Forktown Food Tours

01/11/2024

This is so very cool - I cannot wait to see this open! It will infuse some much needed energy into our wonderful downtown PDX!

After almost two decades of delays, the public market is opening in downtown Portland next year

01/08/2024

Have you been watching the newest season of Ciao House?! It's set in Puglia! Making me so excited to head there next spring - I can't wait for orecchiette pasta most of all.

Puglia is across the boot from the Amalfi Coast and a bit more of a hidden gem, at least for American travelers. It's got stunning rocky coastlines and the white washed buildings give a little feel of Greek isles, olive trees and cacti, super fresh seafood. If you're ready to get off the beaten path, this is the tour for you!

*pronunciation note: Puglia = "pool-ya" 😉 those "gl" and "gn" combos are tough!

Hosts and judges Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabe Bertaccini welcome 12 talented chefs to Puglia, Italy, where they will live and cook together, fusing their own culinary styles with Italian cuisine. One chef's journey ends when their own team votes them out of the villa.

27/03/2024

First Thursday in the Pearl is back as of April 4th! Head to the west side next Thursday to support our city’s small businesses ❤️

First Thursday (Portland OR) in the Pearl District is back starting in April! Originally a gathering of art collectors and dealers, the celebration has grown to a monthly event of more than ten thousand people. It includes art enthusiasts, wine aficionados, and scenesters looking to see and be seen. It's an absolute blast. See you there on April 4th!

25/03/2024

Love this Oregonian list for dining in Downtown Portland. Several of our partners are on the list, including Bullard Tavern and Mucca Osteria, and I would add Southpark Seafood for amazing seafood, Grassa for pasta always, and Addy's Sandwich Bar for lunch! Pine Street Market is back in action, the new Mid-town beer garden is awesome, and the cherry blossoms are stunning. time to Visit Downtown Portland!

https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/restaurants/portlands-best-downtown-restaurants/

26/01/2024

Join me on a TRUFFLE HUNT on Saturday, February 24th at 10:00am in Scappoose.

Learn how truffles grow, hunt alongside truffle hunters and their dogs, enjoy a lunch catered by our friends at Addy's Sandwich Bar and take home a truffle!

I fully anticipate this event will sell out (and we are halfway sold out now), so get in touch ASAP to book your spot!

https://forktown.com/truffle-hunt

30/10/2023

2024 Italy Tours Available Now! Join me in bella Italia next fall!

Naples and The Amalfi Coast, September 25th - October 2nd, 2024 - 1 room available
https://forktown.com/naples-amalfi-coast-2024

Spectacular Sicily, October 8th - October 17th, 2024
https://forktown.com/sicily-2024

21/12/2021

Happy Holidays Foodie Friends! - https://mailchi.mp/forktown/hello-from-forktown-its-been-too-long-10556696

01/04/2021

Hello from Forktown - It's Been Too Long! - https://mailchi.mp/forktown/hello-from-forktown-its-been-too-long

27/05/2020

The weekend is just around the corner and it might be time for you to start planning your treat meal, and I recommend . We frequent KOi Fusion on nearly every one of our Mississippi tours and for good reason—they're friendly, the food is amazing, and it's regularly a guest favorite. We've been working with KOi for years and have been proud to call them a partner!
KOi Fusion is open for delivery and take-out. You can call for or get via
-Bethany Village 503-430-8240
-Bridgeport Village 503-603-9828
-Mississippi 971-888-4127
-Wilsonville 503-878-5978

"We want our customers to know KOi Fusion follows best practices for a clean, healthy environment. All of our team members are using proper sanitation and have a safe environment for you order and get We hope that the impact of this will be limited in our communities and are doing our part"
Make your treat meal Korean fusion with !

