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.

Rise & Dine!

Portland’s Best Biscuits

02/23/2012 Edited by Rachel Ritchie and Karen Brooks By Benjamin Tepler

Rise & Dine!

Portland's Best Breakfast Sandwiches

Five breakfast sandwiches done right

02/23/2012 By Kasey Cordell, Rachel Ritchie, and Benjamin Tepler Edited by Karen Brooks Illustrations by Dan Gay

RISE & DINE!

Portland’s Best Bloody Marys

Portland’s sauciest morning cocktails

02/23/2012 Edited by Rachel Ritchie and Karen Brooks By Allison Jones

Rise & Dine!

Portland’s Best Breakfasts

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!

02/23/2012 Edited by Rachel Ritchie and Karen Brooks

FOOD NEWS

Portland’s 2012 James Beard Contenders

Six Portland chefs vie in a pool of 20 regional hopefuls for Best Chef Northwest, and four other talents compete in four national categories.

02/21/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Navarre to Expand

Owner John Taboada’s unnamed project will rise this summer in the former Chin Yen space on Northeast 28th Avenue

02/08/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Naomi Pomeroy to Relocate and Update Beast

Portland’s pork princess plans to roll out a new look, new location, and new ideas by September.

02/06/2012 By Karen Brooks

Eat Here Now

Review: Boke Bowl

The ramen at Boke Bowl is sensational. But there's a lot more than noodles happening here.

01/26/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

UPDATE: Christopher Israel’s New Mexican Restaurant

ChefStable teams up with one of the city’s top chefs for an exciting downtown project.

01/24/2012 By Karen Brooks

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine

Veteran chef Pascal Sauton brings French comfort, great baking, curated ingredients, and spontaneous evenings to Clackamas country.

01/11/2012 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Kristen Murray Leaving Paley’s Place

The acclaimed pastry wiz and dessert chef is searching for a location to cook up her own dreams.

01/10/2012 By Karen Brooks

BEST OF PDX

Foodie Retrospectives

Two year-end roundups put the 2011 world of food in perspective.

12/28/2011 By Karen Brooks

Review

Littlest Italy

With European kitchen finds and dishes of rustic authenticity, Luce is the new mom-and-pop shop.

12/23/2011 By Karen Brooks

BEST OF PDX

The Dish on Portland Dining: 2011

Eat Beat’s annual food and drink survey is here…pull up a chair and weigh in!

12/21/2011 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Christopher Israel’s New Project

Christopher Israel and Kurt Huffman look to open a Mexican restaurant in downtown Portland.

12/20/2011 By Karen Brooks

FOOD CART WATCH

Nong’s Khao Man Gai at PSU

With a new location, Portland’s famed Thai vendor debuts new dishes and soon, Nong’s Khao Man Gai Sauce

11/30/2011 By Karen Brooks

Review

Pie High

Behind a serious crust and fresh biscuits, Lauretta Jean’s is a little shop of flaky wonders.

11/23/2011 By Karen Brooks

Best of the City

Portland's Best Restaurants 2011

Eat, Play, Love: 35 Divine Dining Experiences

11/22/2011 By Karen Brooks

SNEAK PEEK

Get Ready for Oven and Shaker

Three reasons to get excited about Portland’s soon-to-open pizza and cocktail experiment.

11/15/2011 By Karen Brooks

BREAKING FOOD NEWS

Paleys Plan New Downtown Location

Portland’s famed food-lovers Vitaly and Kimberly Paley are close to signing a lease downtown, bringing two concepts under one roof.

11/08/2011 By Karen Brooks