Comfort Food 2021

Time-tested family foods, what to eat for every potential 2021 mishap, and a dumpling-making odyssey Plus: Our 2021 real estate guide, Black-owned cannabis businesses, the PDX music scene, and more.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Music

An Incomplete Timeline of Portland’s Musical History

From the post-World War II jazz boom to when Courtney met Kurt, these were the moments that shaped Stumptown’s sound.

05/05/2021 By Conner Reed

Music

Portland-Born Smash ‘I Can’t Wait’ Turns 35

The plastic-disco thumper by Nu Shooz was an early MTV staple.

04/01/2021 With Conner Reed

Music

The New Guard in Portland Music

A who's-who of the talents pushing Stumptown's sound forward

03/25/2021 By Conner Reed

Music

A Timeline of Vaporwave’s Vektroid-Fueled Intersection with Portland

At the center of vaporwave’s rise is local music producer and multidisciplinary artist Ramona Xavier, a.k.a. Vektroid.

03/18/2021 By Suzette Smith

Music

What Might the Future of Live Music Look Like in Portland?

Advocates hope venues will rethink their profit models and center young, diverse talent when the COVID haze clears.

03/14/2021 By Christen McCurdy

Profile

19-Year-Old Portland Rapper Daniyel Is the Next Big Thing

With a viral music video under his belt and a project about 82nd Avenue in the pipeline, Daniyel is poised to take Portland hip-hop by storm.

02/25/2021 By Conner Reed

Eat & Drink

Comfort Food

4 Portland Spots With Amazing Tater Tots

Tater tots are a true Oregon boon. Here's where to try our favorites.

03/24/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Recipe

These Salmon-Sesame Dumplings Prove that Dumplings = Love

I’ll never take a handmade dumpling for granted again.

03/24/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Food to Go

10 Best Takeout Spots in Portland

Where to get classic cheeseburgers, vegan Sri Lankan street food, briny crab-and-featherback dumpling soup, and more.

03/22/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton and Karen Brooks

Comfort Food

7 Amazing Cake Slices—One for Every Day of the Week

Different days call for different cakes.

03/15/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Restaurants

Chef Umut Matkap Is Bringing a Taste of Turkish Tavern Cuisine to Portland

Grab your rakı glasses and get ready to meyhane at Lokanta.

03/14/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Comfort Food

Life Got You Down? Food on a Stick Should Do the Trick

The Seoul street food skewers at Ko Sisters are ideal for a little pick-me-up.

03/10/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Comfort Food

5 Portland Chefs on the Recipes They Learned to Cook from Their Moms and Grandmas

Here's edible proof that sometimes moms really do know best.

03/07/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Thomas Teal

Pop-Up Pick

Vegan Sushi Pop-Up Mitate Goes Beyond Cucumber Rolls

There's nothing fishy about these rolls.

03/03/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Food & Drink

Meet the Dream Team at República in Portland's Pearl District

The new Mexican café, wine bar, and restaurant isn’t just about one chef—it’s about collaboration and camaraderie. Plus, a recipe for salsa macha.

03/03/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Food News

Honey Bagel Is Portland’s Next Great Boiled Ring

Yes, food critic Karen Brooks is dying on the hill of a pepper-cheese bagel.

03/02/2021 By Karen Brooks

Health & Wellness

Cannabis

5 Black-Owned Cannabis Businesses to Support

You can help shape the future of cannabis by supporting Black-owned businesses with your choice of bud or dispensary.

03/25/2021 By Jenni Moore

Cannabis

8 Cannabis Products We Love from Local Black-Owned Businesses

There's no magical panacea. But these come close.

03/23/2021 By Sam Pape

Cannabis

Eternal Optimist Jesce Horton Talks Cannabis in the New Decade

“It’s definitely odd that I found myself in the cannabis industry, but I’m really happy, really thankful that it happened.”

03/22/2021 By Jenni Moore

Cannabis

Big Changes Could Be Coming for Cannabis in Oregon

And that's a good thing: the Oregon Cannabis Equity Act would help level the playing field for BIPOC communities.

03/21/2021 By Sam Pape

Home & Real Estate

Real Estate

Portland Neighborhoods by the Numbers 2021

Nearly every part of town saw an increase in the median sales price last year.

07/28/2021 Edited by Julia Silverman

Real Estate

What Happened After the HGTV Cameras Stopped Rolling for These Oregon Homeowners?

Over the years, Portland and environs have starred in our fair share of episodes of House Hunters.

04/24/2021 By Julia Silverman

Real Estate

How the "Great Renumbering" Tamed the Chaos of Portland Streets

In the 1930s, the city's new address system brought sense, order, and jobs.

