Letter from Portland

If, like me, you've taken Michael Pollan's latest two books to heart and are a CSA-loving locavore, then you've probably been to Portland, Oregon, where even the local burger chain has a seasonally driven menu.  (See my item on Burgervillefor Good magazine.)    

On my most recent trip, I discovered a city buzzing with youthful energy—Portland is, after all, home to innovative companies such as Weiden + Kennedy (ad agency for Nike, Starbucks, and Visa), Laika (Phil Knight’s ambitious new animation studio) and Nau (an edgy eco-apparel firm).  The city is fast becoming a center of cutting-edge green architecture, design, and fashion—as well as a foodie's paradise.  (One gourmand friend, whose wife is a chef in NYC, came back from her recent trip to Portland swearing that the restaurants there are consistently better than New York's.)  My "Letter from Portland" in the summer issue of Town & Country Travel is a good primer, but it's by no means exhaustive. Others favorites, which there wasn't space to cover: Nostrana, Pok Pok, and Simpatica Dining Hall.   (And ones I have yet to try: 23 Hoyt, Country Cat, and Ten 01.)