20th Anniversary Issue

We drove along with the movers and shakers reinventing the city we love, and then assessed Portland's state of affairs. What's the Portland personality? And how has the city’s vibe—that ineffable-yet-critical quality—changed over the past 15 years? Plus, we visited the most innovative restaurants around town, explained "rucking," discovered the metro area's top medical providers as chosen by their peers, and had a word with the overqualified staff Powell's City of Books.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Q&A

PhD in Pop? No-No Boy Weaves Asian American Tales on Postdoc Album

Singer-songwriter Julian Saporiti started No-No Boy as part of his dissertation at Brown University.

09/29/2023 By Matthew Trueherz Illustrations by Max-O-Matic

Eat & Drink

TLDR

Taste Test Champions: Best Ketchup, Mustard, Chips, Kombucha, Chocolate, and More

Here's our 8 top winter picks from Portland and Oregon.

01/03/2024 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Thai'd & True

Superfan: These Besties Enjoy a Spendy Meal at Langbaan Every Month

Jessica Miller and Reme DeBisschop have eaten at Langbaan since 2015. What keeps them coming back?

12/26/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Michael Raines

Most Innovative Restaurants

The Pizza Shop Run by One Guy. Yes, Just One.

Two years of operating Gracie’s Apizza solo taught Craig Melillo a new model for restaurants.

12/21/2023 By Arianne Cohen Photography by Michael Raines

Most Innovative Restaurants

Where to Find Portland’s Rarest Regional Dishes

No need to travel the world for these dishes, from bandeja paisa to cao lầu, rarely seen in the Pacific Northwest.

12/21/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Most Innovative Restaurants

What's Autobiographical Cuisine? 3 Portland Eateries Tell Their Stories

Borscht tacos. Pho pizza. Taiwanese spaghetti. These local restaurateurs draw from multicultural lives to create cuisines of their own.

12/18/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Michael Novak

The Price Is Right

Where to Get Bulk Discounts on Produce, Meat, and Pantry Staples in Portland

Whether you have a big family, tons of housemates, or a penchant for stocking up, sometimes buying more costs less.

12/14/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Review

Meat Sweats and Fog Machines at Portland’s Jeju

At Jeju, wood-fired Korean BBQ meets karaoke in a fine-dining house party.

10/27/2023 By Karen Brooks Photography by Thomas Teal

Health & Wellness

Sanity

Why Are Oregon Therapists Training for 500 Fewer Hours?

Alarming as it sounds, it’s a good thing.

12/13/2023 By Arianne Cohen

News & City Life

The Game of Portland

Can You Make It to Spring?

It's time for our favorite game, traversing Stumptown from now till March. This season, remember the winter rule: no important decisions in February.

01/02/2024 By Portland Monthly Staff Illustrations by Hawk Krall

Our 20th Anniversary

Ready, Set, Renaissance: 10 Ideas for Reinventing the City We Love

What if the city had a riverfront amphitheater, a botanical garden, a 24-hour downtown, and a commuter ferry?

12/06/2023 By Arianne Cohen Illustrations by Tara Jacoby

Our 20th Anniversary

Fixing Portland? They’re on It.

Here's the comeback story you've been awaiting. The city’s busiest minds are on it.

12/06/2023 By Arianne Cohen Illustrations by Tara Jacoby

Litmus Test

What 10 People Really Think about Portland

We posed hard questions to locals and tourists about our favorite city, and their answers struck a chord.

12/05/2023 By Arianne Cohen Illustrations by Rob Dobi

Urban Energy

Has Portland Lost Its Vibe?

An essayist chronicles the city’s shifting ambience over 15 years from his perch in Northeast Portland, and how to get our groove back.

12/04/2023 By William Deresiewicz Illustrations by Kelsey Dake

Downtime

What, Exactly, Will Elite Thorns Soccer Players Do All Winter?

Yes, that might have been Reyna Reyes you saw at the Hawthorne New Seasons.

11/17/2023 By Ellee Thalheimer

Book Business

Wanna Work at Powell’s Books? The Competition Is Steep.

5 booksellers who redefine “relevant prior experience.”

11/08/2023 By Matthew Trueherz Illustrations by Matty Newton

Psychology

Scientists Discover the Portland Personality

Our city is low on one critical trait, and it explains everything.

11/01/2023 By Arianne Cohen Illustrations by Chris Gash

Style & Shopping

Q&A

Ripping the City with Amir Morgan

The owner of Barnes and Morgan, a tea and fashion house, talks about the future of Chinatown and his take on Portland style.

01/29/2024 By Dalila Brent Illustrations by Betty Turbo

Subcultures

Portland's Knitters Are In Stitches and Having a Ball

This knitty-gritty town is hooked on fiber arts.

01/03/2024 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Holiday Gift Guide

Forget Presents. This Year, Spoil Yourself and Your Bestie.

Our gift guide is all about doing things with your favorites.

11/27/2023 By Portland Monthly Staff

Sway

New Photo Book Excerpts: NBA Fashion Decoded, Blazers and All

Portland-born Mitchell S. Jackson leads a swashbuckling tour of NBA fashion.

09/18/2023 By Matthew Trueherz

Travel & Outdoors

Downtown

We Slept around Portland to Find the Best Staycations

Can luxury stays at downtown hotels outmatch the siren song of our editor’s cozy bed at home?

01/02/2024 By Arianne Cohen

Creative Exercise

Rucking Takes a Hike in Portland

Pssst. People are rucking all around you.

10/20/2023 By Ellee Thalheimer Illustrations by Skyler Elzy