WHAT WE ATE Portland’s Restaurant History: The People, Places, and Plates That Set Our City’s Epic Table How did we conquer the food world? We chronicle more than a century of Portland dining. Edited by Kelly Clarke By Karen Brooks, Benjamin Tepler, Michael Zusman, and Tuck Woodstock Portland’s eaters are always hungry for the next great bite, from xurros to modernist pop-up feasts. But how did our city actually ripen into the food destination it is today? In This Feature: Pioneer Salt, Giant Pancakes, and Sexy Salads: The Two-Century-Long Story of How Portland Conquered the Food World Here are the wild spots, rule breakers, lost treasures, and unforgettable dishes that forged our food culture. 08/15/2016 Edited by Kelly Clarke By Karen Brooks, Tuck Woodstock, and Michael Zusman Photography by Nicolle Clemetson Styled by Ashley Marti/Local Haven Revisiting the Mid-Century Jazz Clubs and Soul Food Kitchens of Portland’s Albina Neighborhood Before it became a chic bike thoroughfare, N Williams was a compact universe of black-owned businesses. 08/15/2016 By Kelly Clarke In the ‘70s and ‘80s, This Prolific Portland Restaurateur Redefined “Fine Dining” Michael Vidor—the man behind L’Auberge, Genoa, and Tanuki—replaced stodge with bohemian, come-as-you-are excellence. 08/15/2016 By Karen Brooks Wine Snobs, Moody Bastards, and Game Hens: Inside the Vat and Tonsure From 1978 to 1997, this idiosyncratic downtown boîte was the epicenter of Portland culture. 08/15/2016 By Karen Brooks How Zefiro Changed Everything for Portland’s Food Scene In the ‘90s, the most mythical of Portland restaurants ruled over NW 21st and Glisan. 08/15/2016 By Karen Brooks In 2002, Two Crazy Kids Basically Invented the Modern Portland Restaurant Michael Hebb and Naomi Pomeroy redefined the city’s old-world restaurant order. 08/15/2016 By Karen Brooks How the (Food Cart) Pod People Took Over In 2009, a half-empty lot called Cartopia became Portland's new living room. 08/17/2016 By Karen Brooks The (James) Beard Supremacy: Five Portland Chefs Who Slay Cory Schreiber, Philippe Boulot, Cathy Whims, Greg Higgins, and Vitaly Paley embody the mission of Oregon’s original locavore. 08/15/2016 By Karen Brooks Eight Classic Portland Recipes, 1932 to Now From Henry Thiele’s German pancakes to Lucy Brennan’s avocado daiquiri, here’s how to eat (and drink) your way through Portland history. 08/15/2016 By Benjamin Tepler, Kelly Clarke, and Karen Brooks Portland Monthly Food Critic Karen Brooks Looks Back on Three Decades of Restaurant Reviews From ‘80s bagel punks to gazillion-dollar flops. 08/15/2016 By Karen Brooks