Portland: The Saturday Market

For my last post on my trip to Portland, I thought I'd do The Portland Saturday Market, on a Saturday. Established in 1974, by a group of local Artisans, the Saturday Market takes place on every weekend(including Sundays) from the end of March, through Christmas Eve. The listing of Artisans is quite staggering at over 350. I took the Max light rail, which stopped right under the Burnside Bridge, and what was an empty parking the previous day(I rode Max around, just to check out "da' haps...."), was now buzzing....

 

As was the area across the tracks.

I took a walk up the steps to take a photo of the famous "Made in Oregon" sign, but the Burnside Bridge was closed for repairs, so this is what I got:

Back at the market, there seemed to be everything from Neon.....

To calligraphy.

To Tie-Die.

Needless to say; I managed to get quite a bit of shopping done for "Da' Boyz", and the Missus. But in the end it always comes down to.....

Yep....food. The food offerings at the Saturday Market Food Court are quite varied.

Even Plate Lunch...well sort of. Mostly Yakisoba and "stuff".

Some really fun signs.

One sign that caught my eye was this:

Okay, I give....what the heck is a Himalayan food booth going to serve?

So having been reeled in, I ordered the "Tour of Asia"($6.00):

Quite a bit of food here. Most of it was kind of "daal"...... Most of the dishes seem to borrow heavily from Indian Cuisine, from the mild Chicken Vindaloo(the potatoes where much better tasting then the chicken), to the Curried Vegetables, to the "dull" daal. The best item on the plate were the 2 dumplings, called "Momo", which had a nice amount of flavor, think of a Jiaozhi with some Middle Eastern spices. I ate most of what was on my plate, but was somewhat unsatisfied, and looked for something else.

Which turned out to be an order of Garlic Fries from the Wing-N-It booth. (I didn't keep track, I think it was like $3.50) Could have used a bit more garlic, but the fries were made from potatoes freshly cut to order. So I grabbed my fries and sat across the Rogue Brewery booth. I think the description "Food Court" is pretty accurate, though I think the food is maybe a step better than the usual, "same chicken, with a different sauce" that is the norm at most food courts.

And listened to some Jazz.

 

Though I kinda enjoyed this Guy alot more:

By this time, there was a pretty large mass of humanity in the market area, so it was time for me to leave. All in all, a nice, relaxing morning.

Before I wrap up, just one more tidbit. You know that Oregon has no sales tax, right?

So it might be worthwhile to do some shopping.

Hope you enjoyed my posts on Portland!

Comments

[rooney]

I visited the market on my only visit to Portland a few years back. My partner and I were wandering around and came to a booth but no one there. However, there was a bowl with samples, looked like oatmeal cookies. Di took a sample, ate it, and said it wasnt very good. I looked on, trying not to burst into laughter. It was a dog treat booth. My dad did the same thing years ago when someone sent a christmas present for our dog. he thought they were cookies. they werent very good either.
i hope you had a spanish coffee at huberts. if not, go back. portland is a wonderful place.

[Rachel]

Hi kirk!! I did enjoy your posts on Portland! Thank you for taking us on a virtual tour :) My hubby now wants to check out that bookstore that takes up a whole block! I never thought of it as a destination before.

Yeah himalayan food is interesting isn't it? I had my first taste of it last year and I liked the momos too. Most of it tastes like a cross between indian and chinese food. If you get a chance try and check out their tea sometime. It is a rich milk tea flavoured with spices such as cardamom and cinnamon etc.

[Kady]

You are really trying to convince me to move to Portland, aren't you? It sounds so great! So is the Saturday market a daily thing even though it has Saturday in its title?

[Lynnea]

Oh I love the Portland Saturday Market! It is so cheery and fun.

And no sales tax is nice. My husband often waits until we are in Oregon to buy electronic gadgets and games. I still get confused when something cost more than the ticket price and I always think the cashier rang my purchase up incorrectly until I realize that California has sales tax.

[dietchilicheesefries]

feels like i was there... thanks for all the nice shots!

and thanks for the update on the state of food in the Himalayas, i'm cancelling my flight...

[Milgwimper]

Kirk,

I love the Portland virtual tour! :) I have thought the Momo was interesting, but never had a chance to taste them. You find the most interesting places to eat! :)

[Kirk]

Hi Rooney - That is a funny story - same thing happened with some doggie jerky we had lying around and a "guest".....and I won't go into the time we were having beers and were really hungry and the only thing around was a box of milkbones......So much coffee for one city - my favorite was Holler Mountain Organic from Stumptown Coffee.

Hi Rachel - I'm just wondering if this is really what Himalayan Food is. Cross between Indian and Chinese really doesn't sound too bad.

Hi Kady - I'd suggest going to visit in the winter before making a decision. But people are very nice, and no sales tax is great. The Saturday Market runs for every Saturday from 10am-5pm, and Sunday, 11am-4pm from March through Xmas.

Hi Lynnea - Even though we're aware of the difference, it still throws you off, I kept calculating sales tax on everything......The Saturday Market was fun and relaxing.

Hi DCCF - So no Mo-mo's for Yo-yo's? Damn, I was waiting for the review on Nepal Airlines......

[Kirk]

Hi Mills - It's quite easy to pick a palce to eat when you have so many choices.

[Ben]

Great report, Kirk. We were at the Saturday Market just a summer ago. And yup, the food was fabulous and liked the variety offered.

[Kirk]

Hi Ben - I've been enjoying your London "eat-a-logue" alot:

http://chowtimes.com/2006/07/london_trip_report_day_2_dinne.html

Thanks for dropping by.

[Pdx Milf]

We're a city but have a small town feel.

Portland is known as a "sleeper city"...great place to live - weather not extreme and not having to pay sales tax is a nice perk. No matter which state you live in,you'll find yourself hit with high taxes of some sort and Oregon has a very high personal income tax.

Yes, we have at least one coffee shop on every back, (we're 2nd in the nation in coffee consumption - Seattle is #1)and we're working on having microbrewery on every block too. The Oregon Brew Fest begins July 23rd and is a must-visit.

Portland is also known for it's many adult venues. We have more adult venues per capita than any other city in the nation. Lots of strip clubs, adult stores, theaters and swingers groups abound in Portland. Those who choose an alternative lifestyle will feel at home in Portland.

We also love our pets - Portland is a very dog-friendly town.

We have a large GLBT community; lot's of gay/lesbian bars and clubs. Pride Weekend always sees a large attendance.

Yup, love Portland and we're happy to have you visit but not so eager to have others relocate here!