the lowdown: I Wanna Be Your Dog | NE 18th & Alberta | Dinner/Late Night (Tues-Sun 6pm-2:30am) | Dogs $2 - $5 | *****
One dark cold Sun nite I visited the hole in the wall hot dog shop. Super good veg dogs. Don’t go if from grshm, owners like hoodsters only.
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post dedicated to the clumsy kid
the lowdown: Berbati’s Pan | 231 SW Ankeny St., Portland, OR 97204 | 503.248.4579 | Website | Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour | Items $4.50 - $10 | **
Super cheap.
As the weather declines, the downtown Portland lunch options follows suit. Much of the vegan variety is offered through food carts; unless you are running back to the office, food cart dining isn’t nearly as pleasant as it is during the summer months. To complicate matters, I can no longer simply jump on my bike during my lunch hour without making a change of clothes, thus my options are further limited. Nonetheless, last week I borrowed a golf umbrella and foraged my way to Berbati’s, a gruesome 10 blocks in a downpour.
Berbati’s is a well known night spot sandwiched between the infamous Shanghi Tunnel and Bar XV. This threesome comprise a few of Portland’s most well known hot spots. Even I had a few crazy nights filled with heavy drinking and bar food at these places. Berbati’s is a much different scene during lunch. The daylight draws attention to all the imperfections that are typically hidden at night, the dining room is entirely empty, and the music is non-existent. The vegan options include gyros with hummus instead of tzatiki, veggie panini, and boca burgers. I ordered the gyro with falafel ($4.50), which included fries. It was decent and cheap, however, certainly not worth the trouble nor as good as I remembered it.
the lowdown: Morning Star Cafe | 510 SW 3rd Ave #100, Portland, OR 97204 | 503.241.2401 | Website |Lunch, Coffee | Items $5.50 - $7.25 | **
Cute coffee/sandwich shop and great location, yet avoidable.
Sure, there are cute girls behind the counter. Sure, the name Morning Star sounds kind of hippie which provides hope that they may extend their love to vegans. Sure, the location for downtown Portland employees is great and the prices are affordable. Nonetheless, the cute girls are rude and I can’t bump the image of prepackaged fake meats when I think of this place.
There are a few things that bother me about Morning Star Cafe. First, it is not the fact that their normal menu offers nothing without cheese or meat. In fact, their Specials menu has a permanent item called The Veggie ($6.75) which includes veggies and hummus, a side of chips, and is quite good. The problem I have is that each time I have been there, the person at the register claims they are new and don’t know what they are doing, and sandwiches are routinely served out of order. Additionally, the folks making the sandwiches are completely out of touch with what kind of bread they are using and the inner working of the sandwiches they are making. All of these complaints would be moot if they were in some form pleasant about their ignorance, but shockingly I get the feeling they believe it is a privilege for me to spend my lunch hour there. Luckily I have boundaries for that type of abuse. As for the everyone else, Morning Star is often packed with those who either don’t ask questions, are fooled by the name, or enjoy the abuse.
the lowdown: Vendetta | 4306 N. Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97217 | 503.288.1085 | Website | Dinner, Late Night | Items $2 - $7 | ***
Vegan friendly bar with a few cheap eats!
With 50 days left in the campaign my anxiety ridden friends and I can’t stop obsessing over what is happening on the campaign trail. What talking points did Palin babble about today, how often did McCain mention he is a POW and how badly did the Republicans try to smear Obama? I’ve never in my life felt so strongly about politics, even after Bush won two elections. Anyway, you didn’t come here to talk politics but admittedly that is all that is on my mind, even while dining at Vendetta. While catching up with a girlfriend we only broke from the politics for air and a brief discussion of my trip to Burning Man. Phew!
Vendetta is a chill unmarked bar that is difficult to find due to its lack of signage. It comes equipped with shuffle board, interesting artwork, a larger than life outdoor seating area, and a smattering of hip clientel. It reduced its vegan offerings to two down from three, leaving the tofu sandwich and sloppy jane. The tofu sandwich ($7) was lacking substantial spice making me long for the Weeping Tiger at Bye and Bye. All entrees come with aloof service and a choice of tortilla chips or side salad. If you are looking for an afterwork haunt or place to hang on Friday night, Vendetta is a great choice, just know you are going for the fantastic conversations you will have with your friends and not the food.
the lowdown: Black Sheep Bakery | 523 NE 19th Ave., Portland, OR 97232 | 503.517.5762 | Website | Breakfast, Lunch (M-F only) | Items $3 - $7.75 | ****
Cute cafe for everyone (if you don’t work during the week or work nearby).
