I am finally here!! Now, I need some advice please??

Hello again!! Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Holiday.

It is official...we are Portlanders!! We arrived for good on Dec 29. Hooray!! Starting to get used to the weather, at least until the snow arrived! Wow - this place is something else with snow on the ground. You can%26#39;t get anywhere!! Also, we had not bought chains yet. It really is beautiful with all of the snow and a nice break from the ice storms that I am used to.

What I am needing advice on are some places to eat. We have kids (7 yrs %26amp; 2yrs) and they are always with us. We like laid back, casual places. We are not really foodies, so who the chef is does not really matter to us. Most of the chains we have seen here we are pretty familiar with from back home. I am sure we have missed some though!! Some of our favorite places have been small, hole-in-the-wall type places. If we know the food is good, we are not afraid!!

Okay, most important is Mexican food. A real biggie for us!! We have only tried one place and it was not good. We had been watching it and noticing that cars were always there so we felt brave enough to try it - mistake!! I wouldn%26#39;t say that authenticity is a must for us - but we are not really On The Border fans either.

Other suggestions for Chinese, Italian (mainly pizza), Fried Chicken and Hamburgers would be helpful also. Maybe some good breakfast spots too??

We are living in the Bethany/Cedar Mill area. We are really close to Cornell, Murray, Cedar Hills, Barnes/Saltzman. The hubby works on Millikan right off of Murray. We are pretty familiar with these areas by now, we just don%26#39;t know where to start!! I almost forgot, Tanasbourne area is not too far from us also. We have been to Red Robin a few times (our son loves it) for burgers for a lack of anything else. We have tried Pizza Schmizza and were not blown away.

If anybody out there can suggest some good local beers and wines, that would be great!! We have only tried one beer and we did not like it. I think it was called Mirror Pond?? Too bitter for me. My absolute favorite beer (so far) is Honey Brown - mmmmmm! I also enjoy Mexican beers (with lime) too. We have not even attempted any wine yet, but we are mostly white wine people. I am learning to appreciate red wine, but it is a slow process!! I cannot wait to visit a few vineyards. Also looking forward to the Fruit Loop. Has anyone done this drive? It sounds amazing...actual fresh fruit!! Not too much of that where we are from.

This is off the subject of food, but we have done Cannon Beach and Mo%26#39;s for chowder (YUM!!). What coastal destination would you suggest next? Not too far away, the 2 yr old is not the best car rider. Maybe a couple of hours drive? Does not have to have tons to do, just scenery and maybe some trails to explore.

I will shut-up now!! Thanks again for reading another of my long-winded posts and also for your replies!! We are really enjoying living in Portland!!

I am finally here!! Now, I need some advice please??

Welcome to Oregon:)

Out in Aloha, on Canyon and 170th, is Nonna Emilia%26#39;s (Italian). It has been around for years and is very good. Huge portions though...so plan on sharing AND taking home.

There is a Pho Van in Beaverton by the Fred Meyer (next to Honeybaked Ham). Excellent pho!

Since you like beer, head into Portland and go to Henry%26#39;s 12th Street Tavern. Good food, find for families, and over 100 beers on tap. What more could you want? LOL!

Definitely take that Fruit Loop drive. Very scenic. If you like to camp at all, Lost Lake is back there and is a nice campground. Stop at Timberline Lodge and have a snack. Try to snag a table by a window. Another place that we love along this route is in Government Camp...Huckleberry Inn. Great burgers and the best huckleberry shakes!

Just on the north edge of Cannon Beach is Ecola State Park. Lots of trails there. In Cannon Beach, the Wayfarer is a great restaurant that is family friendly, and it looks right out to Haystack Rock. If you want to stay over, the adjacent Surfsand Resort is wonderful. We have stayed there numerous times and it never disappoints. Really good daily events for kids and families, and the only cabana service in Oregon. Complimentary toys for your use, as well as chairs and umbrellas.

In Cannon Beach, besides Mo%26#39;s, another casual place is Ecola Seafood Market. They are a restaurant too, so you can either buy fish to take home, or get some food there to eat. It is sort of a dive, but very good. Now, depending on whether you want your kids to know about this place or not...that is your call...but Bruce%26#39;s Candy Shop has everything you can imagine, along with a large variety of taffy. The Cannon Beach Bakery has the Haystack Loaf of bread, which we always have to bring home.

