Leisure & Lifestyle

Portland Fitness Guide

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:24:00 -0800

FIREBRAND SPORTS

Full-Tilt Cycling is a lot like spinning—on a roller coaster. Indeed, Firebrand Sports deals in innovative, cutting-edge fitness, imported directly from California: your options are Full Tilt Cycling (pictured), for which you pedal a swooping Real Ryder, and Pyrolates, which is practiced on a Megaformer (“the Ferrari of Pilates machines”). Pyrolates can be described as Pilates on fire—slow, controlled movements that you repeat until your muscles fail—and then you do it all over again, focusing on a new set of muscles. Transitions are quick and intensity is high. Full Tilt cycling, meanwhile, is Spinning unhinged. The Real Ryder tilts and twists in every direction, engaging your core, upper body, and arms to simulate serious outdoor rides. It’s also a party on wheels—expect plenty of hooting and hollering, plus laser lights and a DJ booth.

The Benefits Pyrolates contributes to strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility; Full-Tilt Cycling is a gentle, low-impact form of cardio that boosts strength and endurance.

coordinates 500 NW 14th Ave; 503-715-5573; firebrandsports.com

The Damage Full Tilt Cycling: Single Class $27; 20 Classes $399. Pyrolates: Single Class $37; 20 Classes $549; Monthly Unlimited $299

Also Try C-Velo Performance, Tempo Cycling & Pilates Studio, Recreate Fitness

The Backstory

In March 2012, former attorney Sara Stimac (pictured) moved north from LA with her mother and father—and a dream of starting over and opening a fitness studio. In November, Firebrand Sports opened its doors in the old home of Lux Lighting in the Pearl District. With it, Stimac and her folks hope to create a kind of throwback lifestyle company in the model of the YMCA, complete with art shows, fireside chats, nutrition classes, and a vending machine full of natural, organic, locally made snacks.

PIL-OGA-ROBIC

Image: Nicolle Clemetson

A single class feels like the “greatest hits” of fitness. In Pil-oga-robic, the foundations of yoga and Pilates act as a springboard to combine cardio, strength training, and stretching into one efficient, surprisingly soothing hourlong session. You get the invigorating sweat of aerobics; the vibrating, twitch-muscle focus of Pilates; and the deep stretching and even savasana (and aromatherapy!) of yoga—all with little risk of injury or overexertion. A spacious, industrial-sleek studio and intimate, interactive classes allow for plenty of personal instruction, so you can tailor each workout to your body and ability.

The Benefits Pil-oga-robic nudges you toward overall fitness gently: the cardio helps with weight loss and endurance while yoga and Pilates bolster muscle tone, balance, and flexibility.

coordinates 1804 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, Ste 3; 503-284-6079; pil-oga-robic.com

The Damage Single Class $20; 8 Classes $135; Monthly Unlimited $149; 6-Month Unlimited $750

Also Try Barre3, CorePower Yoga, Pure Movement

The Backstory

Pil-oga-robic was born in 2009 as an outdoor boot camp in Northwest Portland. As the gospel of Hannah Moore and Ariel Winkleblack’s proprietary blend of yoga, Pilates, and cardio spread beyond Wallace Park, they expanded into a studio in March 2012. With six instructors and more in training, they now offer classes ranging from pure yoga and Pilates to dance-based “Body Fusion,” anti-gravity inversion swing yoga (pictured), and wall circuits.

STUDIO X FITNESS

Image: Nicolle Clemetson

Be warned: after your first session at Studio X, you will be sore. That particular, can’t-bend-my-legs-properly-and-need-to-use-the-handicapped-stall-in-the-bathroom brand of sore. But when the muscle-screaming settles, you will feel stronger than ever. Group classes at Studio X vary based on the instructor and the day, but they share an essence: you will be pushed to your limit. You will tear through push-ups, you will slam medicine balls into the ground, you will scramble across floor ladders, and you will most certainly perform that most loathed exercise of all: burpees. The music is loud, the energy is high, and the instructors are prone to screaming (not at you, but with you). In short, this is a very different kind of gym experience: intense, weird, sweaty, and seriously fun.

The Benefits This kind of hard-core, high-energy circuit training is all about burning serious calories in a short amount of time. General classes are aimed at improving body composition and mechanics, weight loss, and building muscle. Irwin has also developed focused programs for roller derby teams and Parkinson’s patients.

coordinates 2839 SE Stark St; 503-236-7114; studioxfitness.com

The Damage Single Class $15; 10 Classes $120; Monthly Unlimited $145

Also Try Warrior Room, Portland Team Fitness, Beast Fit Nation, Skogg Gym

The Backstory

Owner Tim Irwin hates gyms—the sales pitch, the machines, the people, the atmosphere. So in 2004, he carved out his own little world of personal training behind a mysterious door on SE Stark Street, an environment for what he calls the “black sheep” of gyms. His plan was to start small and stay small, but demand was unbridled. Studio X has now more than tripled its original space, with 13 trainers and instructors, 25 group classes a week, and nearly 600 people coming through its doors each month.

THE SOURCE CLIMBING CENTER

Image: Nicolle Clemetson

Seventy-eight climbing routes and 70 boulder problems make for plenty of variety in this light-flooded climber’s paradise. Drawing inspiration from famed destinations like Smith Rock and Red River Gorge, Guruhans “Hanz” Kroesen and Michael Lary (pictured) set creative, high-quality routes that welcome novices and challenge more seasoned wall rats. An advanced “auto belay” system takes up the slack as you ascend and provides a controlled descent, so you can climb comfortably without a partner. Not keen to go it alone? The Source provides personal instruction, women’s nights, and youth clubs.

The Benefits Any climber will tell you it’s the best exercise there is—and that it’s hopelessly addictive. Because you’re holding your body in consistent tension on the wall, climbing is great for strength training and general muscle tone, especially in your core, abs, arms, and joints. It also engages more cerebral, problem-solving energy in tandem with physical exertion.

coordinates 1118 Main St, Vancouver; 360-694-9096; sourceclimbing.com

The Damage Single Day $12; 10-Pass $96; Monthly Unlimited $55; Annual Unlimited $472

Also Try The Circuit Bouldering Gym, Portland Rock Gym

BODYVOX

Image: Nicolle Clemetson

The psychological benefits of dance range from stress reduction to a lower risk of dementia. The choreography requires focused muscle memory, while certain styles demand exuberant expressiveness. At BodyVox, this unique head-to-toe workout is within reach in dance classes ranging from true beginner’s ballet to advanced contemporary workshops. The Stretch Appeal class evolves from choreographed movements to stretch-based exercises, modern classes feature live piano accompaniment, and the Afro/Danceworks class (pictured) draws some of its movements from samba, an effervescent, rhythmic Brazilian line dance.

The Benefits Nothing engages your whole body like dance—which explains its induction into the pantheon of exercise. It improves bone density, muscle strength, coordination, and balance.

coordinates 1201 NW 17th Ave; 503-229-0627; bodyvox.com

The Damage Single Class $15; 10 Classes $120; 20 Classes $200

Also Try Oregon Ballet Theatre, Vega Dance & Lab, Viscount Dance Studio

Women's Health Annual 2012

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 17:20:00 -0700

Presented by SagaCity Media and OHSU Center for Women's Health

Farmers Markets

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:16:00 -0700

Image: Jake Stangel

Whether your favorite farmers market is a scrappy neighborhood gathering, a bustling suburban souk, or one of downtown’s packed jamborees, it’s easy to forget that 25 years ago, none of them existed. Today, the markets have become our most rambunctious collisions of flavor, people, and place, and as synonymous with our city as fir trees, bridges, and rainy winters. In that spirit, we celebrate our vibrant market movement: the tough (but rewarding) life of a grower, five great markets on the scene, and the tastiest finds on the tables. Happy hunting.

PLUS:

Seeds Of Change

PDX Index: Farmers Markets

Farmers Markets: An Appendix

Oregon’s 50 Best Wines 2011

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:44:00 -0700

Image: Michael Novak, Kristen Kohashi

IF LOVE IS BLIND, falling for a great wine should happen sight unseen. For this biannual feature, our marathon wine tastings were conducted over four days, fully blind, with hundreds of brown-bagged bottles hiding their stories and secrets from our panelists’ discerning noses and palates. Spanning four years’ worth of vintages, 19 varietals, 15 appellations, and 103 producers, the wines were separated only by color, resulting in a free-for-all of passionate judgment. Armed only with a glass, a spit bucket, a few pieces of baguette, and a pen, our tasters tackled row after row of anonymous specimens marked with Post-its. If a judge liked what she sipped, the wine received a check mark and moved on to the next round. Wines that made it through to the finals were then carefully tasted for fruit characteristics, acidity, alcohol, balance, tannins, and overall quality, with every decision surrounded by plenty of healthy debate. The result? Our list of Oregon’s 50 most lovable wines available right now. —Allison Jones

The List

Why only Pinots?

Where are all the other reds? As you scan this list, you’ll probably notice a trend: every single one of our 35 top red wines is a pinot noir. While Oregon’s production of “the other reds”—merlot, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, zinfan del, and others—is quickly growing, much of our state’s winemaking energy is still devoted to the granddaddy of Oregon grapes. The first varietal to be widely grown in the Willamette Valley, where the climate is ideal, pinot noir has put our verdant vineyards solidly on the radar of oenophiles around the globe. that means thriving markets for Oregon winemakers, which lead to greater investment in pinot production. But trust us: there are plenty of other delicious wines out there just waiting to be sipped.

The List

Why only Pinots?

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Rating 96

No. 1

Soter Vineyards

2008 Pinot Noir Mineral Springs Yamhill-Carlton, $85

This reserve pinot noir from Soter's estate vineyard, Mineral Springs Ranch, reflects Tony Soter's lifelong pursuit of the "winemaker's signature." The full-bodied, balanced wine captures a true sense of place and time—the vineyard's well-draining siltstone soils stood up to the wet spring of 2008 and the hilltop's slope captured the warm fall that followed, resulting in even ripening and ideal acid balance. Thanks to a week of extended maceration—contact with grape skins and stems after fermentation—this wine's soft tannins and silky, full texture make a perfect vehicle for the lush flavors of ripe black cherries, rose petals, and a whole spice rack full of herbs, cloves, and peppers. Such a quality wine will improve for over a decade, but the Mineral Springs' bright acidity and intense fruit make it absolutely delicious right now.

Rating 95

No. 2

Utopia Vineyard

2008 Pinot Noir Utopia Vineyard Ribbon Ridge, $38

Utopia's Daniel Warnshuis took a gamble in 2008, waiting to harvest until the last possible moment to allow his grapes to ripen to their fullest flavor. That gamble paid off in this gorgeous wine, rich with flavors of sweet cherry, sarsaparilla, rose petals, and ripe blackberries. Dark and dense with silky tannins, oaky creaminess, and an extremely long and satisfying finish, this expertly made wine was built to last.

Rating 94

No. 3

1789 Wines

2008 Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Chehalem Mountains, $48

Grapes for this refined wine were hand-selected and gently processed to bring out maximum fruit aromatics and a deep red color. The rich, balanced wine is lush with flavors of red berries, leather, and black pepper that combine with silky tannins and a long, toffee-noted finish for a sensual sip.

No. 4

Daedalus Cellars

2008 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Dundee Hills, $60

One of the oldest plantings in the Dundee Hills, Maresh Vineyard produces grapes with juicy, bright fruit and herb flavors and a clean structure that combine into a lively, balanced wine. Rich with strawberry, orange blossom, and black pepper notes, this small-production vintage—only 146 cases—is sure to go fast.

No. 5

Andrew Rich

2009 Pinot Noir Prelude Willamette Valley, $22

Our top wallet-friendly wine features a beautiful blend of floral notes and bright cherry flavors that linger on the palate. One of the premier wines from the Carlton Winemaker's Studio, Andrew Rich's Prelude is refreshing, light, and full with balanced acidity and soft tannins that will pair well with a wide variety of foods.

Rating 93

No. 6

Broadley Vineyards

2009 Pinot Noir Claudia's Choice Willamette Valley, $50

Made from a selection of fruit from Broadley's oldest vineyard, this wine is elegant, earthy, and mature. With up-front flavors of dark chocolate and black pepper, Claudia's Choice is softened by juicy notes of black cherry. Beautifully balanced with a long finish, this wine is robust and tannic.

No. 7

ROCO winery

2008 Pinot Noir Private Stash No. 6 Chehalem Mountains, $70

The late harvest of 2008 shines through with ripe fruit flavor, balanced acidity, and developed yet soft tannins. This wine is creamy and lush with sweet spices—think cinnamon, cloves, and allspice—and ripe berries, like a late-summer fruit cobbler in a glass.

