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Portland boasts a diverse culinary scene, access to nature and a warm, laidback crowd.
In 2011, cousins Kim Malek and Tyler Malek launched a humble ice cream cart called Salt & Straw with the goal of building community. In the 13 years since, they’ve done just that, using their flavors to tell the stories of local businesses. While Salt & Straw has expanded to 41 shops across the country (most recently debuting two locations in New York City), and developed a cult-like following nationwide, they continue to be a community-driven ice cream shop that celebrates Portland.
Nob Hill is a quaint neighborhood filled with independent boutiques.
From a cocoa hazelnut flavor made with single-origin Ecuadorian chocolate from a local chocolatier to their line of edible perfumes made with a local perfumer, the flavors at Salt & Straw are a collection of short stories, each shedding light on a different part of the city. One of the authors crafting these stories is head ice cream maker Tyler Malek, who is continuously tasting his way through the city and meeting with local businesses for flavor inspiration. The wildly inventive recipes that result are on display in his new cookbook, America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook.
Since moving to Portland in 2011, he’s lived in almost every neighborhood and fallen deeper in love with the city. “It’s a really magical place,” Malek explains. “I say this jokingly and lovingly, but when I got to New York, the first thing I do in the morning is I look in the mirror and hype myself up so I’m ready to take on the street. When I arrive in L.A., I do a sun salutation to hone all my energy to take on the day. In Portland, you can go weeks and weeks without ever really waking up, simply existing in this dream state. There’s something really beautiful about that.”
“It’s a really magical place,” says Salt & Straw founder Tyler Malek on why he's proud to call Portland home.
The Salt & Straw founder finds the city’s small size and lack of big Fortune 500 companies results in a creative, close-knit business community. “We’re forced to create and support our own economy here. There’s this mentality that we are Portland, we support Portland,”says Malek. “This is the place 20-something’s come to retire, it’s got that vibe. You’re safe everywhere, you’re welcome everywhere. It really is a cool city to be in.”
"There’s this mentality that we are Portland, we support Portland,” says Salt & Straw co-founder Tyler Malek.
While Malek’s new cookbook is a celebration of flavors spanning the country, his passion lies in exploring Portland. Whether on the job discussing potential collaborations with local businesses or venturing around the city on a rare day off, Malek is deeply immersed in Portland, making him the perfect intel on what to see, do and taste on your next trip. Read on for the taste-maker’s top Portland picks.
What To Do: In The City
Portland Farmer's Market
Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., downtown’s South Park Blocks transforms into the city’s most beloved outdoor grocery market boasting 140 farmer and vendors stands. “If you’re a foodie, this is a MUST,” says Malek. “It really is the bounty of Oregon, you can find every type of mushroom you can ever dream of, all kinds of baked goods. It’s a local treasure and has some of the most unique ingredients you’ll ever see.”
Powell's Books is the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world.
Boasting a collection of over one million new and used books, the world’s largest independent bookstore is a must when visiting Portland. Centrally located in the Pearl District, you can find everything from the latest releases to obscure fan fiction to beautiful art books across the store’s 3500 sections. Don’t miss the rare books room, which houses several thousand of Powell’s most valuable books, and the Guilder Café in the Southwest corner of the store. “I know this is cliche for any Portland Visitor guide, but I promise, it’s worth it!” says Malek.
Cloudforest
For ten years, owner Sebastian Cisneros has been sourcing single-estate Ecuadorian cacao to sell at his shop in Portland and at retailers nationwide. “You can go to their cafe for a chocolate tasting and he’s always doing unique hot cocas at the back bar,” says Malek. “We’re getting ready to do a Salt & straw flavor with them for our Chocolateers menu in February.”
Smith Tea
After moving to France, Stash tea founder Steven Smith was inspired by his neighborhood chocolatier, baker and perfumer to start a small tea business sourcing the finest tea on the market and blending it in Portland. Since 2009, Smith has grown to become a household name. “They’ve got two tasting rooms in the city, I could spend hours there. You can taste many different teas and you can see them making the tea blends in the back,” says Malek. “My favorite is the ice cream royale tea, a tea recipe I wrote with them. It’s a Taiwanese milk oolong tea with amaretto and vanilla beans. It’s got these little French sugar pearls and a little bit of chamomile.”
The International Rose Test Garden boasts over 10,000 roses in bloom from May through October.
With 410 acres of gardens, trails and parks to explore, it’s no wonder this is one of the top tourist destinations not only in Portland but in Oregon. Marvel at more than 2300 species of trees along 12 miles of trails in the Hoyt Arboretum and the 10,000 roses in bloom from May through October in the International Rose Test Garden, which Malek describes as insane, without exaggeration. “The rose garden is so beautiful to walk through. I’ve gone to a dozen shows at the little amphitheatre there. You can bring a blanket, have a picnic, hang out in the sun surrounded by roses and listen to beautiful music.”