I am sure I will think of more things, but this is a start for you:)

I am finally here!! Now, I need some advice please??

Hey, let me add my welcome! And just wait.... Maybe we%26#39;ll get that ice storm to make you feel more at home. ;-)

Man, I haven%26#39;t been to Nonna Amelia%26#39;s in years. Great pizza!! My family%26#39;s usual, though, is Pizzacato. I hesitate to use the word gourmet to describe pizza, but that%26#39;s kinda sorta how I%26#39;d describe them. Don%26#39;t know if there%26#39;s a location near you. For burgers, fries and shakes, try The Skyline Restaurant, a little NW of you I%26#39;m guessing. Like a %26#39;50s drive-in, only with seating inside. Or Helvetia Tavern, further west. That place is an institution. But for Mexican.... hmmm.... I don%26#39;t know any names of places, but I%26#39;d bet you%26#39;ll find some good restaurants around Hillsboro. Authentic too.

There are scads of local beers to try. A few of the more well-known are Widmer, Bridgeport, and/or any McMenamins pub, which ain%26#39;t bad for a burger either. For wine, if you%26#39;re into whites, personally, I prefer chardonnays from central WA to Oregon%26#39;s, and pinot gris or riesling from Oregon. Lots of good choices, but it%26#39;s hard to recommend any without knowing what you want to pay. For reds, pinot noir is king in Oregon, but you%26#39;ve gotta spend at least $20 to buy a decent bottle. Some local wineries are also making syrahs, merlots, etc. using grapes from southern Oregon or again, central WA. Post back, when you%26#39;re closer to taking a wine country tour.

Next coastal destination? Well there%26#39;s always Seaside, 10 minutes north of Cannon Beach. It%26#39;s touristy tacky, complete with arcades, bumper cars, and corn dogs. Or you could go to the beaches outside Tillamook; Cape Lookout is nice, but fairly remote. Or visit the small town of Oceanside.

Have fun exploring your new home!

If you like spicy mexican food try Camarones de Diablo at

Juan Colorado Mexican Restaurant - Map

1001 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy,

Hillsboro, OR 97123

There are other Juan Colorados, but I think this is the original. They have a tortilla machine that%26#39;s pretty cool to watch.

There are a lot of Mexican restaurants in Hillsboro. Just drive around and try them. Ochoa has huge $5 tortas.

943 Southeast Oak Street, Hillsboro, OR, 97123

There seems to be a lack of good Chinese food on this side of town. Go to the Wong King on the east side for good authentic Chinese food. Sungari Pearl in Pearl district is good non authentic chinese food.

Bergers - Halvatia tavern in the summer. Amy%26#39;s burger shack has great fries.

From what you said, you probably will like Hefewizen type beer. full sail has good lager stubby bottles. If you really like beer though, you should drink a lot of IPA to acquire the taste for bitter beer. Bridge Port IPA is still my favorite.

Mirror Pond is my favorite beer. You will come around.

There are so many great beers in the NW, and Portland has many great microbreweries. You%26#39;ll just have to try alot of different beers to figure out what you like. Try samples of each. If you go to the brew pubs they all will have samplers. Hit all of the spots Bridgeport, McTarnahans, If you have a dog that likes to be around other dogs you MUST go to the Lucky Labrador and take your dog.

Hey! Welcome!

I live in town so cannot help but if you need suggestions , I will chime in ... I am going to link a thread on Eating out in Portland for you though...the snow was a surprise to us too, but fun.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g52024-i238-k28925鈥?/a>

Thanks for all of the useful info. We will definitely be checking this stuff out. It is so exciting to be in a new place with so many things to explore. Can%26#39;t wait to eat my way through the restaurants you mentioned!! Always best to know where the locals go to eat.

We will have to hit a tavern or pub and do some tasting of the local brews. I love beer, I have just never been exposed to so many different types. Where I grew up I can think of one brewery. They did have great beer, but after a while it was ';been there, done that';. They did not keep adding new things or do all of the neat seasonal brews that they do here.