No. 8

Thistle

2008 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills, $28

Rich, red volcanic soils and organic vines shine through in the earthy flavors of this 2008 pinot's creamy, smooth finish. With plush flavors of sweet strawberry jam, dried cherries, and rich dark chocolate, this wine begs to be paired with duck or game.

Rating 92

No. 9

Rex Hill Vineyards

2009 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, $33

Though Rex Hill uses "small" fermenters, there is nothing small about this wine. With aromatics bursting with roses, currants, and strawberries and flavors of fried plums, smoke, and spice, this is a big wine with strong tannins and a long, complex finish. While some pinots shine primarily through their scent, this wine is excellent on both nose and palate.

No.10

Bergström wines

2009 Pinot Noir de Lancellotti Chehalem Mountains, $60

The well-draining soils of the Chehalem Mountains lend pinot noir a graceful, slow development that shines in the bottle. This fruit-forward wine offers rich flavors of plum, ripe blackberries, sage, and spice. Powerful and dark, its balanced tannins and acidity combine for a smooth and enjoyable sip.

No. 11

Cameron

Vineyards 2009 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills, $25

Cameron wines are characterized by dry farming—using little to no irrigation—which allows them to highlight the unique characteristics of each vintage. Floral flavors and juicy red fruit on the tongue accent striking scents of dark cherries, hay, and leather. With strong tannins and mild acidity, this accessible bottle will be delightful for outdoor barbecues and nights on the porch.

No. 12

Matello

2009 Pinot Noir Souris Willamette Valley, $39

This delicious wine shows rich fruit depth with flavors of strawberry jam, berry cobbler, and brandied cherries. A long and strong finish allows those tasty flavors to linger. (See "Taster's Choice," p. 66.)

Rating 91

No.13

Eyrie Vineyards

2009 Pinot Noir Reserve Dundee Hills, $62

This complex wine spends nearly two years in barrel, showing developed sweet and savory qualities with flavors ranging from rare steak to ripe blueberries. Offering one of the longest finishes of the bunch, this light wine is clean, bright, and delicious.

No.14

Patton Valley Vineyards

2008 Pinot Noir Lorna-Marie Willamette Valley, $70

With heady fruit scents that jump out of the glass and complex flavors of allspice, vanilla, orange, and raspberry, this balanced, focused wine is soft and creamy. This bottle is also meant to age, and will deepen and soften over the next five years.

No.15

Broadley Vineyards

2009 Pinot Noir Reserve Willamette Valley, $38

A select blend of the best barrels of Broadley's 777 clones, this carefully oaked wine is earthy and spiced, with a strong flavor of ripe, dark blackberries. The long finish and smooth texture of this unfiltered wine hint at its craftsmanship.

No.16

Luminous Hills

2009 Pinot Noir Estate Grown Yamhill-Carlton, $28

Winemaker Byron Dooley (who also owns Seven of Hearts Winery) selected the best grapes from the Luminous Hills estate to bring out the herbal aromatics and juicy fruitiness of this perfumed wine. Native fermentation—using yeast naturally present on the grapes and in the air—lends an earthy, savory flavor that would pair well with grilled meats.

No.17

De Ponte cellars

2008 Pinot Noir Baldwin Family Reserve Dundee Hills, $70

This wine offers scents of coffee and caramel along with notes of blackberry and black currant, but is more earthy than fruit-forward. With balanced minerality and layers of flavor, this wine will pair well with hazelnuts, tomato-based Italian sauces, and chocolate.

{page break} Rating 90

No.18

Luminous Hills

2009 Pinot Noir Lux Estate Yamhill-Carlton, $35

With only 147 cases produced, this wine highlights the best vines of the Luminous Hills vineyard. Heady with scents of raspberry, dry earth, and dried plum, this seductive pinot noir offers strong tannins and bright acidity for a powerful yet balanced glass.

No.19

Siltstone

2008 Pinot Noir Guadalupe Vineyard Dundee Hills, $28

This budget-friendly wine provides full-bodied flavors and a long finish, bursting with notes of strawberry, cherry, smoky spices, and cedar. Combining juicy flavors and outstanding value, this is a great choice for a potluck dinner or housewarming gift.

No.20

Et Fille

2008 Pinot Noir Nicholas Vineyard Chehalem Mountains, $34

Howard Mozeico and Jessica Mozeico-Blair—the father-daughter team behind Et Fille—make full-bodied pinot noir rich with earthy flavors that will pair well with lamb, mushrooms, and a wide variety of herbs. Notes of plum, smoked wood, and bright red cherries linger along with the bold texture.

No.21

Cristom vineyards

2008 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills, $50

This gently oaked pinot noir was made with Old World techniques such as wild yeast fermentation and minimal handling. Scents of spices, dried cherries, and leather make the unfiltered wine full-bodied and mature, while its earthiness and strong tannins will blossom after several years in the cellar.

No.22

Sokol Blosser

2008 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills, $38

Sokol Blosser's 2008 offering is distinctive for its strong aromatics, rich flavors of black cherries and baker's chocolate, and long finish. Soft tannins and a refreshing lightness make this an easy-drinking wine that will continue to develop for at least 10 years.

No.23

Soter Vineyards

2009 Pinot Noir North Valley Willamette Valley, $30

Crafted from a diverse selection of grapes throughout the north Willamette Valley, this wine reveals winemaker James Cahill's focus on regional representation and sustainable farming. Flavors of tart pie cherries; a candied, bright style; and a super-clean finish place it on the lighter side of the pinot noir spectrum, which makes it a great pairing for fresh, spicy foods.

No.24

Willamette Valley Vineyards

2008 Pinot Noir Tualatin Estate Willamette Valley, $45

Made with fruit from the exclusive Tualatin Estate Vineyard, founded in 1973, this earthy wine shines with sweet, candied-fruit flavors of blackberry, cherry, and vanilla. Generous tannins, balanced minerality, and a smooth finish make this a bottle for deep contemplation and richer food pairings.

Rating 89

No.25

Bergström Wines

2009 Pinot Noir Bergström Vineyard Dundee Hills, $78

Sourced from 13 select acres in the Dundee Hills, this meaty wine is rich, dark, and full-bodied. Juicy flavors of cherries, espresso, raspberries, and caramel blend with gentle acids and satiny tannins to produce a structured wine with a sweet finish.

No.26

Daedalus Cellars

2008 Pinot Noir Labyrinth Dundee Hills, $45

This delicate, floral wine combines juicy flavors and a medium-bodied, silky texture for a very drinkable vintage. Using a blend of grapes from Heron, Thistle, Maresh, and Murto vineyards, winemaker Aron Hess carefully selects the best barrels in the cellar to make this delicious wine.

No.27

Bethel Heights Vineyard

2008 Pinot Noir Justice Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills, $50

The Justice Vineyard is an Oregon Certified Sustainable wine, ensuring responsible growing and winemaking practices. This 2008 vintage's cherry fruit, soft tannins, and fresh acidity balance out floral notes and deeper aromatics of leather and earth. Juicy and bright, this is a pretty glass for easy sipping.

No.28

Brooks

2009 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, $22

This vibrant winery celebrates the dedication and passion of its late founder, Jimi Brooks, by producing high-quality biodynamic estate wines with heart. Blended from various pinot noir clones from throughout the Willamette Valley, this wine is deeply structured yet eminently drinkable, with flavors of coffee, caramel, earth, and ripe raspberry.

No.29

Ardiri winery & Vineyards

2009 Pinot Noir Vineyard Select Estate Grown Chehalem Mountains, $45

Fruit for this estate pinot noir was hand-selected, hand-sorted, and cold-soaked by winemaker John Compagno in open stainless steel fermentation tanks to extract maximum color and flavor. Rich with oak notes, candied red fruit, and complex cola flavors, the results are robust yet balanced.

Rating 88

No.30

Luminous Hills

2009 Pinot Noir Astra Estate Yamhill-Carlton, $35

Winemaker Byron Dooley's Astra uses a higher percentage of "whole cluster fermentation" than its sister wine from the Lux estate, which means brighter fruit flavors and an added spiciness. Emitting the aroma of dried flowers, herbs, and raspberries, this wine has enough tannic structure to develop for several years.

No.31

Siltstone

2007 Pinot Noir Guadalupe Vineyard Dundee Hills, $26

Bright flavors of cherry, strawberry, and a hint of cedar round out a beautiful wine harvested in the midst of October rainstorms. Made with grapes from a single old-vine vineyard on the west slope of the Dundee Hills, this wine shows the talent and perseverance of winegrowers in a tough year. Discover the difference a year can make: grab a bottle of the 2008 Guadalupe Vineyard for your own at-home vertical tasting.

No.32

Bethel Heights Vineyard

2008 Pinot Noir Casteel Reserve Eola-Amity Hills, $60

Fully destemming the grapes before fermentation (stems mean strong tannins) lent great fruit concentration to the finished product of this ripe, lush pinot noir. A mild, bright, and easy-drinking wine, this will be delicious with hearty fall dishes like root vegetable stews and braised lamb.

No.33

Matello

2009 Pinot Noir Lazarus Willamette Valley, $19

This budget-friendly pinot is ready to drink and full of juicy, ripe fruit flavors. Uncomplicated, pretty, and with enough earthiness and complexity to keep things exciting, this clear, unfussy wine is a great choice for fall.

No.34

Domaine Serene

2007 Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve Dundee Hills, $58

The latest vintage of Domaine Serene's flagship wine leaps out of the glass with scents of cherry, raspberry, and toasted spices. Silky tannins, a smooth, long finish, and a savory edge make this a lovely bottle for easy drinking and food pairing.

No.35

Et Fille

2009 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Dundee Hills, $42

The storied Maresh Vineyard has been producing quality pinot noir grapes since 1984, and continues to lend the balanced strength of old vines to Et Fille's 2009 vintage. Bright tannins draw out flavors of red cherries, black currants, and plums.

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WHITES

Rating 95

No. 1

Evening Land ?Vineyards

2009 Chardonnay Seven Springs Vineyard La Source Eola-Amity Hills, $60

A collaboration between winemaker Isabelle Meunier and consulting winemaker Dominique Lafon, this wine is the result of a perfect storm of conscious viticulture, a merciful growing season, and a touch of magic. With layer upon layer of flavor—bright Meyer lemon, apple blossom, ripe Asian pear, and subtle spice, with well-blended caramel notes from careful oak aging—this wine has it all. Balanced, rich, and bright with crisp fruit, it is the quintessential expression of Oregon’s new chardonnay. Meunier honed her skills in Burgundy, New Zealand, and her native Canada before ?arriving in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills region outside of Salem, where grapes for La Source are carefully grown and hand-selected.

Rating 94

No.2

Bethel Heights Vineyard

2009 Chardonnay Estate Grown Eola-Amity Hills, $25

Using a blend of Dijon and old-vine Wente clones, this classic chardonnay shows a welcome balance of richness and bright acidity. The best of the old-school Oregon style, this rich, golden wine marries minerality and flavors of ripe pineapple and lemon zest, resulting in a smooth palate that’s full-bodied and perfumed but never cloying.

No.3

Ponzi Vineyards

2008 Chardonnay Reserve Willamette Valley, $30

2008 wasn’t just a great year for pinot noir. The cool spring and Indian summer of that storied vintage also resulted in chardonnays that continue to impress. In this smooth-textured, golden wine, rich oak notes are balanced by bright acidity and fresh flavors of lemon curd and thyme. Pair with poached halibut, earthy mushrooms, and fava beans.

No.4

Brooks

2008 Riesling Ara ? Willamette Valley, $25

Named after the altar that Noah built after the Flood, this riesling is the praise-worthy result of a tumultuous year. With heady scents of rose petals and apple and juicy flavors of peach, apricot, and kiwi, this bright and refreshing wine was featured at President Obama’s first White House State Dinner, paired with red lentil soup.

No.5

Lange Estate winery & vineyards

2010 Pinot Gris Reserve ?Willamette Valley, $20

Don Lange was the first American winemaker to produce barrel-fermented pinot gris, and this legacy shines through in his son Jesse’s latest vintage. Oak barreling lends richness to the wine’s bright notes of green apple, honey, and lemon zest. Full-bodied from the first sip to the lingering finish, this wine will pair well with Mexican cuisine.

Rating 91

No.6

Raptor Ridge

2010 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, $18

For fans of traditional Oregon pinot gris, winemaker Scott Shull’s latest vintage will certainly satisfy. Featuring clean scents of apple blossoms and tangerine, sweet flavors of pears and Meyer lemon, bright acidity, and a juicy finish, this wine will pair well with clams in garlic butter or grilled salmon.

