TWO VEGANS GO TO PORTLAND

Last year in May 2013 my boyfriend and I were lucky enough to road trip down thru the west coast of the states. We went thru Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada. Of course being vegans we were most excited to explore PORTLAND!

Portland was the most vegan friendly city I have ever been to. Not only do they have TONS of vegan friendly restaurants, cafes and diners. It also has tons of vegan friendly clothing stores, grocery stores and even a vegan stripmall!

I could not resist going into the herbivore clothing store and my boyfriend bought me a beautiful faux leather bag. They also have a grocery store and a bakery there as well. Portland was also extremely beautiful. Even though its a busy city all the people there seemed down to earth and in tune with the environment. Majority of my time driving around there I saw activists fighting causes and people trying to help the less fortunate. It has an amazing homey feeling when you get there and I am not surprised lots of people want to move there. I would do it in a heart beat! We only got to spend around 3 days there but I wanted to review all the amazing things I got to do while I was there. Being a girl from BC and I can definitely say there is a west coast vibe and its stretched all its way down to Oregon. It was almost like still being in BC but with wayyyy better vegan opportunities! 

The first place we went to when we got there was The Hungry Tiger. We were starving after the drive down so it was the right call. This place was amazing. It had the best vibe inside. Everyone that worked there was very relaxed and friendly. Black flag was cranked in the kitchen area. Two punks were cooking my food. They offered vegan and non vegan food which was kind of awesome at the time because we were travelling with two non vegan people. They have a hugggee menu and also offer beer! (Even though I wasn't old enough to drink when I went there) I would HIGHLY recommend this place to any vegan/non vegan travelling down to portland if you want delicious, inexpensive food. 

I had the Philly Cheese Steak and my boyfriend had the Reuben on Rye. I was pretty much ready to explode at the end of my meal. Definitely one of my favorites for the whole trip. Check it out!

Next stop, VOODOO DONUTS

if you're really into food like me, you've heard about this place. Everyone has. Its all over the internet and television. People go crazy for their weird intricate donuts.

These pictures do not do justice. This place is OFF THE HOOK. Even if you aren't a vegan this is the only place you will find donuts like this. They had every possible kind you could ever think of. Its really cheap and really high quality. This is only one of the displays at the smaller location in downtown portland. The main location had 3 displays and a coffin you could buy to fill with donuts. We seriously considered buying it, filling it and driving it over the border hahah. I have never eaten so many donuts in my life and theres a good reason why. Once you have  one you can not stop! Make sure if you are driving past Portland or going somewhere close that has one of their locations you try this place. You will not be disappointed. 

Here's a picture of the main location. I seriously dreamed of this place for months after <3

Next stop was Portabello

We had to wait in a line just to get seats and its only open for 5 hours but I swear its worth it. Theres a good reason why this restaurant is so busy its because its so cool! Insanely unique menu with really delicious healthy options. They also serve home made drinks and tinctures which was a first for me to see at the restaurant. A little bit on the pricey side of things but if you're looking for a romantic dinner for two in Portland this is most defintely the place. 

We drove around FOREVER trying to find some place our friend wanted to go for breakfast the next day so when I saw PARADOX cafe I screamed for a screeching halt. I had read about this place before on the internet and was really hoping I'd get a chance to go. My boyfriend had the BIG BURRITO. Which was seriously large. Probably was as thick as my arm. He could not even finish it(which is a very rare thing for him). I had the Paradox Benedict which was very exciting for me because I hadn't had Eggs Benedict since becoming a vegan. I wish I got pictures but my camera was dead. I would HIGHLY suggest this cafe for breakfast in Portland:)

Now of course SIZZLE PIE.

It just so happened that the guy we were staying with was really good friends with the owner of Sizzle Pie so we got tons of free pizza the morning before we left. YAY BREAKFAST PIZZA. They've got one too. I had an eggs benedict pizza here. Lots of eggs benedict that weekend haha. This is by far the coolest pizza place I have ever been too. The decor is awesome, they crank punk and metal in there. Its open really late so you can stumble in after a night of drinking. Its also extremely cheap. I loved all the clever names for the pizza's. Super hip place which I'm sure is a huge tourist attraction. Absolute MUST GO if you are in the Portland area. 

Lastly, but most certainly not the least is

  THE CORNBREAD CAFE.

Now this place isn't in Portland. It's just a short drive over in a place called Eugene. I would move to Eugene in a heartbeat. It was like living on Vancouver Island in the states. Not only was Eugene an anarchist fairgrounds way back when for activists its also one of the most vegan friendly places I have ever seen. We drove into a vegan gas station! This was by far my most favourite vegan place of all time. I don't think anyone will top it. It's run by a bunch of super friendly punks. The area is great, the cafe looks beautiful from the outside and in. It has a really old kinda diner feel to it which I love and its was so cheap!! Its exactly what you need if you've been travelling for a long time and are in the need of some warm comfort food. We went there two separate times. One for breakfast and one for dinner. That still wasn't enough. I could have gone a hundred times. If you are driving through Oregon you SERIOUSLY need to stop here to eat. You will regret it if you don't.  Shown below in pictures are Vegan Chicken and Waffles, Vegan Vanilla French Toast, Vegan Fish Sticks w/homemade tartar sauce and Vegan Fried Chicken. All served with a side of cornbread:)

http://www.cornbreadcafe.com/