Spencer's Food Adventures

Tag: travel

  • Little Bloom Lao & Thai Cuisine

    Tucked away on N. Mississippi Ave near the intersection at Fremont is a tiny cart “pod” with two carts: J’s Cuts and Wraps & Little Bloom. Little Bloom has been open now going on 10 years. J’s Cuts has been around a long time as well. This was a place that I drove past for…

  • Red Sauce Pizza

    Red Sauce Pizza is a beloved Pizza restaurant on NE Fremont that has been open for over a decade now. Not too long ago they started selling their famous “Big Hank’s Hoagies” as a lunch special. Now they have added some other lunch specials like a $9 1-topping small pizza or a 1-topping Tavern pie.…

  • Lúa Vietnamese Restaurant

    Over the last few years one of my go-to choices for lunch has been Lúa, which serves delicious, varied, healthy dishes at a good price. Whether rice dishes, noodle dishes, soups, appetizers, or fried chicken wings, Lúa has whatever you could want. I’m using this post to highlight some of my favorite meals there over…

  • Ate-Oh-Ate

    Portland has seen a number of excellent Hawaiian restaurants and food carts open in the last few years. Some of my favorites are Kau Kau (which I have a post about) and GrindwitTryz are serving up some of the best food in town. One constant however has been Ate-Oh-Ate (named after the Hawaiian area code…

  • Tacos Fita

    Tacos Fita, one of the best food carts in Portland, just opened up a new restaurant in Beaverton. Tacos Fita serves up some of the best Mexican food. Tacos, burritos, bowls, all centered around their delicious and perfectly seasoned and grilled meats. All the standard meats you would expect, plus bonus specialties like Ribeye, Shrimp…

  • The Bulgogi + Dukuhbee Noodle

    Tucked into a mostly vacant block on NE Sandy between 42nd and 43rd in Portland, OR lies one of the best Korean restaurants in town. Don’t let the cumbersome business name or the humble storefront deter you from stopping in to try their offerings which include the namesake Du Kuh Bee Hand-Pulled Noodles, Bibimbap, Bulgogi,…

  • 2025 Restaurant Closures

    2025 was a tough year for the Portland food scene. Lots of high profile closures and hopeful re-openings of numerous favorite restaurants, sandwich shops, food carts, bakeries, bars and breweries. Here’s to hoping that 2026 brings new locations for those who are looking to move, and something new and exciting for those that are closing…

  • Sugarpine Drive-In

    Along the banks of the Sandy river in Troutdale is the greatest little old drive-in restaurant you could ever hope for. Started in 2018, this place has quickly become an Oregonian favorite and a must for any trips out to the Gorge. They specialize in seasonal, thoughtful, scratch-made menus utilizing local produce as well as…

  • Ki’ikibáa

    One of my favorite restaurants in Portland is Ki’ikibáa. Specializing in regional Yucatecan food, they won restaurant of the year from the Oregonian in 2023, their first full year open. The name means “delicious food” in Mayan and the name is spot on. Located in an unassuming strip mall on 82nd, this restaurant holds special…

  • Lardo Chefwich

    Lardo, the venerable and iconic Portland sandwich restaurant helmed by Rick Gencarelli has a monthly special, the “chefwich” where he invites a local chef to craft a special sandwich that sells for the month and part of the proceeds go to a charity of the chef’s choosing. I’m not sure when exactly this started, but…