Why Summer in Portland Can't Be Beat

I'm convinced, here's why.

Summer in Portland (and Oregon as a whole, actually) is something else.

Having spent last summer in France (Bordeaux, Toulouse & Paris) and the one before that in New York City, we were determined to spend the summer of 2023 in our own backyard.

Enjoying a blissful sunny day at the Rose Garden

True to our word, we embarked on a road trip through the state during June and spent the whole of July in Portland.

For this quick email, I’ll focus on the bliss of Portland summers, because that’s still fresh in my mind.

Last Friday started with a slow stroll through the Portland Rose Garden, which seems to be in full bloom at the moment.

Do you know the history of the rose garden? It’s fascinating.

For breakfast we swung by Ken’s Bakery in NW Portland. The leek croissant has no business being as delicious as it is, which it why I typically order two.

We sat down for the meal (imagine!) and lingered over pastries and a strong cup of coffee before drafting out the rest of the day.

The evening found us a a charming wine bar called Bar Norman. We heard great things and wanted to give them a try firsthand.

Inspired by the relaxing wine bars in Europe, Dana Frank (owner of Bar Norman) decided to bring the ostentation of typical American wine bars down a notch while keeping the focus on quality wine served in a relaxed setting.

Impressed, I promptly added them to my personal list of the 10 best wine bars in Portland.

Dinner ended at none other than Ken’s Pizza. I’ve had SO much pizza in Portland, but Ken’s is special. I find the sausage pie irresistible, but wanted to try something new and ordered the Brooklyn pie (tomato sauce, mozzarella, O.P. capicollo, pickled jalapeno, Mike's Hot Honey) instead.

Damn Ken’s, who you trying so hard to impress?

Afterwards, we spent the evening reading books in a park. I’m re-reading one of my favorites from childhood (Pulitzer Prize winner, baby) and Will is working through a second reading of this beloved gem.

Next week we plan to visit either Bend or Hood River. It’s hard to choose between the two, but hard to go wrong with either. I’ll keep you posted soon!

See you next week,

Antonina