Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017

Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017

Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com
The great Pacific Northwest — breathtaking views, an energetic yet calming atmosphere, and some of the most delicious food we’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. A few weeks back Jasmine and I set out on a road trip with our sights set on Portland, OR. From there, we made our way up to Seattle, WA, and then back down to Los Angeles, CA. We are here to outline our trip, including the Portland vegan food adventures we enjoyed, and everything else…so let’s go!

DAY 1

Jasmine and I departed from LA around 3 am, and with full day of driving ahead, we brought along some of our favorite snacks to keep us satiated. This included Beanfield’s chips, fruit, and energy bars. As per a newfound tradition, we made our first stop at the famous Anderson’s Pea Soup to stock up on two large bowls of, well, you guessed it…pea soup! Their soup is so filling and delicious as well as oil free and vegan! We definitely recommend it if you ever find yourself driving up north from SoCal. We arrived in Salem, OR around 6:30 pm for dinner and to stay the night before driving up to Portland in the morning. For dinner we got food from a restaurant called Marco Polo Global Restaurant. While it was awesome to find a place with such extensive vegan options, as a whole the food wasn’t our favorite and was not so memorable.

DAY 2

The morning after, we wanted to grab something quick for breakfast. Still being in Salem, the options were a bit limited (especially for breakfast), but I found a place called Oregon Crepes that offered both savory and sweet vegan options. I got the savory crepe of the day that was filled with dayia cheese, and veggies. Again, I wasn’t impressed, but still pretty rad they offered vegans options at all! Jasmine opted for some oats and fruit 😛 Looking back, I wish I had that as well.

At last, it was time to head to Portland! This was both of our first times visiting, so the anticipation has been building for quite sometime. We arrived late in the day, and after a long drive, we were feeling a bit lazy to go out. We ordered food from The Bye & Bye to our room and chilled out a bit before heading out. I order the Weeping Tiger Sandwich  (Tofu cutlets, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, jalapeño, Sriracha and miso mayo on Grand Central bread)

Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

The Weeping Tiger – The Bye & Bye

and Jasmine got the Southwest Bowl w/ Avocado (of course) (Nutritional yeast tofu, brown rice, red beans, collard greens with chipotle ranch sauce). We also shared a side of pretzel knots w/ house made cashew cheese and stone ground mustard. Everything was super tasty, and we were very impressed with everything we had (especially the sandwich).Funny enough, later in the evening we ended up going to the actual restaurant with a friend for some drinks. The atmosphere there was super chill and the outside patio was dog friendly, so Berry was pleased! We both recommend going if you’re in town!

Afterward, we walked down to Back to Eden Bakery where Jasmine and I shared a vegan sundae called “The Mt. Hood” (Soft Serve, Ginger Cookies, White Chocolate Chips & House-made Caramel Sauce) it was a stellar choice if I do say so myself!

Back to Eden Bakery - Mt. Hood Sundae | Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

Mt. Hood Sundae – Back to Eden Bakery

DAY 3

The next day was an extra special one. Why you ask? It was my birthday! My goal for the day was to eat as much food as possible! That morning, we started our day at A.N.D Cafe where I got the Feast Waffle, which was a savory waffle stuffed w/ sausage, hashbrowns, vegan mozzarella and topped w/ country gravy and herb tofu. Talk about deeelish! Jasmine took the more traditional route and got the blue corn waffle topped with fresh fruit. Both choices were good ones, and we definitely recommend grabbing a bite there for breakfast or lunch if you are in PDX!

Feast Waffle & Blue Corn Waffle - A.N.D Cafe | Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

Feast Waffle & Blue Corn Waffle – A.N.D Cafe

After our breakfast, we took a hike with Berry to the Witches Castle, which was a steep and kind of muddy trail, but with beautiful scenery and real history. It was much needed after that heavy breakfast (at least for me). After our hike, it was time to start eating again!

For lunch, we made a trip to the infamous Homegrown Smoker. I ordered the SloMoMofo Sandwich and a side of Hush Puppies.

SlowMoMoFo w/ a side of Hush Puppies - Homegrown Smoker | Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

SlowMoMoFo w/ a side of Hush Puppies – Homegrown Smoker

I enjoyed the sandwich, but wish I opted for some type of mac and cheese wrap. Shortly after our visit, we were informed of the sad news about their food truck catching fire and burning down ???? The silver lining is that they are in full gear to open a brick and motor restaurant this summer, so we are excited to visit when it opens!