Also, thanks for the advice for places on the coast. The taffy sounds so yummy!! My son does not really care for it, I would be the one in trouble in a place like that!! When we went to Mo%26#39;s we picked up a bag there and it was pretty good. I think that Ecola sounds promising. I cannot tell you how much fun we have had exploring trails. We are just total dorks with all of the gawking and taking pictures!! I am sure that we look like the worst kind of tourist and that no one would believe that we actually live here!! I just know that our parents back home are just thrilled to have another picture of a big tree - LOL!!

I will chime in again after trying some of these places. I will also be asking for some advice on vineyards, when the time comes. I have only been to one vineyard and that was on the Biltmore Estate in NC. I had a blast and learned so much and just really got so much more out of it than I thought I would. I do remember really liking Riesling and of course Champagne. They did have one red that I really liked too, I just can%26#39;t remember what it was. Therefore, I do have hope that I can really learn to be a more well rounded wine drinker!!

Thanks again for the help!! Have a great weekend!

Well, I live about 5 minutes from where the wineries begin, so I can help with this area too, lol! The biggest tip about HWY99 that I can give is to watch your speed and have a designated driver. The police are very vigilant in this area.

You might try McMinnville...there are several tasting rooms down there, and some fun places to take the kids. Alf%26#39;s is a must...a burger/ice cream (make their own) place with a pet monkey. I can tell you more when/if you are interested.

I second the suggestion of Pizzicato. Excellent pizza and locations all over town. For Chinese we really like Hunan downtown (515 SW Broadway), for Mexican try Esparza%26#39;s Tex Mex in SE Portland (2725 SE Ankeny). For breakfast definitely try Beesaw%26#39;s on NW 23rd and Bijou Cafe (132 SW 3rd, downtown). Our kids are a bit older now (11 and 14) and we live in Southern Oregon but come up to Portland a few times a year, our kids love all these places!

H ithere! We like Escape From New York in the Nob Hill area of Portland. They make a really great cheese pizza that my daughter loves! Hot Lips is also pretty good for pizza, we have been to the one by PSU.

I would suggest you take your little ones to Seaside and explore, it%26#39;s about 10 minutes from Cannon Beach. There is an aquarium there that is fun and educational, feed the seals and there is also a small gift shop there to pick up trinkets and souvenirs. It is located on the Seaside Prom, where you can walk and take in the beautiful views of the ocean. Stop by Sam%26#39;s Seaside Cafe for a casual meal, it%26#39;s colorful there and appealing to young children. There is also an enclosed mall where they would enjoy riding the Carousel there. Lots of ice cream shops, candy stores, etc. You can also play miniature golf, ride the Tilt-A-Whirl or ride the bumper cars there. If you like to picnic, get your goodies and go to Ave U and watch the surfers there, it%26#39;s very scenic and there are several picnic tables in this area.

About 20 mintures from Seaside is Astoria, where you can also find lots of fun things to do for kids. Ride the Riverfront Trolley, take a swim at the Astoria Aquatic Center, watch a movie in their fun cinemas, take them to the Maritime Museum then go up to the Astor Column and climb to the top where you will see gorgeous views of the area. The Rio Cafe is good for Mexican food in Astoria, there is also the Ship Inn for amazing fish and chips. I have reveiws with photos of the places I have mentioned to you to help you with your decision making process.

I hope you have a great time with your family! :)

Sadly, in town, in Portland, ';good Pizza'; is relative. I think it depends on what you are used to and what you will consider ok to eat but wish you could get some really good pizza lol.

Hot Lips is famous because they use organic ingredients...not for their taste or price. We find them to be overly greasy floppy and salty.

Escape from NY is good for a slice, eaten at the 2 tables on the sidewalk in the summer when you are just starving..we are still looking for a Good Pizza here.

My husband did like the Pizzacatto pie he had a few months ago on NW 23rd..I liked a pie we had at Jo Bar on NW 23rd baked in the woodburning oven ..but from all I hear, Apizza Scholls is the place to go, on the East Side.

But Portland is SO full of good places to eat, you can find great meals for not too much money ... Be sure to post back and tell us what you have discovered, some visitors here need new ideas!