The fiance and I took a little weekend getaway to Portland and because I couldn’t really take some time off of work, we were really only there for about a day and half. So we flew in late Friday night and left early Sunday afternoon. With such little time there, we tried our best to maximize our eating experience by coming up with a strategy for our meals! We agreed to choose a dish that both of us want and then getting a smaller dish of some sort with it. That way, we don’t get too stuffed, get to try what we want, and be ready to eat more shortly after!

Check out what we had!

SCREEN DOOR

We went here for brunch through recommendations from our friends. They serve a cajun inspired brunch menu that is drool worthy! We got the shrimp and grits and their bacon praline waffle. Although we kept seeing everyone order the chicken and waffles, we didn’t feel the need to have it there and really just wanted to get the shrimp and grits. I stand by our decision because we were the perfect level of fullness and both dishes were absolutely tasty! I highly recommend coming here but be prepared to wait if you come on the weekend. It was just the two of us and we waited about 45 minutes to get seated.

LARDO

We discovered this spot from the Food Network and have been wanting to try it ever since! After hearing constant ravings about porchetta from our friend and finding out that Lardo has an amazing porchetta sandwich, we knew that we had to come here. They specialize in pork and meaty sandwiches. Porchetta is almost like a thick slice of pork belly so it’s mouthwatering juicy goodness. We got a side of crispy pig ears to go with it and loved every bite of our food. We need to come back and try some of their other sandwiches!

PINE STATE

This was also a huge recommendation from our friends. We came here for breakfast before we had to catch a flight back to LA, so we made sure to arrive early in case there was a long wait. Plus, I also wanted to get a little dessert after so we really needed to try to fit everything in before we left. 😛

We got there bright and early and maybe waited about 10 minutes to order. Once we ordered, we grabbed a number and sat at the counter where we could see them make the dishes and where all the magic happens. Once again, we went with our fail proof strategy by ordering a biscuit to share and a side dish of some sort. We got the biscuit that included fried chicken, honey mustard, pickles, with a side of sausage gravy. And our second dish was their corn dog. I know, corn dog? I have a weakness for corn dogs so anytime I see it on a menu, I have to get it!

Both was really really good. Especially for breakfast. It also didn’t feel incredibly heavy so we had plenty of room for dessert! Stop by here if you’re like me and LOVE biscuits and gravy. You can’t go wrong!

PIP’S ORIGINAL DOUGHNUTS

Pip’s was our last stop for the weekend. I knew we had to get donuts, but since Voodoo moved down to LA and Blue Star wasn’t very convenient for us to get to, we decided on Pip’s. Well, it was mostly the chai tea flight that won me over. I’ve never seen this anywhere and because I am a huge chai lover, this was a must! For the two us, we ordered half of dozen, which was 1 of every flavor they offered. The donuts are small/ mini sized and are almost like cake donuts. Slightly crispy outside and soft inside. Love that they are made to order!

The chai flight, oh the chai flight. I fell in love with the lavender flavor and it was so fun to be able to try out all the other flavors too. The fiance liked the coconut milk one! So much better than an alcoholic flight! 🙂