No.7

Stoller Vineyards

2008 Chardonnay SV Estate Dundee Hills, $28

The warm fall of 2008 allowed plenty of time for grapes to fully ripen, lending the vintage a lush, complex, and fruit-forward character. This creamy wine is packed with flavors of almonds, brioche, and baked apples, with a full body that will hold its own when paired with richer dishes like herb-roasted chicken, cheesy pasta, or creamy soups.

No.8

Adelsheim ?Vineyard

2010 Auxerrois Ribbon Ridge, $22

David Adelsheim imported Oregon’s first vines of Auxerrois (pronounced oak-sair-wah) in the late ’70s, but the varietal remains relatively unknown despite its success in Oregon’s cool soils. Bursting with scents of orange blossom, tropical fruit flavors, and bright acidity, this refreshing wine will pair perfectly with crab salad, ceviche, or cured salmon.

No.9

Teutonic Wine Co

2010 Riesling Willamette Valley, $15

This small-production winery—offering only 126 cases of its 2010 riesling—is known for its high-acid, low-alcohol wines that are truly food-friendly. With soft notes of peaches, strawberry, and rose petals, this light wine begs to be paired with oysters or any fresh, briny seafood.

Rating 90

No.10

Elk Cove ?Vineyards

2010 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, $18

With scents of sweet pear and almonds, fresh acidity, and flavors of baking spice and ripe peaches that linger on the palate, Elk Cove’s 2010 estate pinot gris is a definite crowd pleaser. This food-friendly wine from one of Oregon’s oldest wineries will be delicious with a citrus salad and fresh chèvre.

Rating 89

No.11

Amity Vineyards

2008 Dry ?Gewürztraminer Sunnyside Vineyard Willamette Valley, $20

This traditional golden gewürztraminer is rich, fruit-forward, and intense, with flavors of lychee, Asian pear, and fresh green herbs. Though labeled “dry,” this wine offers a bright sweetness through complex fruit flavors, and will perfectly calm the heat of spicy Thai food.

No.12

Love and ?Squalor

2010 Riesling Willamette Valley, $18

Matt Berson’s zesty riesling—made with organic grapes—is sweet, lush, and refreshing, offering flavors of peaches and mangoes for a balanced palate that’d be a perfect picnic sipper. Pack a backpack with a baguette, smoked salmon, Peppadew peppers, and a corkscrew, and you’re set for a wonderful meal.

Rating 88

No.13

J. Albin Winery

2010 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, $15

Bright flavors of ripe pear and white peaches, notes of buttery almond, and a peppery spiciness blend together for a rich palate that lingers and tempts you to keep sipping. Pair with melon and goat cheese salads, thin-sliced cured meats, and fresh peaches.

No.14

Brooks

2010 Riesling Sweet P Riesling Willamette Valley, $22

Named for the winery’s 15-year-old owner, Pascal, this fun, casual wine has a bright, sparkling sweetness balanced by juicy acidity. Bursting with flavors of honeydew, peaches, and lilac, Sweet P will be a hit at any potluck. But bring a few bottles: it’ll go fast.

No.15

The Four Graces

2010 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, $18

Stainless steel fermentation lends a clean subtlety to this silky wine from the Red Hills of Dundee. Bursting with citrus and green apple notes, this bright, lean pinot gris will pair well with pasta, fresh basil, and spicy Italian sausage.

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Taster’s Choice

Look to the pages ahead for some answers to both questions. We visit the region’s best swimming and wading spots, and show you why the closest choice, the Willamette River, may become the next great place to take a dip. And to ease your worries that the kitchen tap might go dry, we plunge into the past, present, and future of one of Portland’s greatest assets, the Bull Run water system.

Image: Neil DeCosta

Lewisville Park

Family Friendly | Fee $3 | Average August Water Temperature 84°

Back in the heyday of company picnics (circa 1986), when three-legged racing was practically an Olympic event, Battle Ground’s Lewisville Park could have been considered today’s London. The 154-acre park sprawled along the shores of the Lewis River holds acres of grassy expanse ripe for finish lines, plus picnic tables, barbecue shelters, playgrounds, a baseball field, and, of course, a swimming hole. Several, to be precise. But families—or family reunions—seeking a mellow day on the water best head for the Larch area of the park, where a smallish sand-and-pebble beach affords easy wading and swimming for those still sporting water wings. Mom and Dad can watch from the grass clearing directly behind the beach … or return alone another day for more secluded lounging in the Ponderosa part of the park, where the current is stronger and the beaches are smaller, but curtained by rows of swaying trees.

PACK IT

Waterproof, paraben-, PABA-, and chemical-free, Think Baby sunscreen ensures the only souvenir your kids will take home is a happy memory. Available at Milagros.

Moulton Falls

Family Friendly | No Fee | Average August Water Temperature 84°

Image: Neil DeCosta

The utility player of swimming holes, 387-acre Moulton Falls Regional Park has something for everyone: Instagram-worthy falls surrounded by plentiful flat rocks for playing lizard in the sun, inviting flat water upstream, two miles of trails tracing the Lewis River’s banks, and a three-story arch bridge daredevils (illegally) leap off. Even better, it’s free, which means it can get crowded, so arrive early to stake out your bit of beach or stone and savor this MVP.

FUEL UP

Tuck into hearty spaghetti with spicy Italian sausage and Kobe beef meatballs or a bowl of zuppa Toscana (spicy sausage swimming in a cream broth with fresh kale) at Galeotti’s in Battle Ground.

The Big Float

A swim beach? Downtown? On the Willamette? It isn’t as inconceivable as it sounds.

Image: Dan Gay

THIS SUMMER, Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park’s goose-poop-encrusted shore belongs to the birds. But if Will Levenson has his way, next summer the boulder-strewn bowl south of the Hawthorne Bridge could become human domain as downtown’s first public beach.

“The fact that people make jokes about the water quality in the Willamette doesn’t reconcile with our lifestyle at all,” the 42-year-old co-owner of Popina Swimwear says. Levenson wants to bring Portlanders back to the water by ripping out the concrete near the Hawthorne Bridge to expose the river’s sandy bottom.

In years past, just touching the Willamette near downtown was something you’d do only on a dare. Years of industrial dumping north of the Fremont Bridge coated the river bottom in contaminants, creating a Superfund site. Heavy rainfall overwhelmed the city’s inadequate sewer system, flushing a noxious mix of street runoff and wastewater into the river.

But millions of cleanup dollars have begun to restore the river. The Big Pipe now routes that gruesome mixture to a North Portland treatment plant instead. And according to the DEQ, swimming in the Willamette downtown is perfectly safe, most of the year.

To raise support and funds (it’ll cost about $1,650 to dump the concrete) for his swim beach, Levenson has arranged the second annual “Big Float,” an hour-long voyage from the west end of the Marquam Bridge to the newly restored Hawthorne Cove on the east side. It takes place July 29. Last year’s float attracted 1,300 fearless Portlanders perched atop colorful inner tubes and rafts. This year’s movement-as-party is expected to draw a flotilla of up to 4,000 people.

“If we can get a large number of people to swim and not have their skin fall off,” Levenson says, “it will make people reconsider the idea that the Willamette is swimmable.”

If that seems far-fetched, just remember, the effort to build Waterfront Park began with a picnic on the side of what was once a waterfront highway. —Sara Gates

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Alder Flat

No Fee | Average August Water Temperature 61°

Whether the “flat” in Alder Flat refers to the 40-foot-long stone and sand beach or the quality of the blue-green Clackamas River stretching slowly around a bend, we don’t know. What’s more certain is that you’ll rarely have to share. Thanks to a -mile hike to the water’s edge, only the adventurous frequent this idyllic swimming spot. (Fitting, since there is a slight but very manageable current.) Fir, ferns, and alder trees line the lush riverbanks, where just a few swim strokes away a trio of basalt boulders beckons from the middle of the river, gently, insistently, singing their siren song: Cannon-ball!

MAKE IT A WEEKEND

Turn this swimming hole into star-gazing ground by packing in a tent. Camping is permitted here, but there’s no potable water or toilets.

Photo: Courtesy Anna Verlet Shelton

This could be you savoring Buck Lake’s 72 -degree water.

Buck Lake

No Fee | Average August Water Temperature 72°

Pristine Buck Lake sits 70 miles from downtown Portland—15 of them corkscrewing Forest Service roads. But the crucial last half-mile is what keeps this stream-fed swimming hole relatively secluded and unspoiled: it’s traversable only by foot. Hike through gorgeous stands of old-growth fir, serenaded by a chorus of croaking frogs and willow flycatchers to the edge of the lake’s spectacular emerald waters—waters so clear you’ll be able to see every rock and log (and sometimes fish) beneath the placid surface. A rocky section to the left of where the trail meets the lake offers the best perch for the day—besides a raft in the middle of the lake, of course.

PACK IT

To discover more hidden gems like Buck Lake, get your hands on a copy of the out-of-print Oregon Swimming Holes. It might cost you $60, but it’s worth it.

Photo: Courtesy Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center

Opal Pool

Fee $5 | Average August Water Temperature 43°

One of the Northwest’s greatest ecological controversies—the fight for and against the endangered species listing of the spotted owl—detonated here in the 1990s, with conservationists eventually triumphing over timber interests. But the establishment of the near 23,000-acre Opal Creek Wilderness Area in 1996 preserved more than just habitat for our feathered friends. It also protected one of Oregon’s most scenic swimming holes—a 25-foot-deep turquoise pool at the base of a frothy Opal Creek torrent. There’s only one path into these breath-stealing jewel-hued waters, though: a 3.5-mile hike down an old rocky logging road and a final leap of faith from a 25-foot cliff.

MAKE IT A WEEKEND

The cabins at Jawbone Flats—an old mining camp less than a half mile from the pool—sleep between 2 and 16. From $195; meals start at an additional $10 per meal

Portland summers are short; make the memories last all year with Plywerk. The five-year-old Portland company prints and mounts your best shoreline snapshots onto bamboo frames for as little as $18. Upload that awesome Instagram shot of pops or your BFF falling out of his inner tube and—bam!—instant wall art to warm you all year through.

What’s Really Under Hagg Lake?

One editor dives into the history of her childhood swimming hole.

Image: Dan Gay

RUMORS THAT GHOSTS haunt Forest Grove’s Henry Hagg Lake have plagued me since I was a kid growing up in Washington County. The apparitions are purportedly the ticked-off residents of a cemetery buried under 53,640 acre-feet of water when the federal government dammed Scoggins Creek to create Hagg Lake in the mid-’70s.

“There’s a town under there,” my childhood friends would say in hushed tones at slumber parties. My still-calibrating bullshit meter buzzed. I’d posit questions about debris and disease. My friends just rolled their eyes, and I’d give up.

I heard the refrain repeated throughout my teens and 20s, though, so I finally decided to look it up.

The Federal Bureau of Reclamation Pacific Northwest headquarters in Boise holds the bulk of the records relating to Hagg Lake. Archaeologists there unearthed two reports relating to the area: a 1965 archaeological survey of the Scoggins Valley and a 1956 orthoquad map. Both show farmland. Neither show a town.

So, unless a metropolis suddenly sprung up in the few years between the survey and the damming of the creek, little more than a few farmhouses and farm roads likely existed when the water descended on Skoggins Valley. No cemetery. No ghosts.

I know I’m too old for it, and it’s 20 years too late, but saying “I told you so” still feels good.
—KC

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Three Pools

Family Friendly | Fee $5 | Average August Water Temperature 64°

The Potamoi (Greek river gods) themselves might well have carved out this impossibly clear trifecta of swimming holes along the Little North Fork Santiam River. Once your feet hit parking lot pavement, a mere 64 steps separate you from Three Pools’ calm aquamarine “shallows” (ahem, they’re still 12 feet deep) near a towel-ready pebble beach. Upstream, a stone totem stands guard over two clear-to-the-bottom pools that eventually squeeze into a kind of natural waterslide. You’ll pay a price—crowds—for easy access to such a striking scene, but then again, few offerings worthy of the gods come without a little sacrifice.

FUEL UP

Fill empty tummies with quick and easy grub from Venti’s in downtown Salem. Built on chicken teriyaki, this 16-year-old café has branched out to vegetarian dishes like garlic-sesame tofu wraps and spicy numbers like Cajun rockfish.