Portland Japanese Garden celebrates Japanese art and culture with manicured gardens and seasonal events
Malek also likes to visit the nearby Portland Japanese Garden which houses eight garden styles and celebrates Japanese art and culture with seasonal activities and performances. “The Japanese gardens are really pretty, there’s a little tea house up there,” describes Malek. “I always take my family there when they’re in town.”
The Oregon Zoo is another popular attraction in the park, home to nearly 2000 animals representing over 200 species from around the world. “I would go to all these places separately,” Malek laughs. “The whole Washington park area is awesome”
Forest Park boasts 80 miles of trails.
Located a 20-minute drive from downtown Portland, this 5,200-acre park boasts 80 miles of trails, along which you can spot native wildlife and plant species. “This is one of the biggest urban parks in the country (sorry Central Park!) and has an incredible labyrinth of trails,” explains Malek. “My favorite is to start hiking at the Witches House and then get lost in the weaving trail system from there.”
Lower Macleay Trail in Forest Park
If you’re bringing your dogs to Portland, Malek says Thousand Acres Dog Park is like a giant dog amusement park, “It’s a 1000-acres of off-leash dog park, that’s basically Disneyland for dogs. You can take a mile-long trail walk to the river and spend hours tiring out your pup. You can get lost in the trails forever. Sometimes you’ll even find chanterelles growing on the side of the trails”
Straightaway Cocktails offers mixology classes.
“If you’re into cocktails and mixology, they’re a quintessential stop on the West Coast,” says Malek. “They make all their own amaros and apertifs for their cocktails, they’re pretty iconic in the liquor world.” While the chef recommends buying their pre-made cocktails to drink at home, you can learn the techniques and methods for making craft cocktails yourself in one of their mixology classes. Throughout the session, you’ll make four cocktails with their Accompani liqueur and vermouth.
What To Do: Day Trips Outside Portland
With 22 growing areas, Oregon is the third-largest wine-grape-producing state in the country.
“With over 900 wineries in the state, to know this is only a 50-year-old industry is mind-blowing,” explains Malek. Oregon’s 22 distinct growing areas make the state the third-largest wine-grape-producing state in the country. While there are countless wineries to choose from, Malek recommends Sokol Blosser as they were one of the first families to start producing wine in Oregon. “Still to this day they’re doing some great pinots,” says Malek. “As part of the wine tasting they’ll take you on a hike through their vineyard and you can stop on the block of 100 vines and taste a wine from that block.” You can also taste a special watermelon rose sorbet the winery makes in collaboration with Salt & Straw.
Sokol Blosser was one of the first wineries to produce wine in Oregon.
“Sokol Blosser is next door to Durant Olive vineyard so you see the olives that go into our ice cream,” says Malek, referring to the olive oil ice cream Salt & Straw makes in collaboration with Durant Olive Mill. Since 2008, Durant Olive Mill has become a household name to Portlanders for their olive oil. “You can walk through their olive orchard and see how they make olive oil. Then they’ve also got this beautiful garden and a wine tasting room you can taste from. They’ve constantly got holiday and harvest events, there’s always something to do there.”
Durant is best known for their olive oil but they have wine vineyards too.
Malek also recommends Soter Vineyards, a winery dating back to 1997 home to a biodynamic, regenerative farm, vineyard and tasting room. If you’re looking to taste something more contemporary, head to Corollary Wines, a new winery specializing in sparkling wines. “They’ve got this beautiful restaurant on site where they grow almost everything on their farm behind their winery,” explains Malek. “On top of that, their family is obsessed with preserving Oregon oak and they’ve got one of the biggest protected Oregon oak nature areas in the state. It’s this iconic tree that feels provincial French. You can really feel the spirit in those trees.”
Soter Vineyards is a biodynamic, regenerative winery dating back to 1997.
With Shifting Tides, you can learn how to forage for mussels, barnacles and edible seaweed on a sea foraging tour.
“This is my favorite little beach town of all time,” exclaims Malek. “All of the candy shops serve local ice cream from the nearby Tillamook Creamery and lots of saltwater taffy.” While Cannon Beach is one of the state’s most popular destinations for its foggy, windswept beach dotted with striking rock formations, few visitors experience the beach by way of a guided forage. With Shifting Tides, you can learn how to forage for mussels, barnacles and edible seaweed and cook them for a delicious picnic overlooking the beach. Still hungry? “Make sure to stop by Ecola Seafood for fish and chips after your foraging tour with Shifting Tides,” suggests Malek.
Where To Eat
Led by James-Beard Award Winning chef Gregory Gourdet, Kann is one of the hottest reservations in Portland.
