Alex Frane

2 weeks ago | pdxmonthly.com | Alex Frane

Aaron Franklin is one of the biggest names in barbecue. Since opening his eponymous Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, in 2009, he’s fed the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama—and daily hordes of hungry Austinites. He’s a New York Times best-selling author and the first barbecue chef to win a James Beard Award. He’s even become something of a household name here in Portland thanks to his annual appearances at the bygone food and drink extravaganza Feast.

1 month ago | pdx.eater.com | Alex Frane

Portland may be widely regarded for its craft cocktail scene but, tucked up in the Pacific Northwest, it’s not exactly lauded for its margarita game. That being said, some stand-out restaurants and bars make no-joke versions of the agave-centric drink, from the classic tequila, lime, and triple sec to outlandish beer-spiked and fruit-and-pepper-infused versions. We’ve done the arduous task of tasting through them, and here are 14 of our favorite places to grab a margarita in Portland.

1 month ago | pdxmonthly.com | Alex Frane

If this list of anticipated openings looks a little familiar, you’re not alone. Spring 2025’s lineup of “new” restaurants is more of a parade of reopenings, expansions, and that old Portland chestnut, pop-ups opening brick-and-mortars. But hotly anticipated they remain—we’re talking nationally celebrated sushi, wacky pizzas from a Chopped alum, bacon-egg-and-cheese bánh cuốn. All of them exude a warm and breezy approach to hospitality, even when tackling caviar service and tasting menus.

1 month ago | pdxmonthly.com | Alex Frane

A few years ago, you’d have been lucky to find a palatable nonalcoholic beer at your grocery store. Today, you can find entire coolers devoted to them. Always at the forefront of sudsy trends, Oregon has embraced the NA ale and boozeless lager, with historic breweries releasing NA versions of classic labels and entirely alcohol-free operations opening around the state. Below, find a summer’s worth of cans to keep in the ice chest.

1 month ago | pdxmonthly.com | Alex Frane

On an unusually warm Saturday afternoon in early April, a crowd gathered on stadium bleachers at the University of Oregon’s Portland outpost. They weren’t there to watch a ball game—foot or base—but the inaugural home game for Soar, Oregon’s new—and currently only—women’s professional ultimate frisbee team. At halftime, it wasn’t looking great for the home team, down five to 12 against the 2024 Western Ultimate League champions, Colorado Alpenglow.