If you’re not hungry already, prepare to feel your tummy grumbling by the time you’re through with the Mercury’s 2026 food issue! Grab a free print issue at one of 500+ spots across town, and eat up while it’s hot. (Want to make sure you never miss one of our monthly print issues? Subscribe here and get the Mercury delivered fresh to your door!)
The theme of this year’s food issue is Get Out and Eat. And while eating out at restaurants is a year-round pastime in Portland, this issue is all about getting out, eating, and romping around town while the weather’s good. Use our brand-new top food carts guide to try a new-to-you food cart in a neighborhood you don’t visit often. Ride your bike and go on a soft serve ice cream spree. Take a day trip to wine country to eat and drink, or try your hand at digging clams on the coast. And, of course, we’ve got reviews of a new bar and a new restaurant for you to try.
This feature was edited by Katherine Chew Hamilton, and the remainder of the issue was edited by Katherine Chew Hamilton and Wm. Steven Humphrey. Design creds go to Corianton Hale, Anthony Keo, and Char Harris. We hope this food issue whets your appetite for good eating and adventure.
The Mercury’s FOOD ISSUE!
Portland’s Top 20 Food Carts by Katherine Chew Hamilton
Where to get Mexico City-style street food, Korean-Italian handmade pasta, giant warm gooey cookies, and more.
A Soft Spot for Soft Serve by Taylor Griggs
Portlanders all scream for soft serve ice cream.
Will Travel for Food by Margarett Waterbury, Emily Teel, and Katherine Chew Hamilton
Head out for food-filled adventures in Hood River, the Willamette Valley, and Beaverton.
Bay Clamming for Beginners by Margarett Waterbury
Where to go, what to bring, and how to dig up these local delicacies.
Bar Review: Cliff’s Hums With Community Spirit at Its New Alberta Street Home by Alex Frane
Two months in, the Southern-tinged bar is already a neighborhood haunt.
Restaurant Review: Bar Nouveau Is Femme and French-Ish by Andrea Damewood
The St. Johns restaurant serves up whimsy and chicken liver mousse topped with edible flowers.