Lost Lake

Family Friendly | Fee $7 | Average August Water Temperature 65°

Isolated (think 26 miles on winding back roads) but accessible (they’re good roads), Lost Lake sits high on Hood’s slopes, at a heat-blasting 3,100 feet. Besides the 10 degrees of mercury you’ll lose on your way up, you’ll also ditch the crowds. Shrouds of firs and pines offer prime fort-building terrain for the kids (and a welcome contrast to the scarred slopes of clear-cut you’ll pass on the way here) and ring the 175-foot-deep emerald waters. You’ll need a person-powered craft, like one of the paddleboats for rent outside the 1950s-esque General Store, to gain the best view of Hood’s perfect peak—from the middle of the lake—because no motorized craft are allowed. Which means only one thing will interrupt your serenity: water-bound first-timers’ inaugural whoops of glee.

MAKE IT A WEEKEND

Stay the night—or a week—at one of the lake’s six lodge rooms or seven rustic (read: no plumbing) cabins. From $70

DIY Swimming Hole: The Columbia

Fee $225 | Average August Water Temperature 68°

If the Clackamaniacs at Milo McIver State Park or the “wildlife” at other close-in cooling-off spots don’t jive with your idea of a relaxing afternoon, create your own sanctuary with a 21-foot pontoon rental from SK Watercraft. Essentially drivable swimming docks, these boats sport bench seats, flat fixed platforms, and space for 12 of your closest friends. Boating beginners can rest easy, too: the rental (from $225 per half day) comes with a boating permit and directions to the Columbia’s nearest safe and sunny swimming spots, like the beaches of Government Island, where bald eagles, blue herons, and the occasional camper are the only wildlife you’ll meet. — Camille Grigsby-Rocca

FUEL UP

Stop in to Portland classic Gartner’s Country Meats and stock up on everything from salami to pepper-cured ham before you leave the dock. Might as well throw in an extra pound of pepperoni too. Just in case you get stranded.

IN THE COOLER Ashland’s Caldera Brewing was the first Oregon brewer to blast the notion that good beer had to be bottled, putting its IPA in cans in 2007. Thankfully, others have followed suit, making our cooler hauling lighter (and tastier). Here’s what we’re packing this year: Caldera IPA (the original), Hopworks Urban Brewery’s Organic Lager (the new guy), and Fort George’s Vortex IPA (the classic).

How to Catch a Crawdad

...with your bare hands.

Image: Dan Gay

CRAWDADS (“crayfish,” officially) live in most of Oregon’s freshwater lakes and rivers; in fact, Oregon is second only to Louisiana in commercial production of these delicious summertime treats. You could buy a net or trap, drop it to the bottom of a lake with some bait, wait an hour, then draw up your crustacean bounty. Yawn. Instead, try catching ’em with your bare hands. Here’s how.

1. Find some shallow water, where crawdads like to hang out under rocks or other cover.

2. If you don’t spy any at first, start turning over small rocks, logs, and sticks. If you’re still not having luck, try luring them out with bait—usually something dead, like fish, but if you don’t want to share your hard-earned catch, a perforated can of cat food will work.

3. Once your target’s in sight, you’ve got two options. Grab at him fast and furious, or slowly reach into the water, then make a quick stab. Either way, aim to catch him behind his pincher claws, so he can’t reach back and pinch you. But be quick about it: crawdads swim backward, so if you’re slow, your fingers could end up in range. (It only smarts; no damage.)

4. Keep your catches—you’re allowed 100 per day—in a bucket of water. Continue to add fresh water to prevent premature croaking.

5. Cook ’em up. Spray ’em down to get the grit off, then toss them alive—if they’re dead, the meat will be mushy—into a pot of boiling water with your preferred seasoning (try Zatarain’s Crab Boil with some onions, garlic, and salt). Boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until their pale shells have turned bright red. Then turn the heat off and let them sit in the seasoning for another few minutes (5–15). Eat the tail meat, tear off the heads, and suck out the innards. Sigh. Repeat.

Trail City

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:00:00 -0700

This composite map of The Intertwine plots the parks, trails, and natural areas within the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area. Special thanks to Randy Morris and David Banis of Portland State University’s Center for Spatial Analysis and Research.

YOU’D BE HARD PRESSED to find a finer example of Aristotle’s idea that the “whole is greater than its parts” than Portland’s greenspaces: within about a 20-mile radius of downtown, we can tap roughly 1,250 miles of bicycle and pedestrian trails, and close to 40,000 acres of protected parks and natural areas.

Essentially, we live in a superpark.

Sure, individually, our dozens of natural areas (while beautiful) don’t exactly match the untrammeled grandeur of, say, northeastern Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness. Roads, cars, and buildings are never far away. But when viewed as a contiguous network of greenspaces, Portland’s playgrounds start to rival national park status, a fact that has spurred the development of the five-year-old Portland nonprofit the Intertwine Alliance.

Dreamed up in 2007 by then–Metro President David Bragdon, the alliance is a bistate coalition of more than 60 parks departments and agencies that aims to rebrand our parks as one symbiotic experience. In other words, quit thinking of the Columbia River as a divide between two cities and states. It’s the center of one connected region.

Why? In part because the intersection of fragile ecosystems and glassy condos makes Portland as distinctive as Yellowstone. Here, you’re never more than a few heron flaps from the wonders of both the natural and the modern world. Peregrine falcons roost under the Fremont Bridge. Coyotes sneak onto MAX trains. Salmon flock to creeks beneath Pittock Mansion. We ride shotgun with Mother Nature every day, yet our favorite brewpub is always just a few miles away. This summer, the Intertwine Alliance hopes to foster this connectivity by adding its logo—a rose-like pinwheel with four blades swirling in a circle—to trails like Fanno Creek in Beaverton and Tigard.

It will take more than clever branding to prioritize and manage the myriad open space projects in the Intertwine, as the network itself is known. After all, the notion of a grand park scheme isn’t exactly new. The celebrated urban planner John Olmsted envisioned such a scenario for Portland more than a century ago.

Yet, over the past two years, major gaps in the Intertwine have been plugged. In 2010, the 21-mile Banks-Vernonia State Trail was finally completed. Last year, the Springwater Corridor was extended clear to Boring, more than 21 miles from Portland. And in June, the Trolley Trail opened, turning a historic streetcar path into a multimodal trail from Milwaukie to Gladstone. Still more projects—like the North Portland Greenway, which will link the Steel Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge, and the continuation of the Springwater Corridor to Estacada—are in the works.

Park acreage keeps piling up, too. Metro’s natural areas team has added more than 750 acres of new open space in Multnomah County since 2010, a year that also saw the acquisition of 1,100-acre Chehalem Ridge near Forest Grove; Metro’s largest open space purchase with voter-approved bond funds to date.

Best of all, with more than a thousand miles of trails already at our disposal, we don’t have to wait to get out and explore. In the following guide, we lay out the essential Intertwine experiences. Whether you have only an hour to spare or want to plot a full-blown weekend campout, these trails and parks satisfy most any nature craving. And odds are you won’t even have to miss your favorite happy hour.

Welcome to the Intertwine.

To learn more about The Intertwine Alliance, visit theintertwine.org.

The High Road

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:00:00 -0700

Photo: Courtesy Oregon Historical Society

FAMED CITY BEAUTIFUL parks planner and designer John Olmsted’s 1903 plan to create a 40-mile loop of parks around the city still guides the modern Intertwine concept. But few Portlanders realize that Olmsted also had cars on his mind, noting that parks should be “approached by boulevards and parkways … located and improved to take advantage of the beautiful natural scenery.” However, only one of Olmsted’s “pleasure drives” got built: Terwilliger Boulevard.

The heirs of early Portland blacksmith James Terwilliger donated the first 19-acre right-of-way to the city for what Olmsted envisioned as a picturesque “gateway.” The now seven-mile roadway, which threads the West Hills beneath OHSU, was opened as a dirt road in 1912 and dedicated two years later with a ceremony featuring a 200-car motorcade. Although occasionally threatened by development, Olmsted’s vision won out: Terwilliger’s wide, tree-lined path and vistas of Mount Hood are forever protected in the 1983 Terwilliger Parkway Design Guidelines, which stipulated “unobstructed views and preserving the heavily wooded character.”

The 30-year-old Friends of Terwilliger have been equally central to the parkway’s beautification. Besides restoring watersheds and removing invasive ivy, the group celebrates Terwilliger’s centennial this month (July 20–22) with a 5 to 8k run/walk and—in a twist beyond what Olmsted imagined—a Sunday Parkways bike ride. terwilligerfriends.org

A Guide to Oregon’s Extraterrestrial Past and Present!

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:00:00 -0700

Slide Show

If you’re craving more UFO goodness, view our slide show of baffling photos taken by fellow Oregonians over the years.

LONG BEFORE OREGON became a magnet for the creative class, East Coast refugees, and retiring 20-somethings, our state was attracting visitors of a different kind: the alien kind. Not only was the term “flying saucer” coined here in 1947—unleashing a nationwide UFO frenzy—but two of the first-ever photographs of UFOs were taken just down Highway 99, at the Trent farm near McMinnville, in 1950. (See Close Encounters)

This month, thousands of curious onlookers, diehards, and experts will converge on McMinnville for the 13th annual UFO Festival—the second-most popular such celebration in the world, after Roswell, New Mexico’s—to commemorate the famous (and still controversial) photos.

But the Trent case merely scratches the surface of Oregon’s rich UFO history. By one estimate, Oregon has recorded more than 1,500 reported UFO sightings, making it third on the list of sightings per capita, close behind neighbors in Washington and Montana. We interviewed UFO investigators, debunkers, and historians to learn more about Oregon’s penchant for attracting the otherworldly. What we found just might surprise you.

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The Sleuths

When you see something wrong in the sky, Oregon’s chapter of the Mutual UFO Network uses science to solve the mystery.

Slide Show

If you’re craving more UFO goodness, view our slide show of baffling photos taken by fellow Oregonians over the years.

Image: William Puckett

This image, said to have been taken along Wagner Creek Road near Medford in the 1960s, was submitted to MUFON field investigator William Puckett in 2008. The lack of additional evidence or information precluded any further investigation.

ON AN EARLY FALL morning last October, Mercedes Corbin (note: not her real name) was driving west on Highway 26 when she spotted a tiny white light ahead of her hanging in the sky over North Plains. Still groggy from an early-morning flight, Corbin slowed to less than 40 miles per hour. The object grew larger and brighter until it hovered—soundless and wingless with flashing red and green lights—above a field just a few hundred feet away.

Heart pounding, Corbin took the next exit and circled back to the spot. But the strange object—which she described as a kind of Washington Monument on its side—had disappeared.

“I was not the only one who saw this,” she later wrote, noting that other trucks and cars had slowed down to watch it. “I am not crazy.”

Disturbed by the incident, Corbin began searching the Internet to find evidence of others who had seen the same thing. Instead, she found the Oregon chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). The national organization was founded in 1969 for the purpose of cataloging and investigating UFO reports. MUFON is—to borrow a phrase from Ghostbusters—who you’re gonna call when you see something unexplainable in the sky.

With the government, NASA, and even the SETI Institute (which takes its name from the search for extraterrestrial intelligence) officially not interested, MUFON fielded some 100 reports of UFOs last year alone. But these guys aren’t some goofy Big Gulp–fueled pack of X-Files-ites, pointing to every passing satellite as proof of extraterrestrials. In fact, MUFON classified fewer than half of those 100 reports as “unidentified” (including Corbin’s flashing object), ruling everything else out as hoaxes, airplanes, weather balloons, or simply lacking enough evidence for thorough investigation. And, according to the Oregon MUFON chapter director, Tom Bowden, even those “unidentified” flying objects don’t necessarily mean we need to put together a welcoming committee.

“It means there’s something flying around that is not one of our aircraft, and somebody saw it,” says Bowden, a computer programmer for a financial firm who has been studying UFOs since his college years in Illinois in the 1960s. “It means that there’s a problem that has not been solved, and in order to solve it we need more data.”

Bowden’s pragmatism might seem somewhat surprising in a group that includes its fair share of eccentrics. (Some members believe UFOs come from another dimension.) But logic and science are at the core of MUFON’s beliefs. Like Bowden, many of MUFON’s top members have scientific or technical backgrounds: Keith Rowell, the group’s assistant director (and resident human encyclopedia), is a retired technical writer. William Puckett, an investigator, is a former EPA and National Weather Service meteorologist. And Bowden was an investigator from 1976 to 1988 for the now-defunct Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, a group of sober-minded scientists hailed by the air force scientific adviser on UFOs, J. Allen Hynek, as one of the country’s best civilian UFO groups.

“What we’re trying to do is study UFOs in a scholarly way—as academics would if they bothered to look into it,” says Rowell, who hopes to donate his personal library of 1,500 UFO-related books to a university after his death.

