XOXO made me go to Portland for the first time ever. After seven years in the Bay Area hearing how Portland is supposed to rock, my actual knowledge of the city was pretty much limited to having watched every episode of Portlandia ever. Which is both a whole lot and very little.
Let’s start with the most futile of things: the weather. We were prepared for a week-end of good weather and were told this was unusual but it turned out absolutely fantastic. Not a cloud in sight, temperatures in the 90’s and evenings warm enough that, unlike SF, you can comfortably walk around without carrying a light sweater (wink if you recognize where this reference came from).
I’ve been paying regular visits to Trouble Coffee in the past few months and I find there are some troubling similarities between Judah and Portland. Fewer people in the street, a generally calm and soothing environment, older and shorter buildings, odd commerces and, in the case of Judah, a poorer population than the rest of SF. Judah has always felt to me like it’s refused to play catch up with the other neighborhoods in the city.
Portland kinda felt the same – as if it had stayed stuck between the 70’s and 2020. It’s spread out, very green, the homes appear large and comfy. XOXO could not have happened in an evironment like SF, it’s really at home in Portland. The stereotypes are what they: very true and not quite accurate at the same time. But I wouldn’t say I found the city weird. It’s not entirely welcoming either but I think the fact that we pressed to go to as many places as we could in a limited time contributed to that feeling. I want to go back and take the time to spend a few days exploring the city on a bike.
Either way, it’s still nice to find a town in which there is a real old-school arcade. It almost felt like I had to steal yet another dollar from my father’s wallet to play TMNT. Also worth a visit: a book store so big that you can lose yourself in it. Restaurants and food places are plentiful and we made the best of it:
- We crashed Voodoo Doughnuts on our very first night in Portland
- City State Diner served us a heart-attack-inducing breakfast
- Stumptown Coffee welcomed us after a day of walking around town
- It’s Fried Egg, I’m in Love was at the festival
- I spent an hour hanging out at the Deschutes Brewery
- The White Owl Social Club makes a mean bacon burger
- I chilled for an hour on the outdoor patio of Cascade Brewing Barrel House
- Last but not least: a delicious pork sandwich and monstruous portion of garlic friess from Lardo