Maybe the mushrooms got to him. Today, Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema published a dreamy love letter to Portland’s food scene.

Opening lines: “Picture an urban landscape painted in rivers, forests and mountains — Frontierland as if created by Alice Waters. Welcome to Portland, as in Oregon, the land of milk and honey.” 

The highly respected food critic visited Portland as part of a new, 10-month-long Washington Post series “The Search for America’s Best Food Cities,” updated with a new culinary hub every month (no doubt, thanks to Amazon overlord Jeff Bezos, the billionaire business magnate who purchased the daily newspaper in 2013).

For July, Sietsema caught up with Portland Monthly food writers Karen Brooks and Benjamin Tepler for a dive into the city’s food history (James Beard to Cory Schreiber), a brunch tour (and Screen Door’s block-long lines), and a who’s who survey of Portland eating, Ox to Ataula, Langbaan to Nodoguro. 

For the full story, complete with a map of Sietsema’s favorite spots and video interviews, head to www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style.