Jasmine went to Baked Roots Bar for lunch, which is a french fry bar that just opened in Portland. It features different baked fry dishes inspired from different countries. She got the “Bill of Rights” which is the American inspired dish with buffalo cauliflower and drizzled with a creamy ranch. The best part is, the restaurant is health focused and features a 100% oil-free vegan menu. I tried a bite of Jasmines and really enjoyed it! We both recommend checking this place out if you’re ever in the area. It’s a brand new restaurant that deserves some serious shine ????

Bill of Rights - Baked Roots Bar | Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

Bill of Rights – Baked Roots Bar

Finally, it was time for dinner! I think this was the food highlight of our short visit! We were fortunate enough to get to try the elusive Virtuous Pie a few days before it opened. They opened their first location in Vancouver, BC last year and just opened their second location in Portland.

They made us 4 different pizzas to sample – SUPERFUNGHI (Cashew Mozzarella, Herbed Potatoes, Wild Mushrooms, Truffle Almond Ricotta, Rocket) CURRY MILE  (Butter Chickpea Curry, Mint Raita, Roasted Cashews, Pea Shoots) MEATBALL + CHEVRE (San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Baerlic Brewing Chorizo Meatballs, Creamed Spinach, Lemon Herb Chevre, Basil, Fresh Parm) THE CATALAN (Smoky Romesco, Patatas Bravas, Tarragon Requéson, Charred Scallion, Asparagus, Saffron Aioli) It’s hard to choose a favorite, since everything was so fantastic in its own right, but if I had to choose, I think the Meatball and Chèvre was the winner for that night. We also got to try some of their homemade turmeric black pepper and coffee + donut ice cream— both super unique and delicious. The turmeric black pepper definitely surprised me with it’s subtle, yet satisfying taste, and you already know the coffee and donut flavor was bomb!

All of the Pizza - Virtuous Pie | Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

All of the Pizza – Virtuous Pie

The next day, before heading to Seattle, we had to make two more stops to gather snacks for the road. First, we went to Doe Donuts, a new 100% vegan doughnut shop that opened in Portland. It just so happened to be National Donut Day that day, so we got 1/2 dozen to bring up to Jasmine’s Family in Seattle.
All of the donuts - Doe Donuts | Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

All of the donuts – Doe Donuts

Sweet Pea Club - Sweet Pea Bakery | Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com

Sweet Pea Club – Sweet Pea Bakery

Afterward, we stopped by Sweet Pea Bakery, an all vegan bakery that offers an array of baked goods and sandwiches which are to die for. 

Aaaaand then it was off to Seattle!
Side Note: I was back there a few weeks ago again for work, so I was able to try a few more awesome vegan things ???? Here’s a list of our must try restaurants in no particular order (some mentioned above, others I tried on my last visit):
  • The Bye & Bye – Awesome and super casual atmosphere with a chill vibe and friendly staff. Offering a variety of different sandwiches, bowls, and small plates, we definitely recommend this place for a casual dinner with friends.
  • Virtuous Pie – Innovative and fun pizza place with unique and flavorful menu items. They also have coffee, kombucha, beer, and ice cream. A must try if your in Portland!
  • Harlow – Not mentioned above, but some seriously good food. They serve an array of bowls, sandwiches, and entrees and the decore is very welcoming and “instagrammable”. Good date spot and great brunch spot!
  • Homegrown Smoker – Although the food truck is no longer, they recently opened a sit-down restaurant. If it’s anything like the truck, which I assume it is x10, this is a must go to. Expect heavy food and a lot of mac and cheese. If that sounds like heaven, this is the place for you!
  • V-Topia Vegan Cheese Shop – Again, not mentioned in the post above, but I had an opportunity to indulge in this handcrafted cheesey goodness on my work trip a few weeks after Jasmine and I visited. This is a great grab and go or lunch spot with indoor and outdoor seating. They have vegan cheeses available by the pound, as well as sandwiches and soups. Their artisan cheese selection is extensive and includes animal free brie, cheddar, cheve, and so much more. Their selections change daily, but none dissapoint!
  • Sweet Pea Bakery – Some seriously tasty sandwiches! I had two things from Sweet Pea, but the Sweet Pea Club had to be my favorite. Neither Jasmine or I had any of their baked goods, but we’ve heard nothing but good things. This is this perfect place to grab a quick bite with some friends or to take to go.
Jasmine will be taking over with all of the Seattle vegan eats in a blog post coming soon!
Chris Petrellese
chris@consciouschris.net
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