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

If you're the kind of traveler so interested in food that the word "foodie" makes you shudder a little, it's time to schedule a trip to Portland, Ore.

Autumn is the best time to visit this city of about 500,000 people, which perches atop many lists as the greenest, fittest, most livable and best designed city in the country. Portland also is the motherland of James Beard, the father of American gastronomy, and it's a place for food lovers visit who want to eat well and dress down.

To prepare for your gourmet trip to Portland, it's essential to familiarize yourself with what produce is in season. The phrases "locally sourced" and "farm-to-table" are repeated with mantra-like frequency here, and for good reason: More than 220 agricultural commodities are grown in Oregon, more than any other state besides California, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. ...