Pepperoni Is Not a Vegetable » Inspiring, Green, & Local: Oregon

Inspiring, Green, & Local: Oregon

Wild Mushroom Dip at the Wayfarer in Cannon Beach, OR

Oregon woke me up. Never have I been to a place where there is such dedication to eating, drinking, and living in such close harmony with the land. It has become common practice for the people of the Pacific Northwest to look no further than what is around them. It didn’t matter if we were in the city or on the coast, at a fancy sit-down restaurant or a local burger shop: the commitment to using locally-sourced fruit, vegetables, dairy, and meat was inspiring. And the food? Sooooo good.

Here’s where I had the pleasure of eating while in Portland and on the coast in Cannon Beach:

The Mash Tun Brew Pub, Alberta Arts District. The french fries were amazing, and the veggie almond burger was HUGE.
The Seven Virtues, NE Portland. After a late night, the Greek breakfast tart & a strawberry-banana smoothie hit the spot.
The Wayfarer, Cannon Beach. We went back a second time just to have the Wild Mushroom Dip again (pictured above).
The Blossoming Lotus, NE Portland. Lovely & vibrant vegan food. The artichoke fritters & soft serve mint soy ice cream were favorites.
Paley’s Place, NW Portland. The flavors were remarkable & everything was perfectly balanced. I really adored the roasted beets, cheese plate (we did three Oregon cheeses), and rhubarb tapioca dessert.
Burgerville, a fresh, local, and sustainable fast food chain. The black bean veggie burger was delicious! They compost here! And use locally sourced food! Outstanding.

The grocery stores were stuffed with local food & drink as well. I picked up the Moonstruck Mayan Chocolate Bar, and a bottle of Elk Cove Pinot Noir, and insisted on toting them around with me until both were gone.

Eating local is amazing. It keeps us connected to the people and the land around us. I had known that before, but Oregon helped me remember.