Portland prides itself on its quirky, iconoclastic style, and that often extends to its restaurants. Exploring the unusual tastes on offer is one of the highlights of a trip there for me. And the perfect introduction to what I'm talking about is Voodoo Doughnut, a Portland institution just a few blocks from The Nines Hotel downtown. Known for its wild varieties — everything from a bacon-maple long john to chocolate-butterfinger to Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade) — and kooky characters, it's at its busiest at night to satisfy patrons of the bars surrounding it. Mornings are a bit quieter.

Likewise, earlier is better for a pilgrimage to Apizza Scholls. This legendary pizzeria opens at 5pm and stays open only until 9:30pm or they run out of pizza dough — and they frequently do, since it's made by hand and never frozen. Their pies are fantastic. Stanich's isn't artisanal, but its burgers are tasty and its fries plentiful, making it a local favorite. Going a bit more upscale, check out Navarre, a mostly-Italian small-plate place where the menu is a sushi-style checklist and more than 50 wines are offered by the glass, with an emphasis on local bottles.