20/05/2020

Our Division Street Tour partner, Little T Baker () is open 8-2 every day for take-out and delivery, at their SE location and at Providore Fine Foods (). Call them (503.238.3458) for special delivery in Central Portland between 8am and noon! Make your day a little more leisurely with a beautiful pastry, or sandwich from !
photos courtesy of @ Division Street Portland

13/05/2020

Dying to sit down with your friends at a beautiful restaurant and catch up over a gorgeous meal you didn't have to make?
Us too. Make it a real celebration by turning that meal into an extravaganza at 5 or 6 of Portland's best restaurants, led by an expert on Portland's food and culinary scene. Walk with your friends around a city you haven't seen in a while and take joy in being able to do so safely. Forktown tours are temporarily discontinued for obvious reasons, but you can make this future meal a reality with one of our gift certificates. Redeemable for any future tour, you have your pick between Portland's top culinary neighborhoods—Downtown, Mississippi or Division Ave. each with its own unique food scene. And you'll be supporting a small, woman-owned, local business at the same time!
Grab your gift certificate today at the link below, where you can find details about our tours and learn more about Forktown—the longest-running culinary tours in the Rose City!

11/05/2020

Organic Heirloom Lettuce Starts for Sale!
Grown in organic soil and in sustainable newspaper pots ready to plant out in the garden. Comes with *digital* document with tips for helping your lettuce grow. Pick several to ensure a consistent supply of greens throughout the summer. Available varieties below:
Tom Thumb butterhead - my favorite, perfect little heads serve 2-3 people. Harvest all at once.
Ruby Gem baby romaine - crunchy, deep red color with bright green interior, serve 2-3 people. Harvest all at once.
Sanguine Ameliore - butterhead, rare French heirloom butterhead, light green with speckles, smaller size. You can blanch as it grows for an almost white lettuce with gorgeous red speckles. Harvest all at once. Limited supply.
May Queen - delicate butterhead with tender, yellow hearts are gently blushed rose, and the leaves are ethereally soft with the buttery sweet flavor signature of an old-fashioned European butterhead type. This is a larger variety and you can pull a few leaves here and there but not suitable for cut and come again.
Flashy Troutback - speckled medium-sized romaine, old Austrian heirloom variety, cut and come again. Limited supply.
Devil’s Tongue - fast-growing loose leaf romaine, older leaves blush from light green to a stunning red at the tips with new growth expressing deep red hues. Cut and come again, or harvest all at once split in half to show off its gorgeous interior. Limited supply.
$1.25 each, Venmo payment only, pick up on porch or yard in NE Portland off of Alberta and 29th (details provided at payment), no in-person contact.
Please DM for details.
@ NE Portland Oregon

08/05/2020

Great News! Portland's Farmer's Markets are starting to reopen, with new health and safety guidelines in place. New measures include capacity management and no sampling—Check out the full list of new measures before you head to your local market (link in bio) to support your local PNW farmers and stock up on amazing produce. Market schedule below!
PSU Farmers Market: OPEN NOW, Saturdays 8:30am – 2pm
King Farmers Market: OPEN NOW, Sundays 10am – 2pm
Shemanski Park Farmers Market: OPEN NOW, Wednesdays 10am – 2pm
Kenton Farmers Market: Opens June 3rd, Wednesdays 3pm – 7pm
Lents International Farmers Market: Opens June 7th, Sundays 9am – 2pm

04/05/2020

Nong's Khao Man G*i needs your help.
Restaurants have been devastated by the current pandemic and we can't let that happen to the Portland staples we know and love! Nong's has started a Go Fund Me to help laid-off staff who did not qualify for unemployment and for current staff that are working with fewer hours because of lowered demand. You can access their GFM page in our bio.
Consider purchasing dinner at Nong's this week and if you can't donate, PLEASE share their posts to your stories and spread the word. No action is too small.
REMINDER: This time is hard for us all—please be kind to your food service people. They are on the front lines as well, risking their well being to keep us fed and make quarantine a little easier for us all. Patience + kindness is the recipe for success.
*i @ Nong's Khao Man G*i

30/04/2020

La Panza Cafe is a one of a kind restaurant in Portland—The food is traditional Northern New Mexican, which is a combination of Spanish, Native American and Mexican ingredients and cooking techniques that have been practiced and refined for over 400 years!
We love visiting La Panza Cafe on our Division Street Tour, and now more than ever, they're in need of our help! La Panza has started a Go Fund Me to raise funds to support their staff in these difficult times. If you can support, head to their Go Fund Me page at the link in bio!
@ La Panza Café - New Mexican Cuisine