To that end, MUFON has developed an elaborate protocol for investigating UFO reports, all of it laid out in a 250-page investigator’s manual. When a report is filed, MUFON investigators interview witnesses, collect any photographic evidence (employing a strict, police-department-style chain of custody), and document even the most innocuous information they can about the sighting, from wind speeds to light levels. Then, the investigation begins in earnest. Drawing on astronomy, weather reports, and FAA flight logs, all possible earthly explanations are tested and discarded until they land on one that fits: planets, military aircraft, birds, atmospheric effects, flyovers of the International Space Station. If, in the end, nothing makes sense, the case is declared a UFO.

“Photographs by themselves are useless,” Bowden says. “They don’t have any evidentiary value. It’s just whatever someone says it is. We have to get to the original source of the photograph in order for it to be considered evidence.”

MUFON’s academic approach follows a long lineage of scientific exploration of UFOs dating back to the US Air Force’s Project Blue Book, a group of soldiers and scientists who began tracking and investigating “flying saucers” in 1952. When the military terminated the group in 1969, its work was left to volunteer groups like MUFON, which have become exceptionally image-conscious as a result of media and other groups painting them as kooks.

To wit: Monthly meetings are open to the public, but recording and photographs are typically prohibited. Case files are available online, but the names of witnesses and investigators are changed to pseudonyms. Interviews with members are granted, but only with reassurances that the purpose is not to poke fun—or worse. In an e-mail, prior to our interview, Bowden noted his concern: “They [the CIA] have operatives placed in many news organizations for the dual purpose of intercepting specific news items and for introducing propaganda.”

Some think this insularity has had a negative effect. “There’s not a lot of collaboration between groups,” says Puckett, who runs his own reporting website, ufosnw.com, though he has worked with Oregon MUFON on a number of investigations. “That’s a major problem.”

Indeed, methods of investigation, proof, and tracking vary widely across organizations and individuals. Without a centralized database or rigorous international standards of investigation, winning over a dubious public to the global UFO “phenomenon” remains a gargantuan task.

But it’s one Oregon’s MUFON continues to take on, united behind their common belief in science.

“I say look at the data,” says Puckett, who in 15 years of study has never seen a UFO himself. “You only need one case to be real, and there are thousands out there. Everybody can’t be crazy.”

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Close Encounters

Four accounts from our extraterrestrial past

Slide Show

If you’re craving more UFO goodness, view our slide show of baffling photos taken by fellow Oregonians over the years.

Photo: Courtesy Robert Sheaffer

CASE: THE FIRST “FLYING SAUCER”

Date: June 1947
Location: Oregon and Washington

Rescue pilot Kenneth Arnold (left), was flying east from Mount Rainier when he spotted nine silvery objects flying in an echelon formation at supersonic speed ahead of him. The objects moved in an “eerie” side-to-side fashion for about two minutes before jetting out of view, Arnold said. When he landed, Arnold recounted his tale in exceptional detail, noting the angle of the objects’ trajectory, their speed, and estimated size. The crafts, according to Arnold, were more triangular than circular—like curved wings. However, in his discussion with a reporter from the East Oregonian, he described the crafts as moving like saucers “skipping across water.” The paper ran a story about “flying saucers,” and the term was born. Arnold’s sighting may have been the first of its kind, but a veritable deluge of UFO reports across the country followed. The infamous Roswell “crash” occurred only one month after Arnold’s tale was published, and in 1947 and 1948 the military received hundreds of similar reports.

Photo: Courtesy Robert Sheaffer

CASE: THE FIRST PHOTO EVIDENCE

Date: May 1950
Location: McMinnville, Oregon

On a cool May evening, Evelyn Trent was feeding chickens on her McMinnville-area farm when she saw something unusual in the sky and called for her husband, Paul, to grab the camera. The two black-and-white snapshots the Trents took—the first photos of a UFO in the US—are grainy and dark, but the disc-like object hanging in the center of both images is crystal clear. Every grain of the Trents’ two black-and-white photos has been examined, analyzed, and reanalyzed over the past 62 years. Debunkers have argued that the Trents must have hung an object from the power line near the top of the photo, but UFOlogists have concluded the pictures are real. Despite the publicity storm that followed them, the Trents lived out their next 40 years (they passed away in the ’90s) quietly: they never sought to monetize their fame, never asked for their negatives back, and never reported anything similar again.

Photo: Courtesy Keith Rowell

CASE: MUTILATED COWS

Date: October 1990
Location: Vancouver, Washington

Between June and October, Richard Fazio, owner of New Columbia Garden Farms on the banks of the Columbia River, found five of his cattle dead and scattered across three different pastures. Many cows’ organs and parts had been carefully removed —eyes, ear, tongue, rectum, udder, genitals, belly skin. Oregon State University analyzed tissue samples and determined the wounds were consistent with “electrosurgical excision” and “heat-induced injury,” possibly from laser. None of the injuries matched the typical explanations for cattle deaths (disease, weather, or predators). Two neighbors testified they had heard unusual sounds in the night before the carcasses were discovered. One of them said she had been startled by a “little man” carrying a “flashlight” in one of the pastures. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office quickly closed the case—without ever charging a suspect in the crime.

Photo: Courtesy Keith Rowell

CASE: CROP CIRCLES

Date: July 1998
Location: Hubbard, Oregon

On his approach into Hubbard’s Lenhardt Airport, a pilot saw an intricate pattern of circles, lines, and arcs in the wheat fields below. Farmer Doug Aamodt claimed to not know anything about the design on his land, igniting a media frenzy and sending dozens of UFO experts to the site. After analyzing the formation’s measurements (about 250 feet long and 170 feet wide), soil samples, and swirls, researchers determined that it was consistent with other crop circles, but they remained uncertain about how it got there. No official explanation was ever found, but at least one witness claimed to have seen an unusually bright object in the area at night, just before the circles were discovered. Since then two similar crop circles have been reported in the same field. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the field had a history of crop circles as early as the 1920s, well before UFOs became part of popular culture.

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The Hot Zone

A look at local UFO sightings over the past 10 years*

Slide Show

If you’re craving more UFO goodness, view our slide show of baffling photos taken by fellow Oregonians over the years.

PORTLAND 93

30 Unusual lights
12 Flying orbs
4 Disc-shaped objects
4 Triangle-shaped objects
3 Cigar-shaped objects
40 Other objects

MOST RECENT
WHEN: March 9, 2012
WHERE: Southeast Portland
WHAT HAPPENED: Eleven orbs—glowing orange, red, and white—fly east to west across the night sky before abruptly veering north and vanishing one by one.

VANCOUVER 29

16 Other objects
8 Unusual lights
2 Flying orbs
2 Triangle-shaped objects
1 Disc-shaped object

MOST RECENT
WHEN: February 11, 2012
WHERE: Downtown Vancouver
WHAT HAPPENED: A witness sees a large, glowing orange orb hovering in the air in the distance. It appears to be ascending the north face of Mount Hood.

BEAVERTON 19

11 Unusual lights
2 Cigar-shaped objects
1 Triangle-shaped object
1 Flying orb
4 Other objects

MOST RECENT
WHEN: February 15, 2012
WHERE: Unspecified
WHAT HAPPENED: A bright light moving east to west zigzags, pauses, then shoots out of sight on an arcing path.

GRESHAM 11
HILLSBORO 8
MILWAUKIE 8
OREGON CITY 8
TUALATIN 4
CANBY 4
CORNELIUS/NORTH PLAINS 3
TROUTDALE 3
CLACKAMAS 3
ALOHA 2
TIGARD 2
SHERWOOD 2
WILSONVILLE 2
LAKE OSWEGO 2
WEST LINN 2
CAMAS 2
BEAVERCREEK 1
ESTACADA 1
CARVER 1
SANDY 1
WOOD VILLAGE 1

*Drawn from MUFON’s database of reported sightings

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Sight-Line

Oregon’s UFO History in Brief

Slide Show

If you’re craving more UFO goodness, view our slide show of baffling photos taken by fellow Oregonians over the years.

MAY 1949 A fishing party on the Rogue River spies an unusual hovering object through binoculars. The description of the saucer-shaped craft given by two of the men is very similar to the one in the McMinnville case (see p. 104) a year later.

SEPTEMBER 1959 A policeman and FAA employee at the Redmond Airport see a bright, reddish object hovering 200 feet off the ground. It registers on multiple nearby radar screens before rising out of sight with a “long yellow and red flame from lower side.”

JANUARY 1973 A veteran and his family driving south along the coast encounter three “yellowish glowing objects” near Coos Bay. The man gets out to inspect them and finds a large object made of a sparkling, gemlike material.

MARCH 1981 A man listening to police radio frequencies on his CB captures a 30-minute audio recording of sounds coming from a 30-foot-wide orange light hovering above the Columbia River near St. Helens, lighting up both banks.

FEBRUARY 1984 A 16-year-old driving home with her boyfriend around 11 p.m. near Fern Ridge comes across a black, triangular object hovering over a marshy area by the side of the road. Other drivers pull over to observe it and then speed off, frightened.

1985 A flight attendant on a trip to Portland serves a passenger with “very piercing eyes and an unusual forehead” traveling without any luggage. The passenger inquires about the mass and velocity of the plane but doesn’t know the names of everyday objects.

SUMMER 1989 Ranchers in La Pine report 35 cattle found slaughtered and mutilated over the course of a few weeks. The Deschutes County DA heads up a task force whose report remains secret to this day.

JULY 1992 Nine witnesses at Glenwood Park in Southeast Portland see a “very bright” and “intense” light hovering silently above the area for almost 30 minutes. An out-of-focus VHS recording shows a glowing red dot against the night sky.

MARCH 1996 Two witnesses capture a video of six glowing spheres hovering in the afternoon sky above Lake Grove. The unidentified orbs are gold, blue, and pink and appear sporadically over the next two hours.

DECEMBER 2004 A Springfield man photographs a “very, very bright” bluish circle with a red rim in the night sky—which he believes to be the under-side of a UFO. Investigators initially believe it could be a planet, but none should have been visible that night.

JULY 2005 A Eugene couple photographs a “bright reflective” saucer moving across the sky. The FAA won’t provide radar data to investigators, but witnesses report that three military jets show up minutes later and tail the object until all are out of sight.

AUGUST 2005 In Eugene, several independent witnesses report “unusual” bright lights in the midnight sky, close to the ground and moving erratically. A grainy picture from one of the witnesses shows a red circular object, glowing yellow on the edges.

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Real or Fake?

The country’s leading UFO debunker, Robert Sheaffer, tells us why he doesn’t think Oregon’s famous Trent UFO photos are real.

GRAY SKIES The Trents’ photos show an overcast sky, but the Weather Bureau recorded clear skies for the entire day the Trents reported taking them.

SHADOWS The Trents claimed to have taken the pictures at sunset—but the angle of shadows on objects in the foreground suggests the sun was in the east.

SAUCER PLACEMENT If the object in the Trent photos were far away and moving, it should appear different in size and location in each of the images, which were taken roughly 10 feet apart. But when the two photos are compared, the UFO object remains in the same place and roughly the same size in relation to other objects in the photo (like the power lines above it).

SO … WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE? If you look at the picture long enough, Sheaffer says, the UFO starts to resemble a 1940s truck side mirror.

May 1949
Location: Rogue River
A fishing party on the Rogue River spies an unusual hovering object through binoculars. The description of the saucer-shaped craft (sketched in the official report above) given by two of the men is very similar to the one in the McMinnville case a year later (see next slides)—though investigators note its resemblance to a blimp.

The Quintessential Portland Gardener

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:00:00 -0700

FROM THE BACKYARD to the front, from the planting strip to the rooftop, no unpaved part of Portland has been safe from gardeners. We’ve been at it a long time—both for food and good looks. The luggage hauled in the wagons on the Oregon Trail included everything from our prized strawberries to cuttings of our namesake rose. Over the decades, we built a Japanese and a Chinese garden that know no rivals outside their countries of origin. Meanwhile, the Willamette Valley chapter of Tilth designed an organic certification program in 1982 that eventually became the model for the nation.

Today, a walk through virtually any neighborhood will attest to how seriously Portland home gardeners take their yards. The sopping winters and bone-dry summers had the savviest digging up their lawns years before water-conscious xeriscaping became a civic mandate in many American cities. Crafty Stumptowners were recycling all kinds of cast-offs into art well in advance of Martha Stewart’s flashbulb.

In the following pages, we present a modest guide both for those who aspire to be the ultimate Portland gardener and for those who already are, but just want to refine their chops. Download this handy list of plants, nurseries, and other resources. But of our 50 tips, #1 requires nothing more than a shovel to …

Tip 1
DITCH THE LAWN. The first step to becoming a true Portland gardener is to go grass-free—at least free of the thirsty kind that’s been bioengineered for the conventional American “lawn.” Start by planting a rich tapestry of perennial flowers that will provide hummingbirds, bees, and other visitors with a feast from spring through early summer. Just figure out how tall you’d like your meadow to be, and get ready for a sweet, blowsy look.

