Lake Country 2021

Where to camp, hike, paddle, float, or just dip your toes in the water. Plus: The Best Frozen Treats, Pride Guide 2021, The Future of the Lloyd Center Mall, and more.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Summer Reads

Three Sisters: A Short Story by Guadalupe García McCall

"Maria tossed her hair out of her face and sat up with a jerk. She leaned forward, distorting her image on the screen. Her lips became pale, and her left eye...

07/14/2021 By Guadalupe García McCall

Summer Reads

Niyi and the Tan Stucco House: A Short Story by Olufunke Grace Bankole

"Stomping-boot-by-stomping-boot, Niyi cracked down the sidewalk. At the pink house with blue trim, he bent forward to smell the pine tree smell, as his baba ...

07/14/2021 By Olufunke Grace Bankole

Television

Looking for Portland in Hey, Arnold!

The ’90s hit turns 25 this year. Here’s where you can spot its Rose City roots.

07/08/2021 By Aurora Biggers

Film

New Documentary Black Girl in the Woods Seeks to Reclaim the Outdoors for Outsiders

This summer, Artists Repertory Theatre’s managing director Kisha Jarrett will hike for 1,200 miles and capture it on camera.

06/23/2021 By Fiona McCann

Books

Genevieve Hudson’s Buzzy Novel Boys of Alabama Addresses Southern Masculinity and More

The South, says Hudson, “feels like the landscape culturally and emotionally that shaped me to be who I am.”

06/16/2021 By Aliya Hall

Interview

5 Portland Drag Queens Reflect on a Year without an Audience

Poison Waters, Carla Rossi, and others share how they’re emerging from the pandemic.

06/03/2021 With Reina Harwood, Marty Patail, Margaret Seiler, and Conner Reed

Events

How to Celebrate Pride 2021 in Portland

Last year, Pride went fully virtual and scaled way back. This year, it’s dipping its toes back in the water.

05/26/2021 By Conner Reed

Essay

Across Three Seasons, Shrill Quietly Revolutionized the Portrayal of Fat Women on Television

The show's success with critics and audiences paves the way for more shows that celebrate fat bodies instead of pathologizing or pitying them.

05/07/2021 By Amy McCarthy Illustrations by Gillian Dreher

Eat & Drink

Food

Three Sisters Nixtamal's Marvelous Masa

A good taco needs good tortillas. Here’s why a tortilla made with freshly nixtamalized corn is hard to beat.

06/23/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Beer

Entre Compas Wants to Be Portland's First Mexican American-Owned Brewery

"Mexican lagers are going to be around. Mexican beer is going to be around. I don’t need to tap into that market so much. I just want to make real good, high...

06/11/2021 By Gabriel Granillo

Beer

Mexican Beer in Oregon? Xicha Did it First

Get to know the folks behind the Pacific Northwest's only Latinx-owned brewery, plus insider tips on what to order.

06/09/2021 By Zoe Baillargeon

Beer

Portland's Must-Try Micheladas

Do you like yours with candied bacon, shrimp and mango, or dried beef?

06/04/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Illustrations by Hawk Krall

Eat & Drink

These Tacos and Beer Pairings Make for a Perfect Portland Summer

We scoured the whole city, including Gresham and Beaverton, for the best tacos around.

06/03/2021 Edited by Katherine Chew Hamilton By Tuck Woodstock and Katherine Chew Hamilton

Recipe

Savor Chef Jessie Aron's Pan-Roasted Walnut-Chile-Coffee-Cheddar Artichokes

Unleash Malka's summer-ready chaos on your kitchen.

06/02/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Dessert

Cool Off with These Icy Treats Now

Some of Portland’s best ice creams and frozen pops are hiding in chocolate shops, pizza parlors & pop-ups. Here are some to seek out.

05/29/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Restaurant Review

At Nightingale, Chef Luna Contreras Celebrates Mexican Street Food While Championing Identity and Community

The menu hearkens back to happy memories of Contreras's grandmother, with antojitos like flautas and gorditas at the center.

05/27/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Thomas Teal

Home Bakers

Meet the Bread Heads at Starter Bread

How two nerds captured Portland’s whole-grains movement in a loaf unlike any other

05/25/2021 By Karen Brooks

Top Chef

Sara Hauman Dishes on Her Time at 'Top Chef' Portland

One of our local cheftestants kissed a lucky fish, won over judges with eggplant yogurt, and shared her dreams of opening a boutique seafood cannery.

05/21/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Book Review

Gregory Gourdet's New Cookbook Blends His Love of Global Flavors and Paleo Foods

Plus: a recipe for grilled carrots and a spicy pineapple turmeric smoothie.

