Producer
Karen Brooks

Karen Brooks holds one of the most prestigious titles in the food world: winner of the James Beard Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award for 2017. This was her second time as a national finalist. After this, it’s all gravy.
Brooks eats, drinks and thinks about food for Portland Monthly, where she continues her journey as Portland’s opinionated, trend-spotting food critic. She pens monthly restaurant reviews, writes and photographs the print magazine’s Word of Mouth column (aka: what I’m obsessing over now), drives the annual Best Restaurants issue, contributes to various food-cover packages, and breaks news for the magazine’s food blog, Eat Beat.
Karen began her journalism career at alt-weekly Willamette Week, doubling as food critic and Arts & Culture editor. Then she jumped ship to The Oregonian, doing double-duty again as Arts czarina and Food Critic while creating two of the daily’s most enduring sections: the weekly A&E and the annual Diner guide. At Portland Monthly since 2010, she’s continued her mission of ferreting out new restaurant models and maverick thinkers defining Portland’s food voice.
In her spare time, Karen is rabid NBA baller and film/TV junkie and author. She’s penned nine books to date, most recently a deep dive into Portland’s punk-rock food scene, The Mighty Gastropolis: A Journey Through America’s New Food Culture.

Food Review
10 Portland Dishes Not to Miss in 2021

Year in Review
"We're Not Backing Down."

Year in Review
Best Chef Interviews of 2020

Year in Review
The Departed: Sorrowful for Portland's Restaurant Scene

Holiday Guide
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Food News
Every Doughnut at Fills, Ranked

Food Listings
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Food Fighters
Best Restaurants 2020

Best Restaurants 2020
The Pandemic Crushed Restaurants. But Bar King Had Two Aces up Their Sleeve.

Best Restaurants 2020
Magna’s Filipino Treats and Berlu’s Vietnamese Bakery Soar

Best Restaurants 2020
Oma's Takeaway Mixes Wild Curries, Disco Balls, and Crazy Parfaits

Best Restaurants 2020
By Any Measure, Tonari Is Next-Level Take-Out

Best Restaurants 2020
Malka Shows There Can Be Beauty in Chaos

Best Restaurants 2020
Matta’s Richard Le Remixes Vietnam with His San Jose Roots

Breaking Food News