03/31/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Real Estate

Five Years in the Making, Argyle Gardens Is a Departure for Affordable Housing in Portland

Is North Portland’s design-forward cohousing building a one-off, or the new face of affordable housing in the city?

03/31/2021 By Julia Silverman

Real Estate

Are Rents in Portland Finally Trending Down?

Signs of the city's declining rent are especially evident in areas like downtown and Northwest.

03/30/2021 By Renata Geraldo

Real Estate

The Pandemic-Era Condo Market Has Finally Picked Up—But at Blast-from-the-Past Prices

In the Pearl, condo prices dropped more than 10 percent, back to their 2014 value.

03/30/2021 By Renata Geraldo

Real Estate

It’s Tough to Buy a House in Portland Right Now

But the city’s suburbs and exurbs are even hotter markets.

03/29/2021 By Anthony Macuk

Design

Osmose Design Has Transformed Montavilla’s Lazy Susan Into a Retro, Cozy Diner

It's not quite midcentury, but it's comfy.

03/26/2021 By Marty Patail

Home & Garden

Try Planting These Spring Pretties to Give Your Garden a Boost

Here's what to plant for a yard bursting with blooms and sweet-smelling flowers.

03/20/2021 By Marisa Kula Mercer

Design

A Traditional West Hills Ranch Shows Its Wild Side

Portland design firm Penny Black brought in clean surfaces, big windows, and bright splashes of lime green.

03/20/2021 By Marty Patail

Design

3 New Portland Books that Just Look Good

Impress your friends by sporting these new book on your coffee table—but you should also read them too.

03/19/2021 By Marty Patail

Where to live now

Neighborhood Guide: Goose Hollow

Washington Park, soccer fans for days, and a bridge with a view

02/25/2021 By Gabriel Granillo

Where to Live Now

Neighborhood Guide: Lents

Asian mega-malls, parks galore, and Italian pastries

02/25/2021 By Ainslee Dicken

News & City Life

Oregon Woman

Oregon Women Talk Inspiration and Change

Millions of women are making a daily difference in our state. We talked to eight such women about who inspires them, and what change they'd most like to see.

03/27/2021 Edited by Fiona McCann

Oregon Woman

Their Own Wings

Oregon women are shaping our city and state, in politics, on the streets, in boardrooms, and in daily life. Listen to what they have to say.

03/27/2021 By Fiona McCann, Eden Dawn, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Jenni Moore, Margaret Seiler, Julia Silverman, and Luz Zamora

Oregon Woman

These 4 Oregon Entrepreneurs Are Using Success to Lift Others

Jaime Schmidt, Junea Roche, Pat Welch, and Lynn Le are leading like bosses.

03/27/2021 By Eden Dawn

Oregon Woman

Engineer and Scientist Arlyne Simon Wants to Inspire Children to Go into STEM

"I asked myself ... ‘What can I do to get more girls into science?’"

03/27/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Oregon Woman

10 Oregon Activists Pushing Us Forward

Lenia Donell, Jaime Cale, Shawn Roberts, Rhiannon Patterson, AJ McCreary, Rashelle Chase, LaQuisha Minnieweather, Samantha Gladu, and Anita Green are fighting for change.

03/27/2021 By Fiona McCann

Oregon Woman

Demetria Hester Is the Tough Black Mom the Movement Needs

"I’m a Black mom. I’ll cuss you out and say, ‘Baby, I did it for love.’"

03/27/2021 By Jenni Moore

Essay

Teen Luz Zamora Grapples with What It Means to Become an Oregon Woman

"I’m a Latina. I’m an Oregonian. I’m an American. And I’m confused about what that all means. "

03/27/2021 By Luz Zamora

Oregon Women

These 3 Oregon Campaigners Are Claiming Political Space for All

Candace Avalos, Carina Miller, and Jessica Vega Pederson are using their political experience to open doors for others.

03/27/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Oregon Woman

Nafisa Fai Is a Groundbreaker, in More Ways Than One

“We have a right to represent our community, to show the power of diversity. There is nothing scary about representation. There is power in it."

03/27/2021 By Julia Silverman

Feature

In a State Divided by More Than the Cascades, Can Oregon's Flagship Public Radio Station Bridge the Gap?

After nearly doubling its newsroom’s size in the past five years, Oregon Public Broadcasting is ready to rumble.

03/21/2021 By Julia Silverman

Dispatch

There’s Treasure in These Here Hills, but You’ll Have to Solve the Clues to Find It

Can you solve our press-themed puzzle?

03/16/2021 By Julia Silverman

Politics

Oregon Futures Lab Is Shaking Up the State’s Elected Leadership at Every Level

“We realized getting people into public office isn’t enough,” says OFL executive director Ana del Rocío. “We need to follow through with the support during their years of governance, especially for new leaders.”

03/08/2021 By Gosia Wozniacka