Back to Eden Bakery

As I alluded to earlier, Back to Eden is probably the most well-known spot to get vegan soft serve here in Portland. Not to mention some brilliant nut put a marshmallow at the bottom of my vegan waffle cone once, commence non-leakage (hooray)!!

They also carry baked goods, small snacks and savory pastries that aren't half bad themselves. I usually get a sundae of sorts, though their ice cream is typically too sweet for my liking (and a bit pricey), so I'm usually having a fierce craving for super sugary treats when I come here.


[oregon trail sundae]
vanilla soft serve, chocolate cream cookies, white chocolate
chips & caramel sauce instead of chocolate


vegan vanilla soft serve in a waffle cone


savory cashew cheese and asparagus tart

Location: 2217 NE Alberta Street Portland, Oregon 97211
Neighborhood: Northeast / Alberta Arts District

Junior's Cafe

Holy guacamole, french toast with caramelized peaches as a special?! I don't know if I will ever be the same, and the only way to feel comfortable again is if they keep this "special" indefinitely!

Love love Junior's Cafe because it has a cute diner feel, but it's still young and cozy nuzzled in the cutest little neighborhood. The glittery gold booths and gaudy wallpaper are super charming and I find myself pointing out new things every time I come here.



Nana's vegan tofu scramble with spicy tofu sauce
[sauteed tofu, garlic, red onions, mushrooms & spinach]

Location: 1742 SE 12th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97214
Neighborhood: Southeast / Ladd's Addition

Yoko's

...annnnd a quick recognition for the real stuff.



Has anyone ever tried Tuna Taka's? Small fried rice patty (uncanny to a hash brown) topped with spicy tuna, avocado and green onions. Yoko's has got em in their authentic Hawaiian sushi bar and they are a must try for all sushi lovers.

Location: 2878 SE Gladstone Street Portland, Oregon 97202
Neighborhoods: Southeast / Creston-Kenilworth

Green Wok

After hearing all sorts of stuff about something I had never tried:
VEGAN SUSHI (the real stuff, faux fish), I'd been excited to visit Green Wok, a vegan chinese restaurant about 30 min south of Portland. Their online menu looked very clean and well put together... actually, mindblowingly awesome! so I wouldn't have expected this place to be as dingy as it was once we arrived. It was your regular hole in the wall chinese establishment and the menu was extensive, SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM, which I often don't like. It was overwhelming, so instead of dabbling in a little bit of everything, I just stuck to their manageable-size sushi list.

First and foremost, their yellowtail nigiri was uncanny to the real thing, I was shocked! It was a little salty, but the texture was on point and it looked so much like the real thing. Looking back that was probably all I should have ordered. The tempura was yummy, however their "salmon" tasted like Field Roast and all the sushi rolls were stuffed with a type of "fish-salad", which were all...meh.

Glad to have tried it once, but a 30 min drive might be pushing a trip back.





Location: 11137 SW Capitol Hwy Portland, Oregon 97219
Neighborhood: Southwest

Petunia's

Vegan ice cream and sweet lovers unite!

Though I feel like Back To Eden Bakery is most talked about around these vegan-prominent parts, the new(ish) and growing Petunia's Pies and Pastries gives them a run for their money, no doubt. Located downtown with dreamy pastel walls, exposed brick, a fancy feel and fresh flower + candle centerpieces, I would like nothing more than to live here.

I'm not a huge sweets fan, but when it comes to ice cream, let me have at it! My last visit to Petunia's I discovered their build-your-own-sundae menu (Brûléed banana split, yes please!) and I definitely built my dream sundae...then devoured it.

1. Choose your ice cream: three scoops of vanilla coconut bliss
2. Choose your sauces: caramel
3. Choose your toppings: cookie dough and marshmallows




salted caramel cookie bar


two slices of turtle cheesecake


[via]


[via]

Petunia's also offers more than just ice cream; be sure to try one of their cookies, bars, whoopie pies, cupcakes, layer cakes, cobblers, pies, tarts, sticky buns, doughnuts, even some savory soups, sandwiches and salads, of course washing it all down with a signature cocktail, (gluten-free) beer, wine or coffee and tea.

Location: 610 SW 12th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205
Neighborhood: Downtown

24th & Meatballs

Whoever designed this place is rad. It's perfect for what it is, from the decor to the seating and the menu... I loved it all. 24th & Meatballs is an ever so obvious meatball-focused restaurant. Everything on the mix and match menu including pasta and salads are priced under $10.

Catering to all sorts of diets, I enjoyed the list of options for your own perfect meatball creation. You've got The Classic stuffed with beef, veal, pork and basil. The Pork including chilis, cheese and spices. The Chicken parmesan and thyme (this one's gluten-free!). A special "ball of the day" that changes and The Vegan to which all I've gathered is it "contains nuts".

My go-to is The Vegan slider with hazelnut arugula pesto sauce. Tiny little guy and on top of being cute as hell to photograph, the meatball was tasty and not dry at all. The salads could use a little sprucing, not so much to write home about.

They serve $1 kool-aid which was pretty cool, but I always opt for the ginger lemonade!


[vegan slider with hazelnut pesto arugula]


[vegan slider with marinara x2]

Location: 2329 NE Glisan Street Portland, Oregon 97232
Neigborhood: Northeast / Kerns

i scream

I've lacked some serious motivation to get back on this thing and write, not sure what my deal is, this is something I love to do and have always done... It wasn't until visiting home last week when two girls asked me to take their photo in front of a restaurant that my mother ever-so-slyly dropped that not only was I a great photographer (thanks mom), but food blogger, I laughed and it made me eager again to get back here!

Deciding to do something a little different, get back to this blogs roots, and write shorter entries + small reviews in hopes of rekindling something I love to do with my free time. Thanks to all my followers and loyal blog readers who enjoy seeing the places and fun adventures I've been so lucky to experience in my life.





This is Salt & Straw, probably the most well-known ice cream shop in Portland, Oregon. Though I prefer gelato myself, I do give them an A for effort with their ever-changing and mind-boggling flavors of the Pacific Northwest, handmade in small batches and using local, sustainable and organic ingredients; providing the richest ice cream this mouth has ever laid tongue on. Here we have strawberry cilantro lime cheesecake!

Location 1: 838 NW 23rd Avenue Portland, Oregon 97210
Neighborhood: Northwest / Alphabet District

Location 2: 2035 NE Alberta Street Portland, Oregon 97211
Neighborhood: Northeast / Alberta Arts District