Portland Residents-Suggestions please!!

[PupArt Smart]

My husband and I are coming to Portland early June for a few days. Darin at Smart Center Portland is customizing the most awesome Pink Cabrio for me!! Since we've been wanting to visit Portland we thought we'd come and drive around for a few days before he ships it across the country to me. Suggestions on best places to stay, eat, drink would be great. We're thinking of visiting some of the vineyards and also driving to the coast- so if you've heard of certain vineyards that have better tasting rooms or places we should definately hit on the coast that would be great, too. One place we were looking at staying is the Lion and Rose B&B in Irvington-but it is on street parking only- would it be easy and more importantly, SAFE, to park my brand new cabrio there? Also looking at Hotel Monaco, Riverside, and Terwilliger B&B. Thoughts? My husband absolutely LOVES great restaurants, so suggestions for those would be wonderful. Can't wait to get my very customized one-of-a-kind Smart and see your beautiful city!!!!
Jocelyn

[Suze]

Hi Joycelyn!

This s great news! A new pink smart or a smart new pink! You'll have to let me know when you'll be here so we can have our smarts pics taken together. It'll be a nice money shot for Darin's portfolio.

About the Rose and Lion (less than 3 miles from my office) ~~ Irvington is an old, stately residential area in close-in NE Portland. This particular house is just a few blocks off Broadway which is a busy business district. Great location to walk to shops and restaurants and very easy to get downtown on the bus or hop the MAX. If it were me, I'd be ok parking on the street in that neighborhood, but my smart has the alarm.

Hotel Monaco is fabulous and right downtown. The location would be my preference, because I'm very fond on downtown Portland. It's a small city and very walkable and from Monaco you can see everything. It would be a great base.

Same with Riverside - right on the water, right downtown with miles of riverfront pathway running past it. Lots of restaurants and shops there, too.

Terwilliger B&B - not my favorite area, but others might know more about it.

The coast - a must do. We had a smart beach invasion last weekend Beach Invasion! - April 18; Portland >>Cannon and made a giant loop, seeing Cannon Beach and the Tillamook Cheese factory and were still back in town by mid afternoon. For staying over, you really can't miss, but I'd recommend beach front where ever you stay.

Looking forward to meeting you and seeing another pink smart on the road!

[John_H]

As for "great restaurants" are you interested in any particular kind?

"Fine" restaurants usually come with expense but you can get some very nice views to go with the high price tag at the City Grille and the Chart House (the latter being mostly seafood). Portland typically does poorly for such staples as barbeque and Philly Cheese Steaks (though phillypdx.com is a recent discovery) and you almost have to go to Chinatown to get good Chinese food.

If you want to head down to Depoe Bay in your journey along the coast, the seafood and clam chowder are superb at Gracie's Sea Hag.

So let us know if there's any particular fare (or cost) you're interested in.

Let us know what kind of food you'd like to see.

[The Rigger]

I'm not a resident, but I do periodically visit PDX on business... I'm partial to the Veritable Quandary on 1st St. downtown; great food, and one of my favorite taverns. Also the Marina Market on the river, and Cassidy's on (I think) Washington St SW.

As far as downtown hotels, go, I usually stay at the Marriott on the river, Naito Pkwy and Clay St., IIRC. It's safe and close by everything downtown.

[smart fortimo]

Originally Posted by John_H

Let us know what kind of food you'd like to see.

food see... see food... seafood! I get it John! +1 on the Sea Hag. I like the chowder at Rogue brewpub in Newport too. Catch a window seat overlooking the harbor and marina.

I love seafood, so that's a no-brainer when I'm in PDX or SEA, and there are lots of dining choices. Suze, I liked the place for seafood last Sat. night-- McCormick's.

No help on a place to stay in town, 'cause I do the Marriot/Hilton/Comfort kind of places.

But a drive along the coast is a must.


Timo

[PupArt Smart]

thanks for the suggestions so far!!! Suze- would love to meet up with you and get some pics. I'm not sure you'll like my pink based on your "good" and "bad" pink comments earlier, but it is Sugar Candy Pink special edition color done for Smart UK in 2006. Maybe meeting at a brewpub? and any other Smart owners, too. Darin needs to come, too!! We're coming in June 11th and leaving June 15th- so it will be a short whirlwind trip.
As for types of restaurants- love seafood, French, Italian, and regional cuisine specialties.
Any advice about the vineyards?
thanks, Jocelyn

[Suze]

Originally Posted by PupArt Smart

thanks for the suggestions so far!!! Suze- would love to meet up with you and get some pics. I'm not sure you'll like my pink based on your "good" and "bad" pink comments earlier, but it is Sugar Candy Pink special edition color done for Smart UK in 2006. Maybe meeting at a brewpub? and any other Smart owners, too. Darin needs to come, too!! We're coming in June 11th and leaving June 15th- so it will be a short whirlwind trip.
As for types of restaurants- love seafood, French, Italian, and regional cuisine specialties.
Any advice about the vineyards?
thanks, Jocelyn

oh, crud - I'll miss you! I'm off on my super road trip to the mid-west rally, leaving on the ~6th.

No offense meant on the good/bad pink comment - just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.....

[smart portland]

Wine tasting in the Willamette Valley is a true delight. You will want to check with the wineries before you go as some of them are only open during certain times of the year. Some of my personal favorites:

Cana's Feast - great food too!
Bergstrom
Owen Roe
Lemelson
Ken Wright
Sokol Blosser
Domaine Drouhin
Argyle

There are so many to choose from. You can check out more at this website:

Willamette Valley Wineries Association

We look forward to meeting you soon at smart center Portland!

[SmartTech]

for a beach trip is newport too far an over nighter type? cause the aquarium is really nice. "USA Today and Coastal Living Online have ranked the Oregon Coast Aquarium among the top ten aquariums in the United States."
Oregon Coast Aquarium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Hedders]

After dealing with all these PINK cars, I don't think it will be safe to allow Darin out in public in the daylight. Just my 2 cents. He He He!