Are you and a group of your “frolleagues” going to head out for dinner while you’re in Portland for the MLA annual conference? Start giving some thought now to where you might want to go. Of course, it’s entirely possible that you’ve already spent time looking at restaurant reviews and making reservations (and if that’s the case, then kudos to you!) But if you haven’t, and you planned to think about it once you get to the Rose City, then that’s also great, and the hospitality booth will have an interactive dining guide and can possibly make some suggestions.
One thing that Portland does pretty well, all things considered, is bring together a variety of food vendors and then provide a place for a group to gather with each person obtaining the tasty morsels that called out particularly to them. In some places this is food carts, and in others it’s more food cart-esque. Pine Street Market (image source: pinestreet.png) is in the latter category, as it is an indoor space with food vendors selling ramen, Thai food, hand-made dumplings and bao, a juice and smoothie bar (which also sells waffles – yum), and donuts, as well as a bar for those who want to imbibe. Large tables are available for a group to sit at once everyone has ordered whatever appeals, and since it’s indoors you don’t have to worry about the weather getting in the way of visiting with the group.
The Prost! Marketplace on N. Mississippi Ave is a food cart pod that surrounds the Prost! German pub and includes 10 food carts featuring different cuisines. Either enjoy some German food and use one of the communal tables inside or sit at the covered outdoor seating. You’re welcome to take food from the food carts into the pub, so don’t be shy about that. As a bonus, consider walking south on Mississippi Ave after you eat dinner, explore the variety of little shops, and maybe grab some plant-based ice cream in a gluten-free waffle cone from Kate’s Ice Cream.
No matter what, I hope you find some excellent food and make connections with your MLA peeps. If you can combine the two, even better!