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Join the Horticultural Avant-Garde

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

EMBRACING THE EXOTIC
Sean Hogan’s Northeast Portland yard is densely planted with hardy trees and shrubs that aren’t supposed to grow in Portland, including dramatic Yucca rostrata (foreground), tropical-leaved Tetrapanax papyrifer (closer to house), and evergreen oaks (top right) and eucalyptus (top left) at the canopy level.

BECOME A HORTLANDIAN. There are quite enough junipers and barberries in the world, thank you. To dig deeper into the heart of Portland gardendom, visit Hortlandia: the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon’s spring sale, April 7–8 at the Portland Expo Center. Dig even deeper by asking your favorite nurseries how they find their most exciting new plants.

GET SPIKY. Cacti and succulents are au courant among Stumptown gardeners. Get started with tough, addictively collectible little sedums and hens and chicks (Sempervivum). Push your acumen further with cold-hardy yucca and paddle cactus (Opuntia). Then go all the way with tender yet striking container plants, including Echeveria, aloe, and Aeonium—plants worth shuttling in and out again every year.

CREATE YOUR OWN HAWAII. We may think of bananas, palms, loquat, and passion vine as far too tender for Portland, but there are sturdy varieties that thrive in the Pacific Northwest. Banana (Musa basjoo), tough palms (Trachycarpus fortunei), passion vine (Passiflora caerulea), and loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) lend a thrillingly exotic look to your garden while requiring less care and attention than turf grass. And if you have a daylit basement, you can go truly tropical with red-leafed banana (Ensete maurelii) and exotic angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia). Just drag them inside in the fall and then back out in the spring to watch them explode into growth.

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

PLANT INSPIRATION
The vibrant orange flowers of Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Red Dragon’ appear in late winter and early spring. Plant in a warm spot in half to full sun, with rich soil, summer water, and good drainage.

GROW OUT OF THE GRAY. Local gardeners know a secret about Portland winters: the dark and dreary is nothing more than background for eye-enchanting color. For bright golds, reds, and oranges, plant witch hazel; for pinks, red, and glistening white, go with winter camellias; for buttercup yellow, try winter hazel; hellebores make pinks, purples, pale yellows, peaches, and whites; and cyclamen blooms pale to hot pink. For knockout fragrance, plant winter-blooming honeysuckle and viburnum, winter sweet, sweet box, and daphne. For a more subtle beauty, try winter-blooming clematis, early spiketail, and silktassel.

RISE UP FROM THE GROUND. Inspired by Europe, Portlanders are exploring the beauty and ecological benefits of green roofs and living walls, whether atop government buildings like the Metro headquarters or stylish hot spots like Hotel Modera, where cocktails are served next to an eye-level patch of cliff-dwelling plants. Start with easy-to-install Woolly Pockets, or go to pros like Living Elements Landscape, who specialize in greening small spaces.

COLLECT IT. True garden devotees don’t just plant plants; they collect them. Rare terrestrial orchids, clematis, agaves, or heirloom tomatoes: there’s a Portland plant nerd searching for any plant variety you can think of. The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon is geek central for hobnobbing, seed-sharing, and lectures by renowned gardeners.

Expert Tips

Garden Style
Sean Hogan | Designer, consultant, and owner, Cistus Design Nursery

Image: Thomas Cobb

I was born and raised in Portland, but moved to the Bay Area and, there, served as a curator of the Berkeley Botanical Garden. When I moved back home to Portland, I found a wonderful and large established horticultural industry that catered to the East Coast rather than to us. Portland was still developing a garden style of its own. I started Cistus because it was hard to find Willamette Valley native plants without going to California! I wanted to plant local, low-elevation plants that were suited to our region, but I couldn’t find them.

Pushing the horticultural boundaries can be rediscovering what we have in our own backyard. You can grow cool plants for all kinds of effects—tropical, rain forest, alpine, desert, whatever flora you want—but that are better adapted. What we have to discover and play with in our region is still so fun.

STARTER KIT

Soil: Most urban soils need better drainage. Chop in some pumice for dry-land plants, or compost for woodland plants.
Plants:Go ahead, try palms, banana, pomegranate, agaves, evergreen oaks, and other fun plants that remind us that we live on the West Coast! But don’t neglect plants from our region, which firmly ground us with a sense of place.

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Photo: Courtesy Janet Loughrey

DRY YET LUSH
Bruce Wakefield and Jerry Grossnickle’s West Hills garden is designed for drought tolerance and lush abundance at the same time, with yuccas, paddle cactus, and agave softened by purple and pink penstemon, salvias, Centranthus, ground cover sedum, and Euphorbia cyparissus.

Tune in to the Climate

MAP IT. Every yard has a variety of different growing environments, or microclimates. A great way to plan your garden is by sketching a map. Take a monthly walk through your yard for a year, noting south- and west-facing walls that reflect heat, sunny spots that will dry out, and shady areas destined to stay damp into late spring. Note where you have poor soil or tangles of tree roots and, if you’re lucky, patches of dark, rich loam. With a detailed map to work with, a good horticultural professional can offer advice on what to plant where.

GROW WITH THE WATER. In the quest for striking plant combinations, even the best designers forget this rule. Picture a desert oasis in your yard—with a lushly planted core beside the spring (your hose bib or downspouts), surrounded by progressively more drought-tolerant plantings toward the edges.

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

GO HARDY
Plants like this Agave parryi can grow in the Portland area, provided they are planted in the sun, in gritty, well-draining soil. Plant less hardy types in portable containers.

DON’T BE A “ZERO-SCAPER.” Xeriscaping isn’t about re-creating the surface of Mars in your front yard. It’s actually a time-honored approach to environmentally appropriate, low-water garden design. Avoid zero-scaping by planting luscious, wildlife-attracting plants, including perennials like California fuchsia (Zauschneria), shrubs like manzanita, grasses like Stipa giganteum, and our summer drought-loving native madrone tree.

LET THE RAIN BLOOM. Don’t fight damp ground by trying to plant things you wish would grow there. Instead, go with damp-loving species: red-twigged dogwood (Cornus sericeus) and sweet flag (Acorus gramineus), both of which love life under a downspout or marshy areas. Consult Metro’s online rain garden plant lists at oregonmetro.gov for more ideas.

WATCH THE WEEDS. How much we should combat invasive species is a hot issue in our region. But nobody can deny that English ivy, blackberry, and a handful of other exotic weeds encroach on native habitat and overtake more desirable plants. Take the time to learn about which plants are invasive in our area and remove them from your own garden. SOLV offers excellent information and volunteer opportunities.

Expert Tips

The Right Plants
Lance Wright | Horticulturist, City of Portland

Image: Thomas Cobb

I’m a geography junkie. It comes into play when I garden at home and at work. I don’t adhere strictly to an Oregon palette of plants—maybe more West Coast—but above all, I try to plant Mediterranean-climate plants that don’t require extra summer water.

Of course, everyone gets seduced by plants—I still do— but I really try to learn about each of them. Where did it come from? What’s the climate like there? Can I provide it with similar conditions? Look at soil conditions, drainage, sun and shade, as well as local climate. You can’t just plant the same set of cookie-cutter plants that have been successful somewhere else—go with what’s appropriate to the site.

STARTER KIT

Plants: For dry areas, select plants from regions that have wet winters and dry summers: types of Ceanothus, manzanitas ( Arctostaphylos ), yuccas, penstemon, salvia, and California fuchsia (Zauschneria).

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Photo: Courtesy Meghan Fuller

NURTURE NATURE
Garden designers Marina Wynton and Mike Pajunas’s garden is a hotbed for insects and birds, with a green roof planted with four types of sedum, a nature frame (insect habitat), and a moisture-loving mixed hedge of native spiraea, goatsbeard, and Pacific wax myrtle.

Make a Habitat

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

FIT FOR NESTING
Tualatin garden writer Lisa Albert’s birdhouse features an entry hole sized perfectly for wrens.

GO MULTISPECIES. Why should only humans admire your garden? The best home for birds and pollinators is a diverse one. Plant in layers, with open patches of soil for ground-foraging birds, knee-high perennial flowers for seed head and perches (the flexible, wandlike stems of lilies seem to be favorites), and shoulder-level thickets of shrubs with an open habitat (not tightly clipped) for cover and nesting. Grow trees for absolutely everything. You can even get official with a Backyard Habitat Certification from the Audubon Society of Portland.

FEED YOUR FRIENDS.Grow plants that provide seeds (asters) and nectar (fuchsia) for a more eclectic set of neighbors. Plant old-fashioned echinacea and sunflower, and birds will pick seed right off the plant. Native fruiting shrubs like snowberry and huckleberry provide birds with a buffet. Plant nectar-rich red flowering currant for spring, Phygelius for summer, fuchsia for fall, and winter-flowering mahonia if you want the hummingbirds around all year long.

LEAVE A MESS. Repress your inner neatnik and don’t clean up your garden until late January. By holding off on cutting back dead lily stalks and scruffy fuchsia stems, you’re providing shelter and perches for winter birds, as well as habitat for insects (high-protein bird chow). Consider making a loose brush pile in an out-of-the-way spot to offer shelter and nesting for smaller birds.

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

SUNSHINE BLUE
Blueberries provide food for people and birds, and habitat for the Pacific tree frog. Hardy geranium ‘Rozanne’ winds through these Sunshine Blue blueberries.

SUPERCHARGE THE BUFFET. Recent studies at Oregon State University suggest “superfood” plants best draw insects and pollinators: asters, alyssum, basil, cilantro, cosmos, fuchsia, nasturtiums, sedum, and sunflowers, as well as such trees as dogwood, fruit trees, and willow.

ADD A BIRDHOUSE. Head over to the Portland Audubon Society or to the Backyard Bird Shop to find the specific kind of bird feeders and nesting boxes that will attract the species you want hanging out in your yard.

CREATE A BUZZ. Even if you don’t have the time and money to commit to beekeeping, you still can provide habitat for nonaggressive, ground-dwelling solitary types like the industrious orchard mason bee. These and other solitary bees pollinate fruit trees, small fruit, and vegetables, thereby improving yields. You can buy or make nesting cubes, or simply leave dry, sunny banks of soil free of vegetation. For more information, consult the Xerces Society website (xerces.org).

Expert Tips

Naturescaping
Marina Wynton | Garden designer, Olivine Landscape Design

Image: Thomas Cobb

After I was in architecture school, I saw that something had to be done about the environmental problems we were facing. At the time, I was sitting in front of a computer in an office all day. I wanted to do more. So I started to work with people to solve environmental problems in their own spaces.

“Naturescaping” is a way of designing a garden to support wildlife. We select plants to provide habitat for insects, which will then draw native birds, frogs, snakes, and other creatures. Why snakes and frogs? They keep mosquitoes down. And frogs sound great!

Each project gives me a chance to educate people on what they can do environmentally in their own yards. Naturescaping is not necessarily low-maintenance, although it can be. But it is a step toward repairing the environmental problems we face as a society.

STARTER KIT

Learn: View a PDF of Portland’s Native Plants at portlandonline.com/bps. Choose the right natives for your neighborhood and attract the native creatures specific to the habitat you’re rebuilding.
Plant:Opt for natives in groups of 3 to 5 for each variety. For the choices best suited for your neighborhood, visit portland?online.com and consult the Portland Plant List.

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Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

IF THE SHOE FITS…
Hens and chicks (Sempervivum), two types of sedum, and a small shell transform a high-class faux-alligator shoe into lovable low-brow art in Nancy Goldman’s Northeast Portland garden.

Be an Art Patron (or an Artist)

UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY. Portland’s recycling ethos has no greater expression than in its citizens’ gardens. The best art can come from your own basement. Dig up that old bike or lamp shade to reincarnate the perfect trellis, planter, or decoration. Elevate that exquisite stone figurine from Thailand on a pedestal to make an outdoor altar. That lovely gnarled branch you gleaned on a beach trip? Set it in a garden bed and add a little vine like Clematis integrifolia or sweet peas. Beautiful, funny, funky, or elegant—custom-made art makes a great conversation starter.

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

ART UNDERFOOT
Northeast Portland garden designer and artist Jeffrey Bale designs each mosaic according to the site—and the aesthetics of the homeowner. Here, mosaic art in Nancy Goldman’s garden is planted with drought-tolerant Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’.

KNOW THYSELF. Portlanders are nothing if not inventive, but it’s best to leave anything technical and permanent to the experts. If you’re into sleek, contemporary concrete or the funky, bohemian look of handmade mosaic paths, but designing or building them isn’t in your skill set, find the designer or craftsperson of your dreams, ask people whose gardens you admire, or check out the Association of Northwest Landscape Designers.

