Portland: Last Hurrah {2,228 Miles Later}

Stick a fork in me; I am done! After 2,000 miles on my Subaru, my vegan exploration of Oregon, Washington and Montana is done. My final day was ambitious… as finality is a great motivator. As is a good breakfast!

The day started with a hearty yet light Veggie Benny at A.N.D. Cafe. 

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day… when there are vegan options. This Benny was divine in every way. The biscuits, nestled under coating of vegan Hollandaise, were light. They cut easily with my knife, which is sometimes a problem with Bennies… you can cut through them to get a taste of all the layers together. I know, I know: #firstworldproblems. Speaking of the layers atop the biscuit base: tomato, spinach, and their delicious tofu scramble that was bursting with taste… the hollandaise and garnished with fanned avocado. I was glad I decided on A.N.D Cafe for the first of my last meals. 

Next, a quick drive into downtown for the amazing Petunia’s Pies & Pastries, an all-vegan and all-gluten free bakery that knocked my socks off. So why did the socks come off? First, the selection of goodies was extensive. And there was a range of treats, from breakfast-y scone-y things (which I call boring) and sweetly decadent and inventive treats (which I am all about!)

I got myself a little to-go box to nibble on during the next thing on my itinerary. 

I chose a Bird’s Nest cupcake with darling jelly beans perched in a nest of toasted coconut… and a “Creme Egg” brownie! Notice the theme here. I couldn’t wait to try these unique treats.

Ready for their close-ups in the car! Look at that gooey Creme Egg layer. My goodness.

Next on the itinerary, a cruise down Oregon-30, a gorgeous historical route leading to the Columbia River (my new BFF) Gorge National Scenic Area and Multnomah Falls (which has a Yelp page). The views were breathtaking. 

This is one of my favorite shots. It looks like the tree’s skirt is blowing in the wind.

Multnomah Falls. The Native American legend on their history is pretty interesting. Though I wonder what the beautiful young woman thinks of all these tourists…

For lunch, I visited the food carts at Mississippi & Skidmore. I had my heart set on trying Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQ, an all-vegan apple wood smoked BBQ spot with a scrumptious menu. 

On the counter guy’s recommendation, I got the popular Slosmomofo: smoked soy curls on a grilled bun with a maple bourbon BBQ sauce, topped with a chipotle slaw.  And a side of Hush Puppies. Oh, if I could turn back time and eat it again. Fantastic sammy. 

I was partially relieved not many were around to witness how ravenously I devoured this sloppy sandwich. I wore the BBQ sauce from ear to ear afterwards. This I discovered much later on… 

I enjoyed these Hush Puppies and their remoulade sauce. They were, after all, fried. And Homegrown offered deep-fried Newman’s! I shoulda, coulda, woulda…

Of course, I had to visit the vegan strip mall. 

My last Portland bite: Pan au Chocolat from Sweetpea. It’s not often I get to enjoy a flaky, layered danish-type thig. 

Portland, I barely scratched the surface of your vegan eats. I will be back soon. And I promise to check out Casa Diablo. All in the name of vegan reporting.