Summer Guide 2023

Best summer ever! 100 ways to enjoy our most epic season, from sunshiny suds to floating hot tubs (yes, really!). Plus: the rise and demise of a natural gas pipeline, getting lost on the Lower Deschutes, another Oregon connection to the Women's World Cup, and a sweet recipe from Sugarpine's pastry chef

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Music

The PoMo Essential Summer 2023 Playlist

Summer songs from Portlanders old and new, and even a tribute to the city itself, to spin this season on our Spotify playlist, brought to you by Portland Monthly.

06/14/2023 By Matthew Trueherz and Margaret Seiler

Pride

Pride Parades and Events 2023: Portland Upgrades to 2 Months of Celebrations

The big parade moves to July, but June is still packed with Pride events, from the Portland Gay Men's Chorus Disney Show to the Queer Wine Fest.

06/08/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Summer Fun

An Incomplete Guide to Portland’s Biggest Summer 2023 Concerts and Events

Feeling hungry like a wolf for live entertainment? Here’s your guide to the full monty of local shows.

06/01/2023 By Margaret Seiler and Sam Stites

Animation

A Behind-the-Scenes Pinocchio Exhibit Lands at Portland Art Museum

Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio at PAM takes patrons behind the scenes of the Oscar-winning, Portland-made stop-motion film.

05/31/2023 By Conner Reed

Road Trips

Concerts and Events Worth a Trip Out of Town This Summer

Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, rodeos, big-time fairs, and more can be found in places around Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

05/24/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Business

The Queen of Influencers Lives Not in Hollywood but in West Linn

A manager to reality TV stars and social media influencers, Lindsay Nead of Parker Management is a homegrown talent in her own right.

05/02/2023 By Rachel Saslow Photography by Christopher Dibble

Visual Art

A Texas Art Gallery Is Taking Over an Old Orchard Hardware

Hopscotch, Portland opens this summer in 23,000 square feet with bites from Top Chef’s Sara Hauman and an international cast of installation artists.

03/31/2023 By Matthew Trueherz

Eat & Drink

Dining Picks

The 6 Hottest New Restaurants for Summer 2023 Dining: Janken, Kaede, Workshop, and More

From sushi to salbutes, crawfish to katsu corn dogs

06/08/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Recipe

Bake Tres Leches Just Like Sugarpine Drive-In's Pastry Chef

Victoria Ascencio combines nostalgia, seasonal berry bounty, and an unexpected ingredient in her tres leches cake recipe.

05/31/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Michael Novak

Eat the Northwest

Get to Know Oregon’s Namesake Summer Fruits

From Bing cherries to Hood strawberries, in Oregon it’s easy to plan summer eats around the local harvest.

05/24/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Lunch

5 Great Grab-and-Go Sandwiches for Portland Picnics

Spontaneous beach trips and park picnics are calling. We’ve got your instant sustenance.

05/17/2023 By Karen Brooks

PDX Food History

A Look Back on a Century of Portland Burger Joints

From Yaw’s and TikTok to Little Big Burger and Mike’s Drive-In, homegrown fast-food restaurants hold their own with the likes of Shake Shack and In-N-Out.

05/16/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Beer City, USA

What Does a Canceled Oregon Brewers Festival Mean for Portland?

Where some see a dark portent, others just see big-festival fatigue.

05/15/2023 By Jeff Alworth Illustrations by Chris Gash

Where to Eat Now

A Whirlwind Food and Drink Tour through Portland's Dame Collective

Where to find carnitas tacos, old-school pasta, matcha lattes, and one wild tahini and chili crisp bialy— all from Northeast’s collaborative restaurant group.

05/10/2023 By Karen Brooks

Food Carts

Meet the Food Carts at Lil’ America, Portland’s Most Exciting New Pod

Come for Korean fried chicken wings, longanisa burgers, and a sense of community and camaraderie.

04/18/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Restaurant Review

No Saint Carves a Place among Portland’s Pizza Elite

The scrappy pop-up takes residence, with dinner-party charm and ridiculously light and bubbly pies.

03/23/2023 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Thomas Teal

Review

Hidden Clandestino Is Portland’s Best New Mexican Restaurant

Chef Lauro Romero’s casual experiment is the electric jolt we need right now.

02/20/2023 By Karen Brooks

Home & Real Estate

Home

The Woodworker, the Upholsterer, and Harry Styles

Portland-based Your House Couch turned a pop album cover mystery into a stylish reality.

04/25/2023 By Angela Cabotaje Photography by Christopher Dibble

News & City Life

Movers & Shakers

Perfect Party: Summer 2023

From the first Goonie to win an Oscar (no, not Corey Feldman) to the Portland-snubbing Taylor Swift (the nerve!), here’s who’s invited to our table.

06/05/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Editor’s Note

From the Editor: What’s Your Favorite Part of Oregon Summer?

All hail suds and sundaes. And the free water show.

06/02/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Environment

Who Killed Jordan Cove?

How an unlikely band of activists vanquished an energy megaproject in Southern Oregon.

05/31/2023 By Ramona DeNies

Going Yard

Portland Baseball by the Numbers: Hops, Pickles, and More

The stats on the new Hillsboro stadium, the wackiest Pickles promos, and the MLB dream that will never die.

05/24/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Houses with History

Where Governors Go Shopping: The Oregon Historical Society Vault

Mahonia Hall’s new residents don’t go to a regular furniture store.

05/23/2023 By Byron Beck

La Grande to the Filipinas

Another Oregon Connection at the Women’s World Cup 2023

The Thorns aren’t the only links to home to keep track of this summer.

05/19/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Style & Shopping

Q&A

Ripping the City with Chris Yen

The owner of vintage teamwear shop Laundry dishes on his favorite summer eats, go-to Oregon road trip, and Portland’s best-kept secret.

05/09/2023 By Dalila Brent Illustrations by Betty Turbo

Interview

Thu Fashion Brings Italian Street Style to Sandy Boulevard

Tailor Thu Duong talks immigrating from Vietnam to Italy, her philosophies on boots and selfies, and her love for fashion.

05/03/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Travel & Outdoors

Rivers

It's Time For You to Meet the Magical Lower Deschutes River

Whatever your speed—dirtbag to debutante—there is something for you on the Lower Deschutes. From its beginnings high up near Mount Bachelor to where it flows into the Columbia River, Central Oregon's Deschutes River is a special place.

06/08/2023 By Sam Stites and Chad Brown

Adventure

Your Best Ever White Water Trip on the Lower Deschutes

Rafting on the Lower Deschutes River is an Oregon rite of passage, just a couple hours from Portland. Our own Sam Stites, a former rafting guide, tells us the outfitters, guides, and rapids to know.

06/08/2023 By Sam Stites

Essay

The Deschutes River Became My Therapist and Healer

"The pain I fought, the darkness I navigated, and the loneliness I endured as a navy veteran fighting PTSD would leave my body the closer I got to the river to fly-fish."

06/08/2023 By Chad Brown