Serving comforting, imaginative dishes like hot pink kampachi shaved watermelon ice and habanero ginger smoked peach pork chops, the Haitian restaurant led by James-Beard Award Winning chef Gregory Gourdet is one of the hottest reservations in Portland. But Malek says few diners notice the menu caters to almost all diets. “It’s secretly very accessible from an allergy and dietary restriction perspective, almost everything is dairy and gluten-free. Even the dinner rolls are made from plantains and served with vegan butter,” says Malek. “Every time I’m there with a big group, it’s impossible to not have fun. All the food is inviting, easy to share. There’s always a lot of thoughtfulness in the flavor pairings and execution.”
Nong’s is best known for their chicken and rice dish, 'khao man gai.'
While there are a few other items on the menu, Nong’s specializes in khao man gai, which translates to chicken and rice. The Thai dish which is popular in Bangkok is served here with Nong’s signature sauce and a side of soup, and has become one of the city’s most craveable comfort meals “Nong’s khao man gai is obligatory. It’s officially my children’s favorite restaurant,” Malek raves. “It’s the most simple dish you’ll ever have—just chicken and rice—but it’s done with such precession that it’s impossible not to love. The rice, you can feel every grain as you’re eating through it, yet its also very tender. The chicken is perfectly cooked through but at the same time, melts in your mouth. The sauce has just enough spice to fill your senses, just enough texture to be intriguing but never off-putting. It’s the perfect example of doing one thing and doing it right.”
Xiao Ye is a reflection of co-owners Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen growing up Asian American in California.
Describing itself as “first-generation American food,” this neighborhood restaurant pays homage to co-owners Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen’s respective childhoods growing up Asian American in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The result is a distinctive menu serving a melange of global flavors—from half-fried chicken with Japanese sweet potato to savory madeleines with mochiko to shrimp scampi with Korean chili flakes. “It’s a restaurant for chefs by a chef. The chef doesn’t care what you think, he just wants to have fun and create iconic foods,” observes Malek. “Every texture, every flavor, is spot on. It’s just aggressive enough and delivers on what they’re selling. There’s enough nostalgia mixed with high end techniques, I’m in love with what they do. You can see this never-ending list of inspiration in their style of their cooking. It’s one of my favorites in Portland right now.
Since opening in 2006, Le Pigeon has become a Portland institution.
In 2006, 25-year-old chef Gabriel Rucker opened an unsuspecting French bistro in Portland’s East side and Malek says, overnight people were obsessed. Over the next decade, the restaurant would rise to stardom and arguably was the first to put Portland on the national culinary map. “Le Pigeon is an icon here,” explains Malek. “It’s chef’s counter fine-dining, and comes from this perspective of ‘I’m going to put flavors together that blow your mind.’ The chef became famous for making foie gras profiteroles for his dessert course. It’s French food done with really unique style and Portland vibes.”
Chinese Cowboy is an homage to chef Kyo Koo’s experience growing up Korean American in Portland.
The comforting fare served at this spunky, neon-lit restaurant reflect owner and chef Kyo Koo’s experience growing up Korean American in Portland. From the creamy crab noodles to the chicken black truffle wontons to the hand-pulled cabbage laced with Sichuan peppercorns—every bite is a surprise packed with punch. “Chinese Cowboy is so fun,” says Malek. “It has a little bit of that ‘stoner food’ vibe I love. I could order every dish and have just that for lunch and have the time of my life.”
Where To Rest
The Ritz-Carlton, Portland
As the third-tallest building rising above Portland’s skyline, this new hotel is bringing the city’s luxury hotel market to the next level. The region’s first Ritz-Carlton reflects the landscapes that surround it with decor by local artisans, art inspired by famous sites like Multnomah Falls and partnerships with local favorites like Coava Coffee. From the 8th to the 18th floor, you’ll find minimalist suites with deep soaking bath tubs and luxurious touches like turndown service. Don’t sleep on the hotel’s signature restaurant, Bellpine, on the 20th floor. “I’ve had a drink there, the views are awesome,” says Malek.
The Jupiter
While this eclectic hotel was recently renovated, you can still stay in one of the 81 original rooms converted from a 1960s motor lodge. The recent add-on is called Jupiter Next, a boutique hotel with sleek, modern rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows boasting views of the city. “It’s hard to find a cool spot on the East Side, which is where I usually recommend people go for all the best restaurants,” says Malek. “It’s a total vibe and always seemed really cozy.”
The Nines Hotel
If you want something affordable that’s more central, Malek recommends this “bright” hotel downtown. The hotel pays homage to its roots as the historic landmark that once housed the flagship Meier & Frank department store with 331 rooms “dressed to the nine” with lamps resembling mannequins, elegant Tiffany blue velvet and luscious ivory-shaded satin drapes. “Gregory Gordet used to have a restaurant on the top floor, that rooftop restaurant has beautiful views,” says Malek. “It’s one of nicest hotels in Portland.”
