My Top 5 Favorite Dishes in Portland (Currently)

Being new to Portland, Oregon, Z and I go out to eat quite often. And with that frequency, a lot of our meals are on the more casual side - food trucks, sandwiches, and the like. (Although, expect a post in the future regarding some of the fancier dishes and restaurants we've been loving so far!).

In that vein, I thought it was high time I shared with you all the dishes that have made me swoon ever since we moved here. Some I've had an embarrassing amount of times already; some, I've recently tried. If you live in Portland - or plan to visit sometime soon - put these on your must-try casual eats list.

1.) The Lox Bagel ($8.75) at Eisenhower BagelHouse, 3990 N Interstate Ave.

You can get this beauty on your choice of housemade (and boiled!) bagel, or housemade English muffin. I went with the Montreal Spice bagel, and the saltiness complemented the toppings beautifully. The bagel was piled high with cream cheese, fresh, thinly sliced lox, chunks of tomato, salty capers, fresh dill, and sliced red onion. If I could start all my days with this, I would already be in heaven.

2.) The Out to Lunch ($7.50) at Wolf & Bear's, multiple locations 
Um, everything I've eaten at any Wolf & Bear's food truck has been amazing...which probably explains why Z and I have eaten here countless times already. But the Out to Lunch is my absolute favorite so far. Inside a fluffy, warm pita wrap lies creamy labneh, gorgonzola crumbles, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, falafel, salad greens, tahini sauce, and olive oil. Thanks to the tin foil all of their sandwiches are wrapped in, it's not a messy experience, either. Just downright delicious, indulgent, and addictive.

3.) Blueberry Bourbon Basil Doughnut at Blue Star Donuts, multiple locations

Everyone raves about Voodoo Doughnuts here in Portland - and although I've yet to go there, I've heard it's over-hyped compared to my beloved Blue Star. We are lucky enough to have a location right down the street from us here in NW Portland, and it's wonderful...yet dangerous. All of their doughnuts are surprisingly light, fluffy, and unique yet successful when it comes to flavors. The Blueberry Bourbon Basil has been my favorite so far - the tart blueberry complements the sweet basil and kick of booze quite nicely. (I forget the price, but I believe their doughnuts typically cost between $3-$4),

4.) Beet Tartare ($9) at Portobello Vegan Trattoria, 1125 SE Division St.

Picture this: creamy cashew cheese topped with diced, roasted beets, carrot aioli, fines herbes,
and capers - all drizzled with olive oil and sea salt, and served with crostini. Nothing gives me greater joy than scooping a huge dollop of this vegan tartare onto a toasted slice of baguette. Even if you're a meat eater - who likes beets - you will forever be dreaming of this dish.

5.) Chickpea Fritter Banh Mi ($8) at Double Dragon, 1235 SE Division St.
Located right across the street from Portobello is Double Dragon - and Double Dragon has made me a lot of these banh mis. They're just that good. A crusty baguette chock-full of almost-perfect chickpea-and-roasted-vegetable fritters and pickled vegetables = my idea of heaven on earth. The sandwich is also ginormous, usually leaving me with half for lunch the next day. Usually...... (Z always gets the Orange Sesame Soy Curls Banh Mi ($8), which is also fantastic!).

If you're from - and/or currently live in Portland - what are some of your favorite casual eats in or around the city?