BE A PATRON. Support your local artists. Cracked Pots’ annual July sale at McMenamins Edgefield is legendary for great garden finds. Pieces run the gamut from lowbrow repurposed punched tin-can lanterns to upscale recycled metal installation pieces. Great local garden shops like Digs Inside & Out on NE Alberta Street and Dig, in the Pearl, offer great locally made art.

REMEMBER SCALE. Art needs to rise to the occasion of the outdoors. Think big or in multiples, especially with small pieces, which can disappear into the foliage or landscape.

GET PICTURESQUE. Think about your garden as a painting, whether seen from your front stoop or from a chair through a window. Place art within your fondest views. Keep plantings simple around fussy art. Modern objects look great with bold, monochromatic plantings. A colorfully painted birdhouse will be enhanced by voluptuous, old-fashioned cottage garden flowers like foxgloves, daisies, love-in-a-mist, and black-eyed Susan.

Expert Tips

DIY Garden Art
Nancy Goldman | Retired PSU administrator; recycled-art creator

Image: Thomas Cobb

I’d seen people use boots as planters, but that wasn’t fancy enough for me. So I tried some little shoes. I drilled holes in the bottom and filled them with soil, planted them, and displayed them on a shoe rack.

I got a lot of the shoes in secondhand stores in North Dakota, where I’m from. I got one pair from an estate sale where the husband told me his deceased wife had worn them dancing. I liked that. They don’t last forever—but that’s fine. Nothing’s permanent.

I’m a Dumpster diver, and I’ve always found things for inside my house and my garden. It speaks to my aesthetic—making something traditional nontraditional. A while back, I started using alphabet magnets. I’ve got little sayings throughout the garden. One of them is “Hortus meus culum calcitrat”—my garden kicks ass.

STARTER KIT

Plants: Sedums, sempervivums
Planters:Trawl thrift stores for funky shoes, dishes, and bits of architectural salvage.

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Photograph Courtesy Susan Seubert

URBAN BOUNTY
An oversized corner lot in North Portland supplies Pat Collins with vegetables, berries, and fruit—as well as honey and chicken eggs. Flowers like borage provide fodder for pollinating insects, while sweet peas provide cut flowers.

Stock Your Kitchen

SEED LOCAL. Portlanders love to buy local. Planting locally grown and adapted seeds has its advantages, too. Regional seed companies select varieties that do well in our climate, and growing your own—especially if you’re planting a large garden—is certainly cheaper than buying starts. For the local touch, buy your seeds from companies like Wild Garden Seed, Adaptive Seeds, Horizon Herbs, Uprising Seeds, and Siskiyou Seeds.

TAKE IT TO THE STREETS. Older neighborhoods with tightly packed houses and tall trees often have scant sun available. If the best light you have falls on the parking strip or front lawn, turn that dry turf into a flourishing vegetable garden. Don’t be daunted by dogs, marauding kids, and people stepping out of their cars onto the lettuce—you’re now part of an international movement called Food Not Lawns.

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

IT’S NO CHOKE
Harvest artichokes to eat with butter, or leave them to produce huge, electric-blue flowers in summertime.

NURTURE FAMILY HEIRLOOMS. Developed for their flavor and texture (rather than a tough skin for shipping), heirlooms and open-pollinated vegetable varieties are excellent for home gardeners, both for culinary quality and because the seeds can be saved and planted next year. In fact, if home gardeners and small farmers didn’t grow them, heirlooms would disappear.

GROW FRUITS TO NUTS. Apples, plums, pears, Asian pears, cherries, figs, grapes, kiwis, raspberries, blueberries, walnuts, filberts—we are blessed to be able to grow these and many more edibles in Portland. On smaller lots, dwarf and espalier-form trees are your best option. If you have a large tree and can’t handle the abundance, don’t let it go to waste: donate your yield to the Portland Fruit Tree Project or Urban Gleaners. Volunteers are happy to harvest.

GROW ORGANIC. All plants really need is the proper light, moisture, nutrients, and temperature conditions, and they can outgrow most basic insect and disease problems, insecticide free. Diversity in your garden plot also helps, as does planting extra to allow for a certain percentage of loss. Consult Metro’s natural gardening website at oregonmetro.gov.

TRY POTS. Growing herbs and vegetables in containers is smart, even if you do have plenty of yard space. They can be beautiful. They keep food close at hand and the slugs out. And if you live in a cool pocket or higher-elevation area, heat-loving summer vegetables like tomatoes and melons can grow faster in sun-warmed containers.

POOP IS GOOD. If you have room for chickens, goats, ducks, or bunnies, all the better for your garden. But if keeping pets isn’t an option, try worms—they’re one of the best ways to boost the health and productivity of your vegetable garden soil. Follow the simple directions that come with a worm bin, keep it drained and emptied of worm castings, and you’ll be able to store it in or near your kitchen for easy compost disposal.

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

GREENS GALORE
Cabbage, fennel, chard, and tomatoes are but a few of the vegetables Michael and Julie Safley grow in the formal, boxwood-edged potager of their 70-acre garden and alpaca ranch in Hillsboro.

KEEP YOUR SCRAPS. It’s fabulous that we can dump our table leftovers in the green yard debris bins now, but kitchen scraps can also provide you with your own “gardeners’ gold.” Pick up an inexpensive compost bin from Metro to get started. Layer food scraps with dry lawn clippings, leaves, straw, or fine wood chips. If you eat in a lot, even better: get two containers so one can “cook” while you fill the other.

COVER UP. Crimson clover, winter peas, and fava beans are great to plant in fallow soil. Cover crops like these can break up compacted soil, stop erosion, and improve nutrient content and healthy fungi. Just dig up the soil enough to plant, pick a suitable cover crop for the season, and chop them down (usually just before flowering) so they decompose and improve the soil. Don’t assume the seeds are the right ones for the season just because they’re available at the store—ask.

Expert Tips

Grow Your Own
Pat Collins | Retired flight attendant; avid gardener and chicken-keeper

Image: Thomas Cobb

The first vegetables I grew, years ago, were tomatoes and basil. They weren’t necessarily to eat. I wanted something beautiful to look at. But those first few tomato and basil plants were so productive, I got hooked. They’re quick and provide almost instant gratification—and they’re much less intimidating for beginning gardeners. Nowadays, I don’t care how my vegetable garden looks so much. I do it to feed my soul.

You can grow lettuce blindfolded. The list of easy vegetables to grow is so long: potatoes require almost no effort, figs are some of the easiest fruit trees, and strawberries are so wonderful to have. Even though you can get them fresh at farmers markets nearly all summer, it’s so great to pick them throughout the summer and pop them, fresh from the garden, in your cereal bowl.

STARTER KIT

Soil: There’s no replacing homemade compost for your vegetable garden. (See Metro’s guidelines at oregonmetro.gov.)
Plants:Keep it simple at first, planting kale, lettuce, and strawberries. Then branch out.

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Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

SIDEWALK SAVVY
Lance and Julie Wright’s Southeast Portland sidewalk gardens brim with heat-loving plants, including California fuchsia (Zauschneria), penstemon, salvia, grasses, yucca, agave, and a windmill palm.

Make a Parking-Strip Sanctuary

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

PLANT SMART
Lucy and Fred Hardimans’ Southeast Portland parking-strip garden includes drought-tolerant Mediterraneans like Euphorbia characias and golden oregano and bulbs like Scilla peruviana.

BLAST YOUR “HELLSTRIP.” That’s what garden geeks call the too-often neglected zone between street and sidewalk. But in Portland, they’ve become the equivalent of the natty scarf that ties a great outfit together. Before you start, consider a few ground rules: the city of Portland owns your parking strip, so don’t start digging without knowing the regulations for gas lines, what kind of trees you can plant and where, or how to keep the water meter box accessible. Check out the regs at portlandonline.com.

CONNECT PLANTS AND PLACE. If your planting strip is shady, try winter-blooming dwarf Himalayan box (Sarcococca hookeriana v. humilis), which blossoms with fragrant flowers in January and February. Greedy tree roots to contend with? Native Vancouveria and sword ferns need little water, and can deal with shade and compete with tree roots. Is it sunny? Try sun-loving, drought-tolerant hotties like manzanitas, rosemary, and Salvia x greggii . Partial sun? Go for star jasmine ( Trachelospermum asiaticum) or sedums.

KNOW YOUR SOIL. To turn your hellstrip into a curbside heaven, good soil will be your guiding angel. Start by loosening it between six inches and two feet deep (less for shallow-rooted ground covers like creeping sedums or thyme, more for shrubs and trees). Incorporate compost tailored to your intended plantings. And don’t let your soil overflow onto the street—very salmon-unfriendly.

Photo: Courtesy Josh Mccullough

WIDE BERTH
Garden designer Laura Crockett’s Hillsboro garden features a voluptuously wide parking strip with stylish sweeps of plants and easy accessibility.

PLAN FOR THE WALKERS. Carbon offsets from colonizing your parking strip aside, folks parking on the street need to get in and out of their cars, so leave some zones of brick or concrete “hardscaping.”

PLANT AN ALTERNA-LAWN. If you’re ready for a little more work, low-growing “steppables” are great: creeping sedum or thyme (for sun), Acaena or Cotula (for half sun), or blue star creeper (for shade). Other options include small, grasslike plants such as dwarf Ophiopogon.

PLAY CHESS WITH TREES. Tired of looking at your neighbor’s unkempt lawn? Want your car shaded from the afternoon sun? Block either with a strategically placed tree. First, check to see if Friends of Trees will be planting in your neighborhood and join it if you can. If not, search the city’s list for a drought-tolerant tree species with the right height, width, and maybe even flowers at portlandonline.com.

Image: Thomas Cobb

Expert Tips

Clever Curbs
Lucy Hardiman | Writer; garden designer, Perennial Partners

I come from a family of pioneers that traveled in the first wagon train from Independence, Missouri, to Independence, Oregon. They carried seeds, and stuck treasured cuttings in potatoes to preserve them. What we now call “sustainable” was how we were taught to live on the planet.

When I moved to Portland, the big parking strips all over town didn’t make any sense to me. To maintain a lawn in the two feet of clay soil between street and sidewalk, people were watering and using herbicides. So at our house, I had a crew take out the top 12 inches of soil. We added soil amendment and pumice and mulched with a quarter-10 gravel so we could plant a drought-tolerant garden. You need drainage. It’s not the winter cold that kills most plants; it’s the wet!

STARTER KIT

Plant:Consider Mediterranean plants like cistus, hellebores, euphorbias, Pacific Coast iris; minor bulbs; and herbs like lavender and sage.

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Photo: Courtesy Naomi Montacre

ONLY IN PDX
Neil Montacre of Naomi’s Organic Farm Supply cuddles PJ Harvey, a six-year-old transgender hen that crows like a rooster. At Montacre’s feet are two goats that fit in well to city life: a fully grown, pint-size gray Pygmy goat named Nellie; and Moon Shark, a white Boer goat.

Party with the Animals

BE AN URBAN HOMESTEADER. A small, fervent contingent of urban Portlanders have kept chickens—and even ducks and quail—for nearly 15 years. Now, it’s hard to find a block in the inner city without coops. The word’s out: there’s just no substitute for fresh, organic eggs.

TAKE A TOUR. Every summer, Growing Gardens hosts the annual Tour de Coops. There is no better way to connect with fellow chicken keepers and see the wide range of available coop styles and chicken breeds firsthand. It’s also a great way to see how different people integrate chickens into their garden.

BUILD CHIC ARCHITECTURE. Along with the vogue for backyard animals comes the craze for cool custom chicken coops and goat sheds, and pens in styles ranging from funky salvage to whatever matches perfectly with the architectural scheme of your house. Just make sure the coops and runs you build are designed to keep your creatures safe from marauding raptors, coyotes, and raccoons.

. . . OR A TRAVEL TRAILER. Half the joy in keeping a flock lies in knowing they are improving the health and tilth of your garden. But their little scratching feet can wreak havoc on newly planted seedlings. The solution? A portable chicken tractor, to help you control where the chickens forage.

MOW BILLY. Miniature goats have recently made inroads into Portlanders’ hearts, as well as into empty public lots, where they can chew through a forest of weeds in days. They also make fine pets, but to clear those blackberries or trim the lawn, the cautious can rent some through goatrentalnw.com.

