I heard Portland, OR is very veg friendly?

kaileikehe · Jun 29, 2006

Anyone (preferably a OR resident) know more about this? I had lived in WA my whole childhood and never went to OR (pretty rare, I know!) but my mother told me the other day Portland is very natural and caters to vegetarian/vegan people. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/penguin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":nigel:">

CountryDreamer · Jun 29, 2006

I don't live in Oregon (I'm in Northern CA), but I've heard the same thing. Portland was voted one of ten most veg-friendly cities last year in Vegetarian Times. Check out Happycow.com and it will show you all the vegan/vegetarian restaurants and health food stores there. I think there are somewhere around 35 in Portland. Eugene, OR is also a very veg-friendly place I've heard.

Dirty Martini · Jun 29, 2006

What do you want to know about it? Portland is natural except for all the asphalt & concrete. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> But there are a lot of natural food stores, vegetarian restaurants, and various other veg-friendly places. What are you looking for? 
<< portlander born & raised

Tempeh-Tantrums · Jun 29, 2006

Portland is great for veg. friendly restaurants and such. I live in Washington but travel to Portland several times a year with work, so I figured I'd answer anyway. I feel like I'm pretty familiar with Portland. 
Depending on where you live, Washington is good too however. 
I know both Portland and Seattle were two of the top veg-friendly cities in some poll recently, I think they both have good thngs to offer. What specifically are you interested in? (I know, someone already asked that, but I was wondering too).

ommmmaggie · Jun 29, 2006

I was just in Portland for a weekend, and my friend took me to a couple of good places. The Tin Shed had great tofu scrambles for breakfast, and Veganopolis offered a tasty all-vegan menu. I was shocked! Living in Sacramento, we have exactly one vegetarian restaurant (Vietnamese) and a Rastafarian vegan roach coach with about six menu items total. Not exactly the most veg-friendly city. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/thumbsdown.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":down:"> I miss Portland already!

Gita · Jun 29, 2006

I am moving to Vancouver Washington and will probably work in Portland by this time next year. I love the area. My whole family lives out there. I'm the onlyone who lives in a "strange" place (Iowa-- pig killing capitol of the U.S. Yuk).

spectrum42 · Jun 29, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by kaileikehe <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Anyone (preferably a OR resident) know more about this? I had lived in WA my whole childhood and never went to OR (pretty rare, I know!) but my mother told me the other day Portland is very natural and caters to vegetarian/vegan people. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/penguin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":nigel:"></div>
</div>
 
I lived there for a few years and found that to be true. It was a rude awakening moving from Portland to Michigan. (UGH!) Recently I visited there for a week and my husband only ate meat once because the veg dishes I was finding looked so good to him! Our favorite restaurant was Old Wives Tales where Sandy Blvd & Burnside cross. Seems like they had a good selection for everyone.

kaileikehe · Jun 29, 2006

Hmm.. okay. 
Well, I was thinking of attending college in either Seattle or Portland, so I was curious as to grocery stores, restauarants, health food/vitamin-type places.. ect. 
I became vegan after I moved here (VA Beach), so I'd have to check out Seattle again too.

4EverGrounded · Jun 29, 2006

I know nothing of Portland (except that I hate that @#$%$ bridge of theirs), but Seattle is a good place for veg*n options, too (MMMMMM... Araya's <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/drool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":drool:"> ). 
As I remember it, there's quite a lot of veg*n restaurants, healthfood shops (I think there's a Wild Oats or a Wholefoods there? One of the two) and CSA's/farmer's markets round the area. VegFest is also held in Seattle every year, too. 
Plus, iirc, there's a few ethnic groceries in Seattle as well - extra handy for those veg*n delights that your average American-based store might not have (or might have at many times higher in price). 
I'm not sure how close everything is to the college there... that's a thing you'd have to find out on your own but in general, Seattle's quite the veggie friendly city. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

Gnome Chomsky · Jun 29, 2006

I'm a Portlander, but I've spent most of my veg years in Eugene....I, basically, concur with Amy. 
>>Living in Sacramento, we have exactly one vegetarian restaurant (Vietnamese) and a Rastafarian vegan roach coach with about six menu items total.>> 
Jeez! I thought Sacramento was about as big as Portland...this is dismal! 
ebola

4EverGrounded · Jun 29, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by ommmmaggie <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Living in Sacramento, we have exactly one vegetarian restaurant (Vietnamese) and a Rastafarian vegan roach coach with about six menu items total.</div>
</div>
 
What about that Mongolian restaurant near Sunrise Mall? Isn't that still there? 
Ebola/Gnome: Sacramento is just a potty stop on the way to San Francisco from LA. EVERYONE knows that.... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/laugh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lol:"> 
<<< is from Sac (so no throwing TOMATOES at me, okay? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> ).