27/04/2020

We have been working tirelessly since 2010 to craft the perfect food experience here in Portland. And that means we've been partners with some of our incomparable vendors for just as long! We've been working with Ruby Jewel since we were both new to the Portland food scene, and it's been a wonderful decade+!
Ruby Jewel Scoop founded in 2004, uses only the best ingredients, thoughtfully sourced from farmers and food artisans in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. We love them so much, we stop by on both our Mississippi Ave tour AND our downtown tour!
https://buff.ly/3bKbktV

20/04/2020

Did you know that we offer private versions of any of our food tours, as well as or the custom culinary experiences designed just for you? These tours make for great corporate events and celebrations, and group activities. We've hosted birthdays, holiday parties, families, bachelor & bachelorette parties, engagement parties and so many more on our private tours.⠀⠀
If you're in the market for a more exclusive experience, led by Forktown's owner Heidi Burnette, you can get in touch via the contact buttons in our bio, or on our website under "Private Tours".⠀⠀
Photo: This delicious photo is from our Downtown Portland Tour at Southpark Seafood . Not only does supporting Southpark mean supporting restaurants—it means supporting local fishermen as well! Southpark is offering delivery, carry out AND meal kits available on Fridays! Learn more ⠀⠀
On the menu: smoked trout board with house-made everything crackers and grainy mustard.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

17/04/2020

"For me, [my first trip to India] was less about food and more about culture — how it smelled when you ate that sandwich on that street corner and what that felt like, more so than whether [the food] had this in it or that in it. . . [Opening Bollywood] has been fun. I want people to come in the door, and I’m saving them the plane ticket. You’re drinking out of a steel cup and eating off a steel plate just like you would if you were in Mumbai. I want people to have that experience as if they have gone someplace.”⠀⠀
– Troy MacLarty, owner of Bollywood Theater PDX, in India to Portland⠀
Bollywood Theatre will remain closed for the time being, but they are still sharing their magic here with us on Instagram. You can follow along at and plan out your next meal post-quarantine!⠀⠀
Bollywood Theatre is a regular feature on our Division St. tour and a crowd favorite. Unfortunately, as long as Portland's wonderful restaurants are closed, we have no food to share with you. Please consider supporting us by purchasing a Fortktown Food Tour Gift Certificate. Redeemable for any future tour! Linked in bio. ⠀⠀⠀
Photo courtesy of ⠀⠀⠀

16/04/2020

Staying in for a mid-week date night? 😂
Call in a pickup order for fresh bread from Little T Baker . Paired with some local charcuterie (Olympia Provisions, saucisson sec, my personal favorite) and a glass of wine, maybe take the night off from cooking. I know I need a bit of a break! I’ve baked a few loaves of bread here and there, but it’s nice to have professional bakers making damn good bread here. Let’s support them too!
Little T American Baker is a modern neighborhood bakery in Portland, Oregon (). Founded by owner and head baker Tim Healea. Specializing in creating innovative bread and pastries while still using traditional, time-honored methods, Little T Baker has been a neighborhood favorite since 2008. Right now they're open 8-2pm daily for takeout!
We pop in Little T for the heavenly scents regularly on our Division tour. Check out more on our website! (linked in bio) and pick yourself up a gift certificate for that tour you're definitely going to want to take when we can all go outside again!
Picture courtesy of

16/04/2020

We're a month in and it's harder than ever. You're stuck at home and you're the opposite of homesick. You're friend-sick, adventure-sick, good-meal-at-a-nice-restaurant sick. We are too! Treat yourself to the ultimate I.O.U. with a whole food TOUR of your amazing city. Grab a gift certificate, and one for the first person you want to see post-quarantine, redeemable for any of our future tours, at the link in bio. We can't wait to see you. ⠀⠀⠀⠀

