#ThursdayToursPDX {Pechluck's Outdoor Lunch Spots}

Thursday, July 16, 2015

For this installment of #ThursdayToursPDX we are shaking things up a bit. Instead of featuring two bloggers today we are each featuring recommendations from Portland blogger Pech. If you know Pech, or read her fantastic blog, you know she is always provides the most thoughtful and thorough insight to just about everything. From blog posts to restaurant reviews every word is authentic, informative and extremely valuable. When we asked her to provide her recommendations for outdoor lunch spots she went above and beyond by offering restaurant and food cart suggests!! We decided to split them up and feature all of her amazing suggestions on Bakery Bingo and Martha Chartreuse!

Here we will be discussing food cars (including my personal favorite Kargi Gogo!) and restaurnts will be featured over on Erin's blog!

Outdoor Eating brought to you by Pech of Pechluck's Food Adventures

All photos courtesy of Pechluck Laskey

Food Carts!

As soon anyone asks me about outdoor eatings, I always think of food carts first. It's one of the very uniquely Portland things to do, visit a food cart pod. And, there are several food carts that are ONLY open for lunch in the downtown and PSU areas, so if you are open for lunch on a weekday visiting food carts is the first thing I recommend visitors to PDX as well as locals.

One of my favorite places to send people who are looking to eat outdoors and really experience Portland are in particular two types of food cart experiences, based on assuming you don't want to do a lot of walking to find a comfortable place to sit and eat after getting your food from the carts.

One option is to Experience a Museum and South Park Blocks.

On weekdays, after a late morning visit to the Oregon Historical Society (free admission for Multnomah County residents) I then suggest a walk in the South Park Blocks to find Haan Ghin, a Laotian little shack/cart right by the PSU Library at SW Park and Harrison. Both the Mii Gai (Noodles and Chicken) and the Laap Gai (minced chicken that you eat in lettuce wrap) are delicious, offering a medley of soft and crispy, sweet and spicy (not too much- you tailor it yourself) and savory.

Option two is to Experience Downtown Cart Lunch in Portland's Living Room.

It's fun to walk around between SW 9th and 10th and Alder and Washington to see the many types of food carts, as well as all the people watching as you watch people emerge from the various office buildings to get lunch at the carts. My favorites of the many food carts here include Kargi Gogo (I always get the khachipuri cheese bread and some khinkali dumplings), fish and chips from The Frying Scotsman, deep dish Chicago from Thick, cheesesteak from Steak Your Claim, a Hawaiian plate lunch from 808 Grinds, or any dish from Emame’s Ethiopian Cuisine. Walk 3 blocks southeast to Pioneer Courthouse Square and dine while doing more people watching in the buzz of Portland's "Living Room", You have just traveled the world in cuisine by visiting just that one block.

Honorable Mentions:

- Food carts in the evening: Tidbit Food Cart Pod or Prost

#ThursdayToursPDX is a collaborative series between Portland, OR bloggers {Erin} Bakery Bingo + {Meredith} Martha Chartreuse. In a city filled with amazing restaurants, artisan experiences, and fantastic tastemakers the inside scoop is a must. We will be asking our friends and fellow bloggers for their recommendations and tips for all the City of Roses has to offer.