Amy SF · Jun 29, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by 4EverGrounded <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
<<< is from Sac (so no throwing TOMATOES at me, okay? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> ).</div>
</div>
 
Throw 'em at Ah-nuld instead. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/lipsrsealed2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":sealed:">

Gnome Chomsky · Jun 29, 2006

>>Ebola/Gnome: Sacramento is just a potty stop on the way to San Francisco from LA. EVERYONE knows that.... >> 
I guess with metro areas that large, you can have potty stops with populations of 500,000. 
ebola

kaileikehe · Jun 30, 2006

Huh.. VegFest.. interesting. 
Thanks for all the information! It's really helping me out (=

ommmmaggie · Jun 30, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Gnome Chomsky <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Jeez! I thought Sacramento was about as big as Portland...this is dismal! </div>
</div>
 
Sacramento is just about the same size as Portland. It's a pretty conservative town compared to other NorCal towns. There are a few natural foods stores - most just okay, but we have a local cooperative grocery store that is awesome! I should have counted them as a place to eat, they have a nice deli with lots of vegetarian options, some vegan and some gluten or wheat-free options too. But our restaurant selection is pretty crappy. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/toilet.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":flush:">

Dirty Martini · Jun 30, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by 4EverGrounded <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I know nothing of Portland (except that I hate that @#$%$ bridge of theirs)</div>
</div>
 
Um... which one? There's like... 9 on the willamette and 2 on the columbia. 
I can vouch for Sacramento sucking. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
As for restaurants, there are a lot of vegetarian ones, and nearly every restaurant is veg-friendly (even steakhouses & grills). Thai & Indian food abounds, and every pizza joint will have a handful of vegetarian pizzas. There are at least 3 co-ops that I know of, which are of course veg-friendly, a few Trader Joes, a couple of Wild Oats (though they closed one or two), a few New Seasons stores (kind of like Wild Oats), and one Whole Foods (though two more are opening in the next year or two). 
There are a few vegetarian food carts downtown that are decent. Veganopolis sucks ass IMO - I don't need to pay $6 to slap some fake meat & lettuce between two slices of store-bought bread, TYVM. 
But if you're looking to go to college here... are you looking at private schools? If not, Portland State is your only choice, and I'm not sure it's worth attending if you're coming for an education. Other Oregon schools are better (like U of O) and Eugene is a very veg-friendly (albeit quite boring) city. Town. Whatever.

kaileikehe · Jun 30, 2006

Thanks so much everyone for all your information! 
I think I'll go to UW and visit Portland a lot haha. But even then, it sounds like there's a lot in Seattle as well. 
But again, thanks for your insights.. I'm very thankful!! ^.^

4EverGrounded · Jun 30, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Amy SF <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Throw 'em at Ah-nuld instead. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/lipsrsealed2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":sealed:"></div>
</div>
 
I'd love to! 
ooooh how I'd love to.... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/lipsrsealed2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":sealed:">

4EverGrounded · Jun 30, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by OregonAmy <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Um... which one? There's like... 9 on the willamette and 2 on the columbia.</div>
</div>
 
I think it's one of the ones on the Columbia. 
All I remember is that it was reeeeallllly high up and reeeeeallllly long and I was reeeeealllly scared to death crossing that thing (me... bridges.... not THE best combo in the world, I gotta tell ya. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wideeyed.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":boobies:"> ).

RunsWithFoxes · Jun 30, 2006

Thx for the timely thread. I'm flying to PDX tomorrow for a two-week vacation hiking in the Cascades and Olympic peninsula. Some veggie establishments in Portland will definitely be getting my business very soon. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/rockon.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":rockon:">

I heard Portland, OR is very veg friendly?

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