The Food Lovers' Guide

55 tasty destinations for the culinary adventurer in you (Hope you're hungry!)

By Mike Thelin, Martin Patail, Kaitlyn Evans, and Eva Hagberg

World Markets: The West

Fruteria y Verduras el Campesino

17871 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy Beaverton, 503-601-6006

Find-It!

The Find: Chile peppers

From the tiny, hotter-than-hell habanero and arbol to the rich, dark, dried ancho, the region’s best selection of chile peppers can be found at this, the El Dorado of Mexican food. Salvador Galvan set up the shop in 2008 and still works the register while his family stocks shelves that sag under the weight of dried guajillo, ancho, puya, and morita chiles. The fresh herbs and spices offer a lesson in Mexican geography: dried avocado leaf is from the Yucatán, pungent epazote leaves come from the south, and manzanilla , or chamomile root, is from the north. The shop’s name, El Campesino (“countryperson”) fits it well—the parking lot is stacked high with empty fruit boxes, while piñatas festoon the rustic interior. Born and raised in a tiny village in southern Mexico, Galvan is perfectly poised to serve Washington County’s burgeoning Latino population (80,000 and growing) while helping local lovers of Mexican fare enrich their cooking skills. —Martin Patail
Likely to Spot: Kenny and Zuke’s owner Nick Zukin perusing rare chile peppers

Pastaworks

Multiple locations, pastaworks.com

Find-It!

The Find: Fresh pasta (fresher can be had only if you make it yourself—though it probably won’t be as good)

Since 1983, the de Garmo family has provided Portland restaurants and home cooks with the city’s best fresh pasta, as well as rare, high-quality artisan ingredients. Alongside such staples as fettuccine, linguini, gnocchi, and angel hair, you’ll discover half a dozen types of ravioli stuffed with seasonally appropriate innards. There are also sauces (pretend you made them yourself): spicy puttanesca, meaty bolognese, and salsa di nocciole—a garlicky blend of hazelnuts, ricotta, and butter, with a punch of marjoram. The cheese counter boasts two dozen blue cheeses alone, as well as varieties of cow’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk cheeses from around the world. The olive bins are second-to-none, and wine selections are well chosen. And don’t miss the jamón Ibórico de Bellota , a Spanish prosciutto made from acorn-fed pigs. —Mike Thelin
Likely to Spot: Kevin Gibson manning his lunch counter, Evoe, at the Hawthorne location

Sheridan Fruit Company

409 SE MLK Jr. Blvd
503-236-2114
sheridanfruit.com

Find-It!

The Find: House-crafted Arinello’s pancetta cured with salt, brown sugar, garlic, and black pepper (there’s nothing else like it in Portland)

Founded in 1916 as an open-air fruit and vege-table market on Produce Row, Portland’s one-time center of food distribution, Sheridan Fruit has evolved into the central city’s top specialty market, meat counter, and grocery store. The crew of the family-owned store is knowledgeable, and the butchers are especially deft. The walls and shelves are adorned with thousands of imported items, and the produce is excellent and mostly local. Thick cuts of marbled Painted Hills beef, Anderson Farms lamb, and Carlton Farms pork are locally sourced, with some of each ground and seasoned on-site into more than 40 varieties of sausage. The bulk bins brim with nuts, beans, grains, pasta, olives, and dried fruit (there are five varieties of dates alone). The market also boasts buckets of fresh mozzarella, superb corned beef made in-house, and European imports like preserves and canned Italian tomatoes.
—MT
Likely to Spot: Clyde Common owner Nate Tilden buying fresh Meyer lemons to grill and preserve