Portland, Ore: Go for the Food, Stay for the Food

The shabby chic Mother's Bistro offers up huge pancakes alongside local favorite Stumptown coffee, served in a guilt-inducing mug reminding you to "call your mother." Other solid choices are the Scotch eggs with potato pancakes at Helser's on Alberta, which serves breakfast all day. Or the "Reggie Deluxe," a buttermilk biscuit topped with fried chicken, bacon, cheese, egg and gravy at the cozy Pine State Biscuits.

With that kind of breakfast under your belt, it's hard to commit to an elaborate, sit-down lunch. But it's more fun to nibble and nosh your way around town throughout the day anyway, while perhaps amassing the fixings for a gourmet picnic to consume at one of the city's many gardens or parks.

Begin at a farm market or a food cart -- trucks that offer a variety of cuisine from Czech to cannolis. Baguettes, boules, batards and more are freshly made at Pearl Bakery. Tim Healea, the long-time head baker at Pearl, just opened his own bakery called Little T American Baker, where you can try a BLT of center cut bacon, and house made aioli on Sally Lunn bread, or the turkey sandwich on bread with freshly shredded carrots. And try to leave room for zucchini bread or baked donuts.

Another must-see is the absolutely non-fussy Square Deal wine store which dedicates itself to selling wines that express a particular home region, and houses the incomparable Steve's Cheese counter, where you can taste cheese sourced locally and from all over. Asking the cheese monger about what's new and exciting in your favorite cheese variety often will yield good results. Your picnic will get classy in a hurry at the Meadow, a shop that carries a worldly collection of finishing salts and where you're free to taste all of the many varieties.