.  Menu highlights include the house pita with s’hug sauces, lamb meatballs with honey and saffron, and Lebanese baked eggplant with ground lamb and feta, and many people come especially for the dramatic grilled octopus tentacle.  More items from the extensive menu that are on my list for a return visit are the shalosh sauces, the labneh fried cauliflower, the Moroccan Brick Chicken, and the Nazareth kebabs.

interior at Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon

interior at Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon

bar at Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon

Peach Panther cocktail at Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon

Lebanese eggplant at Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon

octopus tentacle at Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon

salad at Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon

scallops at Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon

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images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Portland, Oregon: The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland; hotel review

The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland  

525 SW Morrison, downtown, (877) 229-9995.  331 rooms.  Fitness center.  Parking $47/night. 

Check-in for this colorful hotel takes place on the 8th-floor of this historic Meier & Frank Building--just off the striking 7-story atrium lobby--and guest rooms occupy the top nine floors.  The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel recently completed a renovation and is now a LEED Silver hotel.  The lobby, guest rooms, and hallways feature 419 pieces of commissioned original contemporary art by local artists, including sculptures, paintings, and installations.  Each room is “dressed to the nines” with colorful, stylish furniture and features.

The farm-to-table Urban Farmer restaurant, which occupies a corner of the lobby, serves a well-reviewed breakfast with don’t-miss homemade English muffins.  On the top level, the rooftop restaurant Departure serves upscale Asian fusion cuisine and offers breathtaking views of Portland’s cityscape.  Two rooftop dining patios overlooking the Willamette River, the nearby mountains, and downtown’s Pioneer Square.  If the wine list or the city’s largest saké selection don’t get you excited, ask for a Seoul Spring cocktail--a smooth combination of Jinro soju, bamboo syrup, and lime.

The historic Pioneer Courthouse is just across the street.

overview from above of the lobby at The Nines hotel in Portland, Oregon

lobby at The Nines hotel in Portland, Oregon

lobby at The Nines hotel in Portland, Oregon

guest room at The Nines hotel in Portland, Oregon

view from guest room at The Nines hotel in Portland, Oregon

historic Pioneer Courthouse seen from above from The Nines hotel
in Portland, Oregon

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images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Portland, Oregon: Lauretta Jean’s; restaurant review

Lauretta Jean’s  

3402 SE Division St., (503) 235-3119.  Daily 8am-10pm. 

interior of Lauretta Jean’s in Portland, Oregon

Stepping into  Lauretta Jean’s restaurant is like stepping into an old-time farm kitchen.  Pies and pastries galore are made in the back the old-fashioned way, by hand.  Don’t miss the spectacular sour cherry pie or the chocolate banana cream.  I still regret letting my husband talk me into sharing a piece of pie.  Another of my dining companions had the smarts to order an extra piece to go.

A branch is downtown at SW 6th and Pine streets, and they have a stand at the Saturday Farmer’s Market.

slice of sour cherry pie at Lauretta Jean’s in Portland, Oregon

biscuits at Lauretta Jean’s in Portland, Oregon

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images and video ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Portland, Oregon: Headwaters & Gracie's tea rooms; restaurant review

Top Two Traditional Tea Times in Portland, Oregon

The lavish Russian afternoon tea service in the (CLOSED) Tea Court Lounge of the Headwaters restaurant of the downtown Heathman Hotel is presented only on Saturdays, at noon and 2:30 p.m.  Reservations are required.  A separate table is dedicated to preparing the tea using a magnificent samovar.  All teas come from local Smith Teamaker, including custom blends.  Two I enjoyed were Chocolate peppermint Pu’erh for a dose of caffeine, followed by Peppermint Leaves for a refreshing caffeine-free sip.  Recipes for some items on the menu have been handed down from chef Vitaly Paley’s own grandmother.  I ate absolutely everything on my tiered tray.  My favorites were Traditional Blini (with salmon caviar and sour cream), Butterbrodi (open-faced rye sandwiches), and Tort Po Kievski (hazelnut meringue, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache).  

Beefeater doorman at The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon

samouvar tea table for Russian afternoon tea service in Tea Court Lounge
of the Headwaters restaurant at The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon

tiered tea tray for Russian afternoon tea service in Tea Court Lounge
of the Headwaters restaurant at The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon

savory selections at Russian afternoon tea service in Tea Court Lounge
of the Headwaters restaurant at The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon

savory selections at Russian afternoon tea service in Tea Court Lounge
of the Headwaters restaurant at The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon

sweet selections at Russian afternoon tea service in Tea Court Lounge
of the Headwaters restaurant at The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon

Gracie’s restaurant is the posh site for a traditional English afternoon tea at the Hotel deLuxe.  Smith Teamaker brews are served here as well, including two custom blended for this venue--a strong malty Provenance Black and fruit Green deLuxe.  A three-tiered tea tray includes a variety of sandwiches (the smoked salmon and tarragon cream cheese on rye is particularly tasty), warm scones with housemade Marionberry jam and clotted cream, and an assortment of cakes.  Most items are made in house.  Tea-based cocktails are also available.

tiered tea tray for afternoon tea at Gracie's restaurant in Hotel deLuxe
in Portland, Oregon

afternoon tea selections at Gracie's restaurant in Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon

tiny tea cocktail at Gracie's restaurant in Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon

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images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 
updated September 8, 2023

Portland, Oregon: The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel; hotel review

The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel  

545 SW Taylor St., downtown, (503) 553-7000.  327 rooms.  Self-parking $33, valet $45.  Pets ok.  Heated indoor lap pool; fitness center.  Restaurant; room service. 

