Michael Novak is the Art Director of Portland Monthly. Over a 20-year career, he’s been an editorial AD at Time Warner and Portland Monthly, as well as an illustrator, designer, animator, photographer and storyboard artist. His duties at Portland Monthly consist of making things look fantastic by designing, assigning, and photographing most of the stories we tell. In his free time he likes to sleep.

Work From Home

Inside Portland’s Residential Contemporary Art Galleries

How public exhibition spaces—in and around private homes—change our experience with art.

07/16/2024 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Novak

Lake Life

Our 8 Favorite Lake Trips near Portland (Yes, You Can Still Book One)

Gorgeous views and easy water access await at these lakeside campgrounds.

07/10/2024 By Sam Stites

Recipe

Make Café Olli’s Dungeness Crab, Green Garlic, and Meyer Lemon Pasta

This dish lets seasonal spring ingredients shine.

02/13/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Michael Novak

Flour Power

The 8 Best Pastries to Make Your Morning

From classic cinnamon rolls to raspberry rose cruffins, pair these numbers with coffee for an excellent start to the day.

06/15/2022 By Karen Brooks and Katherine Chew Hamilton

Taste Test

We Put Top Chef Alum Sara Hauman’s Tinned Seafood to the Test

Tiny Fish Co. puts in-your-face spices and sustainability in a can

06/09/2022 By Karen Brooks

Ice Cream

Kate’s Ice Cream Offers Pastel-Hued, Plant-Based Desserts Everyone Can Enjoy

From pistachio to cotton candy ice cream to cookies and brownies, everything is vegan and gluten-free—but Katelyn Williams doesn’t want to sacrifice flavor.

04/20/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Trick or Treat

Level Up This Halloween with Local Candy

From salty black licorice to creepy chocolate baby heads, Portland makers have everything you need for a sweet Halloween season.

10/05/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Back to School

The Application Boom at Portland's Private Schools

After a year and change of Zoom school, interest in alternatives—especially Catholic education—has skyrocketed.

08/04/2021 By Julia Silverman

Politics

Portland Might Need a New Mayor Soon

Just in case, let's speculate wildly on the potential candidates.

07/22/2021 By Julia Silverman

Pizza

Portland’s Got the Best Pizza in the Country, Says a New Book. Yeah. We Knew That.

PDX has been anointed the best pizza city in America. Here’s a reminder of why we agree.

07/08/2021 By Karen Brooks, Kelly Clarke, Katherine Hamilton, Fiona McCann, Jordan Michelman, and Ben Tepler

Beer

Where to Drink Beer in Washington County

PoMo’s handy guide to the best beer in the burbs

05/14/2021 By Jason Notte

Where to Live Now

Neighborhood Guide: Division and Clinton

Stress-melting spas, restaurant empires, and Rocky Horror forever

02/25/2021 By Fiona McCann and Margaret Seiler

Where to live now

Neighborhood Guide: Montavilla

Northwest-inspired muffulettas, home improvement tools, and pizza and a movie

02/25/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Booze

7 Amazing To-Go Cocktails from Portland Bars

You can get boozy drinks to-go now. Here are our favorites.

02/19/2021 By Katherine Chew Hamilton, Gabriel Granillo, Aurora Biggers, Conner Reed, and Fiona McCann

Year in Review

PoMo’s Top 10 Arts & Culture Stories of 2020

In a year that sent the arts scrambling, our readers clung to joy: a hometown opera success story, a sterling album from a Portland rap giant, the meaty tale of a museum in the Columbia Gorge, and more.

12/17/2020 By Conner Reed