by | November 9, 2011

Native Foods Cafe, Bridgeport Village (Tigard)

Over the weekend, I attended the soft opening of first Portland locale for growing Californian chain, Native Foods Cafe. The new vegan restaurant officially opens out in Bridgeport Village today (11/8/2011) and we hear they’re eyeing two more locations in the metro area, whose locations remain secret…so far.

If the following photos do nothing more than give you a reason to truly live (and by that, I mean, have a delicious, chef-crafted yet casual meal) the next time you find yourself mysteriously trapped at a suburban shopping center, they’ve done their job.

If you’ve had a chance to stop by, please let us know your thoughts in the comments.  I’ll let the photos do the talking from here…

Our table’s spread

Nuevo Native Nachos

Scorpion Tempeh Burger

Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger

Crunchy Kale Salad, back right

Native Chicken Wing with Buffalo Sauce – I vote Ranch

Baja Surf Tacos. Photo by Melissa

Chicken Run Ranch Burger. Photo by Melissa

Native Chili. Photo by Melissa

Chili Cheese Fries

Photo by Melissa

Photo by Melissa

Classic Deli Reuben

Peanut Butter Parfait

Boogie Bar

Photo by Melissa

Cheesecake

The view from my side of the table

Cardamom Rose Good Luck Cupcake

Crunchy Kale Salad

Progress ?

You can conveniently peer into the Native Foods Cafe dessert case as you place your order.

There’s both indoor and heated patio seating at this location.

Photo by Melissa.

Photo by Melissa.

Why are there elephants in the bathroom?


With that, I’m looking forward to my next visit and trying out the Chimi Chop Salad or a Chicken Run Ranch Burger or Sweet Potato Taquitos or or or…

Start browsing the Portland menu online for your own advanced decision-making!

You can read the original Stumptown Vegans review of the Palm Desert location, posted by Webly in July 24, 2009, at this link.

 

Disclaimer: All soft opening meals were complimentary.

11 Comments

Filed under all vegan, jess, Native Foods, Tigard

by | August 26, 2011

The Stumptown Vegans Guide to One Day in Portland

Having written restaurant reviews for vegans for years, folks often ask us just where they should eat in Portland, OR, and we’re always happy to offer advice.

Now, there are obvious stand-out choices, and some decision-making to take into consideration: How long are you here for? What part of town are you staying in? Are you looking for brunch? Are you seeking gluten-free or raw options? Do you require a burrito? etc.Thinking about the hundreds of vegan bloggers arriving soon for the Vida Vegan Bloggers Conference who will have their hands full and may be wondering the same, we recently sat down in our downtown studio and recorded this casual podcast about our picks for dining, where to stay, where to stop, and what else to do in Portland, OR.

Overall, the two Stumptown Vegans agreed on the vast majority of suggestions, making them super Stumptown Vegans approved!

We both also strongly encourage you to visit – and stay – with friends. They’ll show you their city, and you’ll have even more greatness to share!

The entire podcast, where we give our live recommendations, favorite dishes and explanations can be heard here, and via Itunes (bear with us if it’s not up yet).

With that, listen as we present our Portland recommendations, condensed into a one day period, for following:

THE ULTIMATE STUMPTOWN VEGANS’ ONE DAY IN PORTLAND PICKS

Note: As always, personal taste is an opinionated matter and things change! We encourage your thoughts and suggestions below – as do out of town visitors, no doubt.

Where to stay:

Breakfast/Brunch:
This city loves brunch any time of day – and vegan options are plentiful.

Coffee Break:

Bakery:
You’re in Portland. Are you crazy thinking you’ll only be stopping at one vegan bakery? Come on – two are on the same street and another is located in the vegan mini mall at SE 12th & Hawthorne! You have no excuse.