16/04/2020

Food is my passion, and as with so many people who love food, growing food is a natural extension of that passion. Every year for the last 16 years, I’ve planted a garden and this year I’ve really gone a little overboard on seed starting. To say I’m obsessed with heirloom lettuces is an understatement, and after purchasing my first soil blockers, it was hard to resist sowing an abundance of lettuces. It’s more than enough to share with others. I know food security has been on all of our minds in the past few weeks, and if you're one who's thinking a garden might be a good idea for you, get in touch with me for some starts! Take a look at what I have below. My last round of starts were snapped up right away, and these will likely go quickly as well. Get in touch before they're gone! ⠀⠀
I plant in all organic soil with newspaper pots (environmentally-friendly—you can plant the whole thing in the ground and the pot will biodegrade). Starts will be ready in around 3 weeks:⠀⠀
Heirloom Lettuce Varieties ⠀
Tom Thumb baby butterhead (photo 1 and 3) sweet, soft. My favorite ⠀
Ruby Gem baby romaine (photo 2) deep mahogany red with green interior ⠀
May Queen old fashioned European style loose butterhead (speckled)⠀
Devil’s Tongue looseleaf romaine (bright red)⠀
Ruby Streaks mustards ⠀
Flashy Troutback heirloom speckled cutting lettuce⠀
Pickling Plume Lettuce super rare, dating back to ancient Egypt, eat fresh or let bolt and pickle the stems ⠀⠀
DM for details ⠀⠀
@ Portland, Oregon

15/04/2020

Oh my, how we miss sitting together at Addy's Sandwich Bar. Take a look at these scrumptious duck confit sandwiches, paired with local brews. These are the moments we can't wait to get back to! But luckily, we don't have to 👇
has daily rotating specials, available for take-out! You can check out their website to see today's specials, OR to buy a gift card for a future date . They are ALSO collaborating with to support hardworking medical staff at OHSU with meals during their shifts. If you'd like to support this cause, you can click the link in bio. Thank you for doing all you can in these trying times. We can't wait to bring our guests to you again!

14/04/2020

Drinking chocolate isn't only for the cold season! Summer is almost here, and one place we hope you make it to this season Cacao in Downtown Portland!
Cacao features a curated selection of chocolate from around the world, including the best premium solid chocolate bars from craft producers, selected chocolates from favorite regional chocolatiers and their house-made drinking and hot chocolates. They are open for online orders at the website linked in their bio ! Make your time at home a little sweeter with some drinking chocolate and premium chocolate treats.
Get your gift certificate for a Forktown Food Tour and get the chance to try Cacao on our downtown tour where we stroll through Portland's vibrant downtown while we visit 5 of the best places to eat and drink. Link in our bio to purchase.
Photo courtesy of Cacao.

14/04/2020

I ran out of crackers awhile ago and decided to make my own! I used the recipe in cookbook ‘Taste & Technique’, a staple in our home. Check out these process shots and head to stories for a sneak peek into the cookbook that inspired it all. I’m so pleased with how they turned out! A perfect pairing with some prosciutto and green olives for an afternoon snack.
Naomi Pomeroy is a professional chef, restaurateur and James Beard Award winner local here to Portland, OR. She owns .pdx, one of Portland’s top restaurants and luckily for me, it’s right in my neighborhood. If you’re in the food industry, Naomi is educating a lot around how to advocate for the restaurant industry with your local government. Give her a follow at for more information
@ Portland, Oregon

08/04/2020

Located in the heart of Mississippi Ave. is the little Thai eatery where we always begin our Mississippi tour. Serving up Thai street food and noodle dishes that you won't see elsewhere in town, Mee Sen () is more than just a restaurant:
"It is a community of people wanting to build relationships with customers and business owners, play an active role in the vicinity, and contribute to the liveliness of our surroundings."
Mee Sen has two meanings. The literal definition—“have noodle”, and the other meaning is to have connections or good friends.
A large number of Thai food restaurants in the US focus their menus on stir-fry dishes and curries, but Mee Sen's menu primarily focuses on unique noodle dishes and soups. We love to share authentic and less known foods from Thailand with our guests on the Mississippi Avenue Tour.
COVID-19 PROCEDURES: remains open for take-out orders. You can call them at 503.445.1909 or find them on Postmates, or Doordash to place your order.
Picture courtesy of Mee-Sen Thai Eatery