The morning of our departure to Burning Man we couldn’t pick up the rental car until 7:30. I wanted to make the most of having a weekday off in Portland so we picked up breakfast on the run at Black Sheep. This visit was to serve two purposes; patronize a vegan bakery while I could (they are only open M-F) and ensure a full stomach and snacks for the road while we traveled through the back country of Oregon, California, and Nevada. The mission was successful, it’s just a shame the goods couldn’t have lasted for the return trip!
Black Sheep opens at 7am and we sauntered in at exactly that time. I was excited for the variety of options on the menu and the case full of baked goods. Although the menu alleges that breakfast is served “open to close”, there are many items you cannot order until the prep cook arrives, which isn’t until 9. These items include vegan biscuits and gravy, vegan egg & sausage breakfast sandwich, and sometimes tempeh bacon. With some remaining luck they had tempeh strips available which was fashioned into a bagel sandwich with vegan cream cheese and veggies ($5.50). We also grabbed a cornmeal blueberry muffin and biscuit & vegan sausage muffin ($2 each). There is no shortage of non-veg options (egg, cheese, mayo, milk) as well to cater to the surrounding areas’ business patrons. Admittedly I was disappointed I couldn’t try some of the items, but the available food was delicious and dining room is quaint and welcoming. If I worked nearby I would most certainly make a habit to stop by and lobby for the prep cook to show up earlier!
the lowdown: Bye and Bye | 1011 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97211 | 503.281.0537 | Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour | Food Items $5 - $8 | *****
Alberta Street bar with stiff bevys and righteous vegan food!
The Alberta hood is known for their restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, and most definitely Last Thursday. This is the part of town where you can dine on vegan biscuits and gravy, gaze at countless varieties of art, buy a rain barrel then grab a beer before heading home. I visit quite regularly and most recently rallied to my next door neighborhood to hang with a pal at the notorious Bye and Bye. We ate, we laughed, we people watched, but this was after feeling completely out of place with only two tats.
Want to know what happens when 6 guys open up shop on lower Alberta street offering stiff drinks, vegan grub, and an atmosphere derived from their bare hands? Nothing other then legions of folks lined up just to get inside! Nevermind the vegan food, these cats go because it is the place to be! We were there to eat and damn do they have a great menu! Previously I have had the BBQ Veggie “Chicken” which was a plate of grilled tofu, beans, and collard greens. During my last visit I ordered the Meatball Sub and my dining partner had the Weepying Tiger sandwhich.With each menu item you have the choice of a side, tofu, greens, tortilla chips, black-eyed peas, and broccili. I choose the tofu because it is crusted with nutrtional yeast and tastes better then french fries! Be aware that the food is spicy, messy (meatball sub anyway), and damn good. I need to start going more often, despite my shortage of hipster traits!
the lowdown: Give Pizza a Chance | Between 4th and 5th on Stark, Portland, OR | 503.333.4434 | Items $2 - $10 | ****
This food cart rocks!
StumptownVegans are Portland’s vegan food cart connoisseurs. If it’s a food cart that serves something vegan, they know about it. This especially comes in handy when I am trying to figure out a quick meal on a work lunch break. With their comprehensive reviews I know exactly what I am getting into before I go.
Admittedly, food carts are sometimes difficult for me. Many of them occupy dilapidated trailers or makeshift shacks whose cleanliness would surprise me if they met code. The row of carts on 5th and Stark is no exception. As I was slowly walking by each one looking for Give Pizza a Chance I cringed but as I rounded the corner, I was pleasantly surprised by the well cared for cart that serves pizza by the slice, whole pies, and calzones! As a vegan your options are limited to freshly baked items as the pizza slices ($2-$3) all contain cheese. Based on the StumptownVegans recommendation I ordered a vegan calzone ($7) which included my choice of any of the following ingredients: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, olives, and peppers. Although it took 20 minutes (record wait for food cart dining), it was well worth it. The piping hot calzone had the best crust and fillings around. I hadn’t had a calzone in years but I’ve never had one made with such fresh ingredients. If you are going to give any food cart a chance, let it be this one!
the lowdown: Sip | 3029 SE 21st Ave., Portland, OR 97202 | Dessert (Closed Tuesday) | Shakes $2.75 - $5.50 | *****
Super good vegan milkshakes and smoothies!
Remember those pre-vegan summer days when the only thing you craved was a huge milkshake and finding one was never an issue? You can stop longing for those times and put away your blenders because the most fabulous cart rolled into town and is parked in front of the People’s Food Co-Op, offering delectable all vegan shakes and smoothies.
It was fantastically hot last weekend when we ventured out to the Clinton St. hood to confront the blogosphere hype created about Sip. With an opening just two months ago, Sip has created a name for itself that reverberates throughout Portland. Not more then an Airstream-esque trailer with an interior of vintage wallpaper and a 70’s milkshake machine; Sip produces soy based, organic milkshakes in an array of flavors. At $4.75 each we enjoyed the Chocolate Peanut Butter and Orange Creamiscle. Both equally perfect. Other options include Cookies-n-Cream, Chocolate, Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry, Mocha, and Vanilla Latte. In addition there is freshly prepared juices, smoothies, and wheatgrass. If you order it “For Here” it comes in a classic milkshake glass where you can occupy the outdoor seating in front of the Co-Op and people watch all the hippies doing their grocery shopping.
the lowdown: Taqueria Los Gorditos | SE 50th Ave & SE Division St., Portland, OR 97255 | 503.875.2615 | Lunch, Dinner | Items $1.5 - $6 | **
Mexican food truck with vegan menu.
Hitting up a food truck that happens to be nearby is one thing, but traveling the to other side of Portland to visit one takes a whole different level of dedication. The first time I tried to visit they were sealed shut, despite the Sunday hours I’ve seen posted on the Internet. The second time was on a rare day that I had off from work and my sister and I were sort of in the neighborhood.
Over the last year Los Gorditos has graced blogs raving about their vegan menu. At one point they were offering an entirely vegan menu on Sundays. I don’t know if this is still the case since they were closed when I tried to go on a Sunday, but they do offer a lengthy 11 item vegan menu during normal hours including tofu tacos ($1.50), a tofu burrito ($5.50), enchiladas with tofu or soyrizo ($5.50), and a quesadilla ($5.00). Tofutti Sour Cream, Soyrizo, and Follow Your Heart cheese can be added for an additional $.50. Perhaps I made the mistake of ordering the tofu burrito, but I was not impressed. The tofu was soggy and tasteless and the beans were overly refried. I certainly want to give them credit for having so many offerings but I would not bother going out of my way 30 blocks. Based on the number of people waiting in line for their lunch I’m going to guess I am the minority, but I’ll go ahead and create a longer line at La Bonita.
SW 3rd Ave Location
NE 15th & Davis Location
the lowdown: Voodoo Doughnuts | 22 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204 & 1501 NE Davis, Portland, OR 97232 | 503.241.4704 | Website | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Late Night | Items $1.5 - $4 | ****
Vegan doughnuts. Nuff said.
UPDATE: From Arctic Circle, to car dealership, to donut shop, Voodoo now has a NE Portland location so us Eastsiders can get our fix. Enjoy the covered bike parking, the classroom style dining room, and the vintage trash decor while munching on a variety of vegan donuts!
There are many treasures to be found while making your way through the crawl space of downtown Portland’s underbelly, and Voodoo Doughnuts is one such gem. I have made it tradition to bear pink boxes full of doughnuts on Christmas morning with my family. Truthfully, none of them seem terribly excited about the doughnuts but I find enjoyment picking them up late on Christmas eve.
All souls who crave vegan doughnuts are not new to what is available at Voodoo but every time I tell someone who has difficulty understanding my dietary choices that Voodoo has said doughnuts, they look at me with complete disbelief. “What are they made of then?” is what commonly comes next after the perplexing look. Nonetheless, Voodoo is a small crack in the side of the building that houses Shanghi Tunnel, Bar XV and Berbati’s Pan. It is open 24 Hours and tattoo covered employees make creme filled, penis shaped, fruit loops covered, bacon decorated delights all night long. Although the vegans are left out of the phallic fun, the selection consists of 5 cake doughnut varieties with sprinkles. All are damn good.
