Before Departing Portland

Woe is me, if I could only stay a little bit longer or visit a little more frequently, I would be a happy girl. Portland charmed the pants off of me with it's fun folks, eco-friendliness and health, vegan goodness. I could go on for ages but I'll save some for my next visit.  In the mean time, here are a few more "musts" to check out in good ol' Portland!:

There are no words to describe how phenomenally awesome Portobello Vegan Trattoria, it is that indescribably good. With a seasonal, vegan menu, this coffee shop by day, fine dining by night phenom blew me out of the water.  Each course was even tastire then the next and I knew that every dish on it's ever changing menu was not only well thought out but prepared with meticulous love.  Since I was there in the fall, I indulged in all things autumn starting with their hearty Fall minestrone and moving on to their pumpkin crepe topped with cashew cream & basil. An I didn't stop there because I was torn between 2 desserts so I got them both (which was totally cool as I had Dan to share them with).  Uh, uh, uh, what????  The best tiramisu on the planet & the bomb diggitiest chocolate cream filled cannolis! Yes, I know, I stuffed myself which is not of the Healthy Voyager code but man, ohhhh man, sometimes you just have to live a little and Portobello is where its at!

One of the newer kids on the Portland scene is the appropriately named, Back to Eden Bakery. A veritable wonderland for shutting up your sweet tooth, Back to Eden dishes up freshly baked vegan delights along with soft serve soy & scoopable coconut  ice cream. In addition, they have a boutique that stocks all sorts of vegan goodies, candies & even local crafts from other artsy vegans.  Back to Eden is a super sweet spot so add it to your dining card!

One thing I absolutely love but don't get to much of, is fabulous breakfast or brunches.  There are some terrific places in LA but their all spread out all over town so I rarely get my butt out of the house in time to go get some on any given weekend. But on my trips, I am always in search of that elusive, perfect breakfast and I found it at Paradox. Serving food all day, this menu is just heaven. They've got everything from comfort food, fun food and healthy dishes so no matter your mood, Paradox has it.  But brunch was my meal of choice and Paradox delivered. It's been well over a decade since I've been able to order my breakfast by number so I was stoked when my number 1 made it to the table, tofu with home style potatoes along with a hunk of corn bread. I had to try their pancakes so I split a baby stack of the Solstice Corn Cakes with my guy.  Talk about a breakfast of champions!

I love places that has something for everyone and Old Wive's Tale is just that kind of place.  From omnivores to vegans, gluten free folks to low fat diners, this menu is drool inducing and wonderfully accommodating. Serving up yumminess all day as well as their famous Sunday brunches, this is the spot to bring everyone in your crew and no one leaves hungry. On top of the eclectic menu, OWT gives you a choice of fun dining areas: the main dining area, the children's playroom & the classical music dining room. It is hard to dine at the Old Wive's Tale and not want to try everything once and if you did try that, you wouldn't run out of options for an awfully long time! I made the healthy choice of visiting their soup & salad bar and just loved all of the great selections. Fresh & friendly isn't just an old wive's tale in Portland ; )

The last but certainly not least on the list is Vita Cafe. The epitome of Portland culture with its sustainable philosophy, veg-tastic food & fun for everyone vibe at and affordable price, Vita Cafe rocks! Specials for healthy kids meals are a great draw but the food itself is draw enough. Another all day eatery, you can eat your 3 square meals here and be surprised by each and every one. I went both naughty & nice with an order of shareable mac & cheese along with a super stuffed cold veggie wrap that was chock full of crunchy and good-for-me goodness.  Another hot spot in the Alberta Art District Vita Cafe is yet another home run ; )

So it's ta-ta for now to Portland but so much more ahead. See you next week for some more healthy eats in a new city!