Karen Brooks eats, drinks and thinks about food for Portland Monthly, as the magazine's trend-spotting food critic. 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.

Breaking Food News

Seattle Pop-Up Hit Rough Draft Burger Shop Opening in Portland August 27

Because we need more smash burgers to argue about

08/26/2020 By Karen Brooks

New Wave Okinawa

From the Minds Behind Nodoguro, Tonari Re-Spins Healthy Japanese Food

Tonari invites us in, if only for a few moments, to soak in not just joy but reflection.

08/01/2020 By Karen Brooks

Breaking News

Portland Chef Gregory Gourdet Launches a Pop-Up Preview of Kann

The anticipated wood-fired Haitian restaurant will “debut” as a tasting menu pop-up in NW Portland, August 10–11

07/29/2020 By Karen Brooks

Breaking News

The Bakery at Bar King Readies to Open August 6

The best baker you've never heard of has two projects unfolding: a major Southeast bakery and a downtown donut pop-up Aug 1–2 that announces a soon-to-open Berliner donut shop.

07/28/2020 By Karen Brooks

Eat Beat

Dispatches from Portland's Sweet Zone

Lord have mercy. We need treats. Now. Where to find rustic chocolate chip cookies, Filipino hand pies, and so much more.

07/27/2020 By Karen Brooks

News

5 Days That Shook the Portland Food World

When Yonder’s Maya Lovelace opened her Instagram feed to accusations of restaurant abuse last week, all hell broke loose.

07/07/2020 By Karen Brooks

Baking for a Cause

Alert: Portland’s Big A$$ Antiracist Bake Sale Goes Live July 4

Star bakers and home cooks unite for a supersize sale and auction to raise money for Portland BIPOC organizations—gift baskets and surprises included.

07/02/2020 By Karen Brooks

Breaking News

Kimura Toast Bar Is What We Need Right Now

Japanese pizza toast, homemade shokupan, and dessert for breakfast is coming for N Williams, from the minds behind Kayo's Ramen Bar.

06/30/2020 By Karen Brooks

Breaking News

Bakeshop Is Dead. Bakeshop 2.0 Is Alive and Well on NE Sandy.

Says esteemed Portland baker Kim Boyce: “I'm going back to the roots where I started. Back in the kitchen, having fun.”

06/25/2020 By Karen Brooks

Interview

"The Whole System Came Down. Let's Fix Everything."

Chef Gregory Gourdet on Top Chef, race, and rebuilding the food nation

06/18/2020 By Karen Brooks

Exclusive Interview

Does the World Still Need Pok Pok?

Says Andy Ricker, a white guy famously making Thai food: “Unless you're not fucking paying attention, you have got to be having this thought.”

06/16/2020 By Karen Brooks

Apocalypse Chow

Personalized Takeout Keeps the Essence of Portland Food Life Alive

Through hell and high water, Nodoguro, Coquine, and Gado Gado have morphed into makeshift takeout hot spots.

06/16/2020 By Karen Brooks Photography by Michael Novak

Beyond Hunger Games

The Food Scene's New Rallying Cry: Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

Portland's food scene is changed forever. But we were built to survive. “Portland was meant for this moment.”

06/16/2020 By Karen Brooks

Food News

Tonari Shows How to Open a Restaurant during a Pandemic: With Grace, Passion, and Humor

From the minds behind acclaimed omakase spot Nodoguro, Tonari brings manga-inspired sandwiches and wild tofu parfaits to SE Belmont on June 12.

06/08/2020 By Karen Brooks

Interview

DarSalam’s Ghaith Sahib on Life as an Iraqi Restaurant Owner during COVID-19

"What is true and what is not true? I worry about everything. Who do we trust?"

04/23/2020 By Karen Brooks

Coronavirus

Three Portland Trader Joe’s Workers Report from the Front Lines

“It’s seductive being called a hero. It’s also insidious.”

04/14/2020 By Karen Brooks

Breaking News

Cult Cart Burger Stevens Morphs into Stevens Italiano

To survive the pandemic shutdown, Portland burger king Don Salamone is morphing his business into an Italian takeout joint, tapping his Sicilian roots and French culinary training.

04/06/2020 By Karen Brooks

Word of Mouth

Burnt Basque Cheesecake Is Coming for Portland

Welcome to the cult.

04/03/2020 By Karen Brooks

Review in Review

Communion Bakehouse Is Our April Review. Now, It’s a Completely Different Place.

PoMo food critic Karen Brooks hunts down the subjects of the last review penned before the pandemic changed everything. Its survival now rests on “mystery pastry boxes” to-go.

04/02/2020 By Karen Brooks

The Comeback Kids

After a Lifetime of Near-Hits, Communion Bakehouse Finds a Promising Home in Westmoreland

The best thing about Communion Bakehouse? Its realness.

04/02/2020 By Karen Brooks