Transformed through a multimillion-dollar renovation of the Executive Tower portion of the Hilton Portland--now a sister hotel across the street--this venue is stylishly reimagined as The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel.  The intriguing decor is inspired by the city’s industrial heritage and by nature, and the lobby retains its original ceiling and Emperador marble flooring.  The vibrant lobby becomes particularly festive in late afternoon as guests return from activities and gather around the comfortable seating or refresh with a cocktail at the bar.  Between the ground floor lobby and the beginning of guest rooms on the 11th floor is a basically unnoticed parking structure, and there is no 13th floor.  Each spacious, stylish guest room has a small loveseat, a huge 65-inch TV, and a selection of local literature and guidebooks to browse (all are available for purchase).  Queen rooms each have a bathtub, and all rooms feature locally-made amenities.

lobby of The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel in Portland, Oregon

antique Blickensderfer No.5 typewriter displayed in the lobby
of The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel in Portland, Oregon

guest room at The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel in Portland, Oregon

guest room decor at The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel in Portland, Oregon

Tucked off the lobby, the kitchen at Jackrabbit restaurant specializes in “head-to-tail cuisine” (it even has its own curing room).  Playfully, various rabbit art is found throughout the decor.

exterior of Jackrabbit restaurant at The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel
in Portland, Oregon

interior of Jackrabbit restaurant at The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel
in Portland, Oregon

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images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Portland, Oregon: Smith Teamaker; things to do

Smith Teamaker  

110 SE Washington St., Central Eastside Industrial District, (503) 719-8752; also at 1626 NW Thurman St., Pearl.  M-Sat 10am-6pm.  Flight tasting $10. 

This vibrant tea company was begun by the late Steven Smith, a legendary tea maker who also founded both Stash Tea and Tazo Tea in Portland.  Smith is known for using quality ingredients to create delicious blends, which run the gamut from simple and clean to robust and complex.  “We try to be cheeky and clever,” says Tony Tellin, Head Tea Maker, who is still wondering what he will be when he grows up. 

The perfect introduction is an actual visit to the Smith Teamaker factory where these small-batch teas are made to do a sampling.  You can view production through a large glass window and will learn where the teas come from and how they are grown and harvested, plus taste a flight of teas.  It is interesting to learn that the silky tea bags are made from corn by-product and are sealed with sound waves.  Another option is to stop in and enjoy service in the small cafe or to select some teas to purchase for at-home brewing.  Tea lattes are also available, as is iced tea, nitro chai on tap, and more.  Look soon for ready-to-drink Masala Chai Tea in a milk carton at your local Whole Foods.

exterior of Smith Teamaker in Portland, Oregon

cafe at Smith Teamaker in Portland, Oregon

factory at Smith Teamaker in Portland, Oregon

teabag at Smith Teamaker in Portland, Oregon

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images and videos ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Portland, Oregon: Oaks Amusement Park; things to do

Oaks Amusement Park 

(503) 233-5777.  Amusement park is seasonal, Apr-Sept; skating rink is open year round, Tu-Sun.  Admission fee varies depending on rides.  Free parking. 

Located beside the Willamette River at the foot of the old Sellwood Bridge, this was the first amusement park in the West.  Now more than 100 years old and a non-profit, Oaks Amusement Park opened in 1905 and was once called “The Coney Island of the West.”  Rides are well-priced, and it is a popular place to roller skate and picnic.  Nostalgia reigns with a section of kiddie rides and miniature golf, plus a hand-carved 1911 Herschell-Spillman “Noah’s Ark” carousel, bumper cars, and a miniature train that chugs all around the park.

carousel at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon

My mom, who grew up in nearby Gresham, skated at the Oaks Park roller skating rink here when she was in high school.  She remembers the organist--who performs live on the beautiful Wurlitzer here on Thursday nights and all day Sunday--and the fun bumps at the back of the rink that they skated over (which are still there).  This rink is the largest in America, and the last to play a live pipe organ.  Its floor was replaced in 1948 when the original floor was destroyed in the Vanport flood, and the ingenious barrel flotation system that was used in the replacement floor has saved it several more times.

exterior of roller skating rink at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon

skate counter at roller skating rink at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon

colorful rental skates at roller skating rink at Oaks Amusement Park
in Portland, Oregon

 

My mom was a Rosie.

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images and videos ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers