PERFECTION

French bread, assorted cheeses, pâté, salami, grapes, olives.

Honestly, this is pretty much a perfect meal for me. Bread and cheese is all you need. As much of a carnivore as I am, I would give up meat before I gave up bread without a second thought. There's an actual diet that doesn't allow you to eat bread right? F that noise.

NEW SEASONS

Everything bagel with cream cheese and lox.
Custard.

New Seasons Raleigh Hills
7300 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy
Portland, OR 97225

Not many of my friends think to have lunch at New Seasons. It's an Oregon grocery store chain that focuses on supporting local farmers, ranchers and manufacturers. They have a deli that serves really good sandwiches, so we like to go and eat lunch there sometimes.

Have I mentioned that bagel with cream cheese and lox is probably my favorite food ever? I grew up on it in Manhattan, my family frequenting H&H Bagels on the Upper West Side. Poorly made versions don't get past me.

TARTUFO BIANCO

Tartufo Bianco: Mozzarella (whole milk & fresh), pecorino romano with Truffle Oil & sea salt.

Apizza Scholls
4741 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR
(503) 233-1286

Apizza Scholls is the best pizza in Portland, period. We are fortunate to have many great pizza options in this city for different occassions- Pizzicato and Hot Lips for un-fussy, gourmet, family owned pizza experiences, Pizza Schimizza for creative flavors and toppings on your work lunch break. And dozens of other hole in the wall spots for grabbing a quick slice.

Apizza Scholls operates on the mission of upholding the standards and values of the old Italian "Pizzaiolos". Pizzaiolos are craftsmen who have dedicated their lives to the perfection of pizza. Their dedication is very apparent.

The pizza I happened to try on this trip was the Tartufo Bianco, a really simple white pie made with mozzarella, drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with sea salt. I'm a huge fan of truffle oil, so I was a huge fan of this pie.

CHEZ MACHIN

???: Savory crepe with brie, avocado, and other stuff?


La Miel: Local berry mix, honey, and crème fraîche.

Chez Machin
3553 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 736-9381

Growing up In Tokyo, my friends and I used to hang out every weekend in the bustling Shibuya neighborhood shopping for records and clothes, and eating from various food cart vendors. For dinner, we had Turkish Döner kebab, and for desert we would frequent the many sweet crepe stands hidden in the back streets. They were AMAZING. Dozens of variations and combinations of fresh fruit, cream, syrup and custard.

My only previous crepe experience in Portland was trying Vivace on 23rd street, which I remember hating. I should probably give it another shot, but it wasn't a good first impression. Chez Machin on the other hand was damn good. I don't recall everything that was in the savory crepe other than brie and avocado, but those were the two ingredients that drew me to it anyway. The desert crepe was great too. Next time I'm looking forward to trying the La Maison (Local berry mix with homemade custard.)

Also pluses: charming interior and a cute waitress.

BRIE AUX FINES HERBS

Brie aux Fines Herbs: Baguette bread with herb butter, Brie cheese, slices of cucumber, and crispy leaves of frisée.

St. Honoré
2335 NW Thurman
Portland, OR 97210
(503) 445-4342

St. Honoré is one my favorite places for lunch in Portland. When I'm not feeling adventurous, I have a rotation of regular spots here that I always end up at for lunch. They are Grand Central Bakery, Daily Cafe, Half & Half, Elephants and St. Honoré. Croissants and Brie are two of my favorite man-made inventions, and St. Honoré serves up delicious things utilizing both.