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PORTLAND’S CULINARY SCENE history meets innovation
ortland’s culinary scene exists in a unique space. It’s where scrappy meets gourmand. It’s where food carts meet fine dining. Here, history meets innovation. None are mutually exclusive from each other, and this melting pot of influences simmers a perfect cauldron from which the next gen of Portland culinary talent rises. While the pandemic caused immeasurable loss, it also created space—in terms of time, venues, and creativity—for people to finally and fully step into their passions. Whether it be food carts, coffee roasteries or family-inspired enterprises, the next gen of Portland culinary talent has arrived. Next Wave of Food Carts Portland’s food cart scene has been beloved by locals and visitors alike over the years, helping to define the city’s culinary identity with a diverse array of stationary food carts in groups called “pods.” Well-suited for pandemic dining, food cart pods allow for social distancing
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and take out, which create opportunity for new pods and carts to open amidst the pandemic. New pods are popping up all over the city with diverse offerings, including CORE, a 36,000 square foot pod on 82nd Ave in Southeast Portland home to a food hall and 11 food carts including Breakside Brewery, Mitate serving vegan sushi, the Puerto Rican LeChon, and more. Just down 82nd Ave, The Yard opened in Montavilla, a new pod featuring a diverse mix of culinary fare including Taquiza Vegana serving vegan Mexican street food and Vietnamese street food cart Little Bear, to name a few. On North Williams, the new Cartside Pod is home to seven of Portland’s newest food carts, with offerings ranging from Korean soul food at Ko Sisters to local cult favorite burgers at Mid-City Smash Burgers and classic Thai dishes from PP Thai Food Cart. The Cinderella story of food carts opening brick and mortars is still alive and well. Portland’s newest food
