As a vegan or vegetarian, how many times have you traveled somewhere and were unable to find anything other than junk food to eat? How many traveling days have you had to live off of grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or boring salads? Well, this was not the case for me this past week.
I had the pleasure of visiting Portland, Oregon this past week for a medical conference. This was my first time visiting the Pacific Northwest. Initially, on this trip I was preparing a different blog post. But, after an awesome week in Portland, I had to share with all of my fellow herbivores all of the wonderful vegetarian and vegan cuisine I had the pleasure of enjoying.
My first dinner I experienced came from a restaurant called Veggie Grill. This place is a healthy vegan fast food restaurant but with organic and non-GMO type food. I purchased a vegan barbeque sandwich. It came on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and a vegan chipotle ranch sauce. For sides, I had cauliflower mashed potatoes and steamed kale. It was all delightful!
On Tuesday for lunch, my colleague and I visited a restaurant called Bento Box. They’re known for fresh grilled veggies and meats without added ingredients. I had brown rice and an array of fresh steamed vegetables. Once again, yummy! Tuesday night I made a trip to one of the many Portland food carts. I enjoyed a falafel pita sandwich from an Egyptian food cart. They made a special tangy hot sauce on the cart that gave the falafel just the right kick!
Wednesday’s culinary delights included an all vegetarian burrito food cart, that happened to have grilled veggie burritos. Dinner’s culinary delight came from a restaurant called Thrist Bistro. Named for all of the tasty local wine they serve. Here, I had a flight of local red wines and a portabello mushroom sandwich stuffed with zucchini, tomatoes, onion, and artichoke, then covered in mozarella cheese.
On Thursday, I visited DC Vegetarian. It’s a food cart known for its fantastic vegan and vegetarian burgers. I ordered a “Bacon Cheeseburger” made with a vegan burger patty, bacon made from seitan, and provolone cheese on a whole wheat bun. They also had the option of having vegan cheese and vegan mayonnaise, but I didn’t partake in either of those. This burger was so good til all it needed was mustard for sauce. Thursday night, I went out with a couple of family members to a placed called The Farm Cafe’. This place is known for using locally grown ingredients. I enjoyed spicy toasted hazelnuts for an appetizer and a delightful roasted corn risotto for my entree’.
Friday, I ventured back to the food carts to try one of the many Asian cuisines. I had a very fresh and tasty bowl of Pad See Ew from a Thai food cart made with fresh steamed broccoli, and carrots, and cooked in a vegan mushroom sauce base. Later that evening, a friend and I went for Peruvian food at a place called Andina. Once again, yummy! Here, my friend and I shared dishes that included potato frittatas, Quinotto (quinoa risotto), and Hongos Saltados.
Saturday was an exciting day in Portland. Earlier that morning I had an amazing 8 mile run on the waterfront (couldn’t eat all of that food with no running). I actually had the pleasure of getting in 4 runs over the course of the week, and they were all awesome! But back to eating, Saturday morning/early afternoon was Portland’s Saturday Market. This is an outdoor event with multiple tents of vendors selling handcrafted items and multiple food vendors. Here, I enjoyed handmade black bean and cheese Papusas with fresh Pico and cabbage salad. Scrumptious! Saturday night, just before going to the airport, I stopped by the Bite of Oregon. This event is an array of local food, beer, and wine vendors that offer samples of their cuisines for a smaller fee than usual restaurant prices. Some of the proceeds were used to benefit the Special Olympics. Here I sampled multiple types of veggie burgers, salads, and had some tasty sangria.
So, Portland did not disappoint when it came to vegan/vegetarian dining. With, multiple restaurants offering locally grown, organic, and non-GMO ingredients, visiting here was quite the dining delight!
Have you ever been to Portland? What restaurants did you enjoy? Are there any other cities you would consider “vegan/vegetarian friendly?”
Doctor Mom on the Run 