Expert Tips

The Homesteader
Naomi Montacre | Owner, Naomi’s Organic Farm Supply

Image: Thomas Cobb

The chicken thing all started when I was craving some eggs while we were farming west of Portland and surrounded by neighbors’ early-morning rooster calls. Our first five hens are still spunky members of our bigger flock today, six years later. I love watching little tufts of fluff grow into lively, comical characters with unique personalities. Then there’s the thrill of that first orange-yolked egg from the nest box you built, drinking fresh milk from your own little goats in the backyard, gathering mohair fiber, and having sweet pets to walk around the neighborhood.

Goats, hens, and ducks are really easy to care for, more like cats than dogs once you get their housing set up—and their manure provides great fertility for your garden.

STARTER KIT

Housing: Buy a coop kit at thegardencoop.com or backyardchickens.com.
Feed: For chickens and goats, grow extra greens (kale, chard, collards, bok choy) and fruits (berries, apples, melons). Goats help keep blackberry bushes at bay, and they all love the berries.

Portland’s Best Breakfasts

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0800

2508 SE Clinton St;
broderpdx.com

Inside Peter Bro’s svelte, Scandinavian digs, pastel ramekins of ripe farm cheeses, fresh berries, and pickled herring emerge from the open kitchen with unpronounceable names and a surplus of umlauts. The kitchen repackages Swedish classics into quaint shapes and sizes, putting a requisite Portland egg on almost everything. Brave the weekend brunch line (or better yet, treat yourself on a weekday) to find one of Portland’s great surprises: the Pytt I Panna, a Swedish hash with smoked trout served in your very own orange ceramic pot over blue-checked paper, complete with a giant wedge of walnut bread and a cute crock of butter. How often does a hash look art-directed by Martha Stewart? The fun begins with the visual drama of big-yolked eggs baked into a square and decorated with chunks of auburn pickled beets. Hiding underneath are tiny cubes of well-buttered Yukon potatoes mingling happily with morsels of smoked rainbow trout. The dish fires on all cylinders: savory umami, sweet and sour, and rich satisfaction.

What’s In Your Cup: A list of Scandinavian aquavits makes for early-morning thrills, as does the Swedish Coffee (Krogstad aquavit, Kahlúa, and Stumptown).

The Ideal Meal: No trip to Broder is complete without a pile of aebleskivers (Danish pancakes)—round, fluffy globes dusted with a heavy hand of powdered sugar. On the side: tiny bowls of house-made lemon curd and lingonberry jam. Dip away.
—BT

The fun begins with the visual drama of big-yolked eggs baked into a square and decorated with chunks of auburn pickled beets.

The Dutch Baby ($10.75)

Image: Leela Cyd Ross

The Original Pancake House

8601 SW 24th Ave;
originalpancakehouse.com

Just off the traffic scrum of SW Barbur Boulevard sits a cheerful alternate universe you’d be tempted to call “Old Portland.” The panels are wood, the decorative ceramics collectible, and the skirt-and-tennis-shoe-wearing waitresses are chipper in a bygone, 1950s way. And then this venerable anchor of a national chain, open since 1953, produces the unforgettable objet d’art: the Dutch Baby, a golden, imperial crown of eggy dough and powdered sugar and—well, that’s it. The deep trough in the baby’s center allows you to create your own Glacial Lake Missoula of savory creamed butter and fresh lemon juice, which your fork then releases in a staggering, plate-swamping flood. In between bites, you marvel.

What’s In Your Cup: Some of the city’s worst coffee—like Grandma used to make, but not in a good way—and some of its best orange juice.

The Ideal Meal: If you go Dutch, you really won’t want anything else. But opinions seem divided between Dutch Baby loyalists and partisans of the other house special, the titanic apple pancake. And for your grain-challenged chums, the Pancake House offers a whole rack of gluten-free options.
—Zach Dundas

Burmese Red Pork Stew ($10)

Image: Leela Cyd Ross

Tasty n Sons

3808 N Williams Ave;
tastynsons.com

History is riddled with happy accidents that turned out to be revelatory (penicillin and Coca-Cola, to name a couple). So it should come as no surprise that among Tasty n Sons’ myriad standout dishes, the Burmese red pork stew developed somewhat serendipitously out of chef John Gorham’s regular Sunday dinners. He made the smoky, sweet dish from a Burmese friend’s family recipe, then brought the leftovers to Toro Bravo Monday morning. A little improvisation with a pickled egg later, and a flawless breakfast dish was born. Of course, like many good things, the stew requires a lengthy incubation. The stars—lightly sweet, tender chunks of pork shoulder and belly—spend an entire day marinating in a soy, sugar, and ginger mix before earning a crisp char followed by two hours in a dark, caramel oven braise. The searing accounts for part of the stew’s slow-developing heat: Gorham uses his own chile sauce made with sesame oil and Calabrian chiles. Topped with two eggs—one sunny-side up and one that has pickled for a full day in a bath of Hood River honey, soy, and garlic—spring onions, and a few more of those Calabrian chiles, Gorham’s stew qualifies as much as dinner as it does breakfast. But then again, when it comes to revelations, rules don’t exactly apply.

What’s In Your Cup: Tasty’s crisp grapefruit mimosa—made with Althea Prosecco, not Champagne—promises a refreshing, blessedly uncloying way to relieve the heat.

The Ideal Meal: Cap your savory stew with a sweet note: two-bite chocolate potato doughnuts sitting in a rich puddle of crème anglaise. —KC

The stew’s stars—lightly sweet, tender chunks of pork shoulder and belly—spend an entire day marinating in a soy, sugar, and ginger mix.

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Oatmeal with Glazed Apples and Cocoa Nibs ($6)

Image: Leela Cyd Ross

Irving Street Kitchen

701 NW 13th Ave;
irvingstreetkitchen.com

It takes a certain diabolical freedom to put chocolate in oatmeal—to say nothing of homemade caramel and glazed apples. Few cooks dare to think outside the Quaker oatmeal box, much less transform an icon of health into an exhilarating morning treat. Then again, with a breakfast menu that roams from Austrian pancakes to lobster-decked scrambled eggs, Irving Street Kitchen chef Sarah Schafer is boisterous and decadent, with a sharp eye for complexity and details. In her house oatmeal, the oats are steel-cut—full of body, flake, and chew—and Schafer has the good instinct to toast them in butter before their trip to the boiling pot; a final cooking flourish of buttermilk adds extra creaminess. On top, look for meaty apple slices in a thick wash of warm caramel. A handful of cocoa nibs proves to be a stroke of pure genius, adding notes of roasted coffee beans and dark chocolate. The overall effect is a sweet risotto saying hello to a luscious candied apple and a fine oatmeal cookie, with a side of serious technique to match the devilish good fun. One bite, and there’s no going back.

What’s In Your Cup: A bold black brew of Brahmins Choice from local tea guru Steven Smith.

The Ideal Meal: Spring for a side of house-smoked, maple-glazed pork belly. It’s fantastic. But you can’t go wrong with a side of smoked tasso bacon. —KB

Oyster Omelet ($14.75)

Image: Leela Cyd Ross

Bijou Café

132 SW Third Ave;
bijoucafepdx.com

A true French omelet, briskly whipped and delicately rolled straight from pan to plate, is food for the gods. In Portland, only one place delivers the real deal: Bijou Café, the downtown breakfast institution. For inspiration, owner Kathleen Hagberg still looks across the pond. Indeed, the omelet arrives just as any Francophile would demand: soft, puffy, and unmarked, rolled into a perfect cylinder holding cheese, local mushrooms, and seasonal produce. The pièce de résistance is the oyster omelet, stuffed with sweet caramelized onions, salty shreds of bacon, and just-shucked Willapa Bay beauties, fried in a crispy cornmeal crust and popping with briny juice. Old World execution, meet local Oregon flavor.

What’s In Your Cup: A quintessential no-frills French breakfast demands a simple cup of coffee—a Peruvian blend from Kobos Coffee hits the mark.

The Ideal Meal: Bijou stocks locally made Tracy’s Small-Batch Granola, a serious contender for Portland’s best. —BT

The omelet arrives just as any Francophile would demand: soft, puffy, and unmarked, rolled into a perfect cylinder.

Oeuf Mollet & Rib Florentine ($18.50)

Image: Leela Cyd Ross

The Heathman

1001 SW Broadway;
heathmanrestaurantandbar.com

The Heathman touts this eggy delight as “Julia Child’s favorite egg recipe,” even though it was the dish that caused her to fail at Le Cordon Bleu. The Heathman’s rendition would surely ace any test, and all you have to do is enjoy it—if you can work up the gumption for its rich, fall-off-the-bone decadence. It all begins with a plentiful cut of short rib, which receives a quick sear and a leisurely, five-hour oven braise before showering in a sauce of the braising liquid reduced with shallots, garlic, and herbs. Meanwhile, two eggs are soft-boiled, peeled, and set in a ramekin atop spinach, bacon, and caramelized onion, doused in cheesy Mornay sauce, sprinkled with parmesan, then toasted to a bronzed, bubbling sheen. What arrives at your table is a full-on feast fit for royalty. Scoops of the baked egg mixture crown luscious forkfuls of short rib, with crispy, herbed russet potatoes standing by to soak up any errant remainders. Our grade: A+.

What’s In Your Cup: An indulgent feast calls for a refreshing sipper: the ruby grapefruit juice, squeezed to order.

The Ideal Meal: Make room (somehow) for Audra’s Danish, a tender, buttery disc filled with fruits of the season. —RR

Duck Hash ($10)

Image: Leela Cyd Ross

Accanto

2838 SE Belmont St;
accantopdx.com

This airy little Italian café—the casual sibling of white-tablecloth neighbor Genoa—may just be one of the last secrets in Portland’s hype-prone brunch world. And food always tastes better when it feels like your very own brilliant discovery. Still, Accanto’s duck hash needs no such psychological sugarcoating. As visually alluring as it is delicious, with deep greens and oranges punctuating a plateful of glistening goodness, this hash oozes thoughtful technique. The confit duck (slow-cooked in its own fat) dances with caramelized brussels sprouts, potatoes, and roasted squash under a pair of flawlessly poached eggs. Subtly fiery harissa cream pulls it all together, mingling with the egg yolks and introducing the rich shreds of duck to the squash and the nutty, pleasantly bitter brussels sprouts. Eat it with a satisfied smile—you discovered Accanto before the masses did.

What’s In Your Cup: Dining on duck in the morning calls for champagne. Opt for a mimosa.

The Ideal Meal: Kick off your meal with house-made ricotta doughnuts straight from the fryer, served with a side of zesty lemon curd. —RR

The confit duck dances with caramelized brussels sprouts, potatoes, and roasted squash under a pair of flawlessly poached eggs.

The Breakfast Wrap ($5.50)

Image: Leela Cyd Ross

The Big Egg

4233 N Mississippi Ave;
thebigeggfoodcart.blogspot.com

Our vision of the perfect breakfast burrito: chunks of hot, crusty russet potatoes, roasted with skins on; slivers of portobello mushrooms, sautéed to intensify their earthy perfume; two meticulous homemade sauces; and one butter-brushed tortilla, with a finishing touch of impeccable grill marks. Leave it to a Portland food cart to elevate a humble, wolf-it-down morning meal to a work of art. Unlike the usual rough-and-tumble affairs, the Big Egg wraps up bundles of big-flavored inspiration to match a slow-cooking philosophy. Owners Gail Buchanan and Elizabeth Morehead spend hours fire-roasting poblano peppers in their cart to create a dusky salsa of pure punch. And this is but one of eight flavor elements. Another sauce, squiggled over those potatoes and mushrooms, announces itself with a shout of yogurt tang and lime. Eggs are scrambled to order with shredded white cheddar, and if you’re up for more, add smoky bacon, Black Forest ham, or vegetarian sausage. Now that’s a wrap.

What’s In Your Cup: The Big Egg now sells coffee, French-pressed with beans from Cellar Door Roasting Company in Southeast Portland.

The Ideal Meal: It would be a crime to slip away without tasting the Arbor Lodge fried-egg sandwich: fat slabs of grilled portobellos and roasted garlic aioli packed with an over-medium egg between squares of buttery, toasty ciabatta. Go with a date and trade bites. —KB

Lose the Wait

If standing in line for hours doesn’t feel quite like an idyllic morning ritual to you …

Roost

1403 SE Belmont St; roostpdx.com
Rustic, classic European plates in a cheery, light-filled room

Grain & ?Gristle

1473 NE Prescott St; grainandgristle.com
Warm woods, great oatmeal, and perfect eggs Benedict

Portobello

1125 SE Division St; portobellopdx.com
The freshest brunch fare around, vegan or otherwise

Beast

5425 NE 30th Ave; beastpdx.com
One word: reservations. Three more: maple glazed bacon.

Verde Cocina

6446 SW Capitol Hwy; verdecocinamarket.com
Mexican plates from farmers market faves