Karen Brooks eats, drinks and thinks about food for Portland Monthly, as the magazine's trend-spotting food critic at large. Karen's reviews and think pieces ferret out the restaurants, food carts, and maverick thinkers defining Portland's food voice. In 2017, Karen won one of the food world's most prestigious titles: the James Beard Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Reviewer Award. She's penned nine books on food and drink, and in 2020 guest-starred on Hulu's food series, Eater's Guide to the World.

Article

The Food Lover's Guide to Portland

Join us for a wild adventure through our food-obsessed city. We’ll lead the way; your job is simply to learn, shop, explore, cook—and eat.

08/23/2012 Edited by Rachel Ritchie and Karen Brooks

Food Lover's Guide to Portland

The Food Lover's Guide to Global Foods

Mexican cuisine is soaring in popularity. So where can we find the finest and freshest ingredients?

08/23/2012 By Karen Brooks

Food Cart City

Pod Perfection

Mississippi Marketplace: N Mississippi Ave, south of Skidmore St

08/20/2012 By Karen Brooks

Pizza

Master Class

The search is over. We've got the list of all the best pizzas from around the Portland area. Find a new sensational gourmet pizza pie in your neighborhood.

08/19/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Bunk’s New Restaurant: Tex Mex–Loving Trigger

In October, Portland’s sandwich kings will go underground with a rock ‘n’ roll Tex-Mex eatery beneath the Wonder Ballroom on NE Russell Street.

08/15/2012 By Karen Brooks

Article

Portland’s Best Breakfast Spots

In Portland, land of the food-crazy, nothing trumps breakfast. Consider this your wake-up call: the city’s best dishes, biscuits, Bloody Marys, and more. Dig in!

08/13/2012 Edited by Rachel Ritchie and Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Corazon: RIP

After three months of misfires, ChefStable’s Kurt Huffman pulls the plug on his high-profile Mexican eatery.

08/05/2012 By Karen Brooks

EAT HERE NOW

D Street Noshery Rises

Behind righteous Israeli falafel and big flavors from Guam, SE Division’s playful pod is now a noteworthy food destination.

08/01/2012 By Karen Brooks

Article

Cult of the Cannelé

Courier Coffee Roasters and Ken's Artisan Bakery conquer France's most finicky pastry.

07/18/2012 By Karen Brooks

Review

Blurring the Borders

Forget authenticity. Smallwares and Aviary offer a mash-up of global eating.

06/22/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Sterling Coffee’s New Brew

Sterling Coffee Roasters spearheads a quality-first union and unveils what is surely the world’s first nano coffee shop/wine bar.

06/06/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Lauro Kitchen to Reopen as a New Duane Sorenson Restaurant

At the end of May, the pioneering SE Division Street restaurant will shutter to make way for a new project from Portland’s indie coffee king and budding restaurateur.

05/11/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Lardo and the Sugar Cube Come to Hawthorne

In a new culinary experiment from ChefStable, two food carts will pool resources for an indoor/outdoor sandwich shop and dessert truck, opening in June.

05/08/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Xico Coming to Division

This summer, a pair of food-savvy Nostrana vets will unleash a love of chiles, chocolate, and fresh-ground cornmeal on Portland’s thriving “Eat Street.”

05/02/2012 By Karen Brooks

Food & Drink Events

Serious Eats and Trash Talk

Yamhill Valley battles Riverbend Landfill/Waste Management with world-class snacks and sips in McMinnville.

04/10/2012 By Karen Brooks

Restaurant Review

Decadence Returns

In a city of casual gastronomy, fussy french cuisine looks fresh.

03/23/2012 By Karen Brooks

BEST OF THE CITY

Portland's Best Breakfast Spots

In Portland, land of the food-crazy, nothing trumps breakfast. Consider this your wake-up call: the city’s best dishes, biscuits, Bloody Marys, and more. Dig in!

03/01/2012