Portland's Pearl District: Weekender

January/February 2011 [1]

Location

Location name:

Pearl District

City:

Portland

State/Province:

Oregon

By:

Lucy Burningham [2]

One of Portland's most walkable neighborhoods mixes swanky galleries with friendly eateries.

the arts
Fertile Ground Festival Jan. 20–30. Fringe dance, comedy, readings, music, ﬁlm, and theater. fertilegroundpdx.org [3]. First Thursday Swing through dozens of opening receptions to chat with artists and gallery owners at this monthly event. ﬁrstthursday.org [4]. Jimmy Mak’s A classic big-city jazz bar with dim lights, cozy tables, and a rotation of top-notch local and national acts. 221 NW 10th Ave., 295-6542, jimmymaks.com [5].

to do
Penzeys Spices Hundreds of seasonings deliver instant inspiration for home cooks. 120 NW 10th Ave., 227-6777, penzeys.com [6]. Powell’s City of Books The largest indie bookstore in the world features rare volumes, an art gallery, and a corner café. 1005 W. Burnside St., 228-4651, powells.com [7]. Salt Grotto Too cold for the beach? Hit this simulated salt cave and breathe the purportedly health-enhancing air. 906 NW 14th Ave., (971) 255-1053, thesaltgrotto.com [8].

eats
Irving Street Kitchen A rustic-elegant eatery serving modern, Southern-inﬂected comfort food, including gumbo and fried chicken. 701 NW 13th Ave., 343-9440, irvingstreetkitchen.com [9]. Little Big Burger Countering the trend of $22 burgers, this new spot dishes up inexpensive fast food made with ﬁrst-class ingredients. 122 NW 10th Ave., 274-9008, littlebigburger.com [10]. Lovejoy Bakers This industrial-style café churning out fresh baked goods introduced a dinner menu last summer. 939 NW 10th Ave., 208-3113, lovejoybakers.com [11]. Metrovino A sleek space offering inventive American food and 80-plus wines by the glass. Go at happy hour (4 p.m.–6 p.m. weekdays) for a $5 red, white, or bubbly. 1139 NW 11th Ave., 517-7778, metrovinopdx.com [12]. Piazza Italia Practice your Italian with the ﬂuent staff to order classic pastas and creamy gelato. 1129 NW Johnson St., 478-0619, piazzaportland.com [13].

sleeps
Ace Hotel From $95. Tastefully sparse rooms with Pendleton wool blankets and murals by local artists. Some bathrooms are shared. 1022 SW Stark St., 228-2277, acehotel.com/portland [14]. Hotel Lucia From $125 for AAA members. Cool and contemporary, with a lobby gallery of local artists’ photography, sculpture, and paintings. 400 SW Broadway, 225-1717, hotellucia.com [15]. Marriott Courtyard Portland City Center From $99 for AAA members. One of the newer hotels in town, featuring corner rooms with excellent city views. 550 SW Oak St., 505-5000, marriott.com [16].

Photography by Robbie McClaran

This article was first published in January 2011. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.

If You're Going:

Request the Oregon & Washington TourBook and map at AAA.com [17] or any AAA branch. For more information, contact the Pearl District Business Association: 227-8519 or explorethepearl.com [18].

POINT(-122.681376 45.525127)

Links:
[1] http://www.viamagazine.com/2011/januaryfebruary
[2] http://www.viamagazine.com/contributors/lucy-burningham
[3] http://fertilegroundpdx.org/Home.html
[4] http://padaoregon.org/
[5] http://jimmymaks.com/
[6] http://www.penzeys.com/
[7] http://www.powells.com/
[8] http://thesaltgrotto.com/Home.aspx
[9] http://irvingstreetkitchen.com/
[10] http://littlebigburger.com/
[11] http://lovejoybakers.com/
[12] http://metrovinopdx.com/
[13] http://www.piazzaportland.com/
[14] http://www.acehotel.com/portland
[15] http://www.hotellucia.com/
[16] http://www.marriott.com/default.mi
[17] http://www.csaa.com/portal/site/CSAA?zip=94704
[18] http://www.explorethepearl.com/
[19] http://padaoregon.org/openings
[20] http://www.travelportland.com/