05/11/2021 By Karen Brooks

Pop-Ups

Elsy Dinvil’s Creole Me Up Brings Bright Haitian Cooking to Portland

Dinvil wants to demystify Haiti and Haitian food in Portland—one jar of pickleez at a time.

04/14/2021 By Liz Crain

Editor's Note

Ed Note

Outgoing Editor in Chief Marty Patail Reflects on the March Atlanta Shooting

"As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to connect with my Asian heritage in a deeper and more meaningful way. I no longer apologize for looking different."

07/14/2021 By Marty Patail

Home & Real Estate

Design

After 35 Years, the Hollywood Transit Center Is Finally Getting a Redesign

The new Hollywood Hub will focus on equity, inclusion, and community.

07/14/2021 By Gabriel Granillo

DIY

Here's How to Grow Your Own Salad

Put in the time now to reap the sweet, homegrown reward later.

06/22/2021 By Eden Dawn

Design

PDX Is Getting a Stunning New Roof Made of 2.5 Million Feet of Timber

ZGF Architects designed the new feature as part of the airport’s ongoing renovation.

06/18/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Design

This Quirky Home Renovation Has Its Own DJ Station

A touring musician and dream-big designer’s lust-for-life home renovation came just in time.

06/12/2021 By Liz Crain Photography by Christopher Dibble

Patio Primer

5 Things to Consider as You Plan Your Perfect Backyard Escape

Tip no. 1: Get really into drainage.

05/30/2021 By Marty Patail

News & City Life

Q&A

The Iceman Speaketh

Don Baldwin talks Christmas at the mall, artificial snow, and Tonya Harding.

09/30/2021 By Marty Patail

Interview

Meet Lloyd Center’s Pretzel Man

Eleazar Puente won his Auntie Anne’s mall location via reality TV.

09/21/2021 By Marty Patail

Feature

25 Big Ideas That Could Change Portland

Here are 25 ideas—some already in progress, some still pipe dreams—that could shape our city’s next act.

07/03/2021 Edited by Julia Silverman

Big Ideas

7 Locals Dream Big

Today's elevator pitches, tomorrow's world-beating initiatives. You're welcome, Portland.

07/02/2021 Edited by Julia Silverman

Big Ideas

7 Ideas to Steal from the World

As the past year has made painfully evident, Portland doesn't have all the answers.

06/29/2021 By Julia Silverman

Big Ideas

12 Radical Oregon Plans to Watch

From inclusive playgrounds to Oregon mushroom leather

06/27/2021 Edited by Julia Silverman

Pride

The Six Weeks that Changed the Trajectory of Oregon’s Gay Rights Movement

For a brief moment in 2004, Multnomah County issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples. We caught up with a few of them.

06/22/2021 By Julia Silverman

Sports

Which Oregonians Are Headed to the Tokyo Olympics?

The games are on, and Oregon is well represented. Let's bring home some medals!

06/17/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Volunteer

Mutual Aid Is Having a Moment in Portland. Here Are 5 Initiatives to Support.

An unscientific guide to the proliferating number of groups providing aid to those in need.

06/14/2021 By Fiona McCann

Feature

Can We Save the Lloyd Center?

The 61-year-old mall is not what it once was. But it still has a heartbeat.

06/06/2021 By Marty Patail

Coronavirus

COVID-19 Is Finally Waning. Can Portland Let It Go?

Making the case for post-pandemic optimism, in a skittish Oregon

05/06/2021 By Julia Silverman

Politics

Ted Wheeler Could Use Some Advice, Right?

So we imagined what former Mayor Vera Katz might have to say at this particular juncture in Portland history.

04/27/2021 By Beth Slovic

Style & Shopping

Q&A

How Will Portland's Fashion Scene Rebound Post-COVID?

After a treacherous year for the fashion community, we asked major players what the city and state could do to help get them back on track.

06/08/2021 By Eden Dawn

Style

It's Almost Summer Wedding Season—but Oregon's Not Making Planning Easy

Even with a brighter pandemic outlook ahead, a lack of clear guidelines is a problem for brides and grooms alike.

05/18/2021 By Christen McCurdy

Home Décor

3 Local Ceramists Show Off Their Envy-Worthy Pieces

From stately planters to chill mugs to one-of-a-kind sake sets, there’s something for everyone.

05/18/2021 By Eden Dawn

Fashion in Film

From Puppets to Apocalyptic Series About Viruses, Jaymes Neon Knows How to Outfit a Character

The local costume designer talked to us about everything from crafting teeny puppet outfits to making Nicolas Cage look like he's been living in the woods fo...

04/13/2021 By Eden Dawn