Los Gorditos, Sweetpea, Native Bowl, Hungry Tiger Too, Blossoming Lotus.

Let's knock the rest of these out, okay? I'm going to show you a photo collage, then I'm going to talk about all the restaurants. Let's do this (click for full size).

1, 2 & 3) Blossoming Lotus! The new location changed everything- there's a much more relaxed atmosphere and you can leave your shoes on when you go to the bathroom. Also, there's a significantly reduced chance of nudity while in the bathroom. A win all around! The food remains the same- high quality, great taste. I opted for the live pasta, while my friend opted for the BBQ tempeh platter.

4, 6 & 7) Sweetpea Bakery! Did you know Sweetpea does sandwiches now? You probably did. Sweetpea's sandwiches are fantastic and fresh, with generous portions. I got the Katie John Rainboots sandwich, and loved it. Their baked goods need no introduction and, really, no discussion. Super good, end of story.

5) Native Bowl! Native Bowl is the wonderful Julie Hasson's food cart. Everything here is prepared fresh to order and is fantastic- words cannot describe. I got the Broadway Bowl and it was perhaps the best meal I had in Portland. Go there!

8, 9 & 12) Hungry Tiger Too! Hungry Tiger Too is my #1 place for faux meat based bar food. There are other options, such as scrambles and salads if you are wanting lighter fare.However, my belief while I travel is to go big or go home, so I opted for their vegan club sandwich, which is huge. It's good, hearty bar food made vegan. This is also a good place to take people who eat meat, as there are plenty of options for both sets, plus you are right by the vegan mini-mall.

10) Fat Straw! I love bubble tea. I would probably be totally satisfied with boba in water, but it's nice to have a little flavor too. I like kiwi and blueberry.

11) Los Gorditos! Los Gorditos is a place that I've been hearing about for ages, but never went to for some strange reason. I made up for this by eating there twice on my last trip. I got the enchiladas and the nachos. Both were flavorful, well spice and just what I had hoped for. However, if you go to the street cart location wanting enchiladas, you may want to bring your own fork- the plastic ones didn't really cut it. It would totally be worth it though- promise.

PS- The guy at the Gorditos cart has dreamy eyes. FYI.

Next up: ten things about Portland that make me happy, and then onto Seattle!