Lunch
Both Stumptown Vegans strongly agree that a casual food cart lunch is where it’s at, and these are our stand out favorites:

If you’re not down for cart culture, try a fresh lunch at Blossoming Lotus or Prasad, a thin crust slice at super vegan-friendly Sizzle Pie, or go for some Soy Curls at Portland’s beloved Taqueria Los Gorditos. Their original cart is located at SE 50th & Division and they also have a sit-down taqueria on SE 12th & Division.
Happy Hour
For happy hour, check out one of Portland’s spacious bar patios, most importantly at two must-gos: the entirely vegan Bye & Bye (holy BBQ platter!) on NE Alberta or the new Sweet Hereafter (heck yes to the Steve Martin!) on SE Belmont. Did someone say cocktails (or mocktails) in mason jars? They did. We also recommend checking out Star Bar and good ‘ole Tube.
Dinner
For dinnertime, the Stumptown Vegans agree, there is but one choice (so don’t go on a Sunday or Monday when they’re closed!): Portobello Vegan Trattoria. Whether you get the glorious gnocchi, or the veggie burger, or the pizza, or simply the creamy beet tartare – it’s simply that impressive.
Late night drinks & bites
After dinner, you may want to fit in a drink – or even another bite, around town. There’s APEX: a beer bar, across from Portobello, as well as The Victory Bar down Division St, featuring classy cocktails. If more nibbles are calling your name, even hours later, check out some of Portland’s late night options at Cartopia at SE 12th & Hawthorne: Whiffies, Potato Champion! and Pyro Pizza, or across the river to the new & intriguing UniCart or nearby VooDoo. There’s always room for a doughnut – or always time to pick up a pink box to share for the trip home.Here are some more places you should really check out while you’re in town – Shopping & Sights:

Have a suggestion? Please share!
Again, the full conversation is available here.

Veggie Burger, Portobello Vegan Trattoria

9 Comments

Filed under all vegan, best of, podcast

by | August 19, 2011

Episode 20: The Stumptown Vegans Guide to One Day in Portland

Episode 20: The Ultimate Guide to One Day in Portland

Having written restaurant reviews for vegans for years, folks often ask us just where they should eat in Portland, OR, and we’re always happy to offer advice.

Now, there are obvious stand-out choices, and some decision-making to take into consideration: How long are you here for? What part of town are you staying in? Are you looking for brunch? Are you seeking gluten-free or raw options? Do you require a burrito? etc.Thinking about the hundreds of vegan bloggers arriving soon for the Vida Vegan Bloggers Conference who will have their hands full and may be wondering the same, we recently sat down in our downtown studio and recorded this casual podcast about our picks for dining, where to stay, where to stop, and what else to do in Portland, OR.

Overall, the two Stumptown Vegans agreed on the vast majority of suggestions, making them super Stumptown Vegans approved!

We both also strongly encourage you to visit – and stay – with friends. They’ll show you their city, and you’ll have even more greatness to share!

The entire podcast, where we give our live recommendations, can be heard at the link above, and via Itunes (bear with us if it’s not up yet).

With that, listen as we present our Portland recommendations, condensed into a one day period, for following:

THE ULTIMATE STUMPTOWN VEGANS’ ONE DAY IN PORTLAND PICKS

Note: As always, personal taste is an opinionated matter and things change! We encourage your thoughts and suggestions below – as do out of town visitors, no doubt.

We’ll be posting our printable, documented breakdown shortly.

Show Notes:

Salad & a slice from Sizzle Pie

The fabled UniCart

5 Comments

Filed under podcast, portland

by | August 15, 2011

Episode 19: The Stumptown Vegans Mailbag & Tips for New Vegans

Episode 19: The Stumptown Vegans Mailbag

Curious about the vegan lifestyle? Just starting out on a plant-based path, and confused? Unsure how to order at restaurants? Wondering if you’ll ever find a vegan cheese you’ll like? How do you survive when you’re the only vegan you know? Looking to build, or join, a vegan community?

Join the Stumptown Vegans as they answer these questions, and more, from their built-up mailbag. This conversation includes notes about local, travel, and chain dining.

If you have a question for the Stumptown Vegans, email Stumptownvegans@gmail.com, or tweet @stumptownvegans.

2 Comments

Filed under all vegan, new vegans, podcast