The New Willamette Valley

Where to eat, stay, and play in Oregon’s wine paradise. Plus: The great Portland pizza showdown, the fight for Willamette Falls, 50 years of Rocky Horror, and private schools by the numbers.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

At the Museum

A Bike Path Now Runs Through the Portland Art Museum

PAM’s $111 million expansion is named for Mark Rothko instead of a benefactor and designed for Portlanders over tourists.

10/20/2025 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Novak

Gimme Five

The 5 Ursula K. Le Guin Books You Need to Read, According to Her Son

While curating an exhibition of her life and work, Theo Downes-Le Guin shares his favorite books by Portland’s greatest author, a.k.a. his mom.

10/14/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Spooky Scary

Inside Oregon’s Largest Haunted Attraction

Oaks Park’s ScareGrounds began as a COVID-safe drive-thru fright fest. Now, it’s a Halloween season destination.

09/29/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Time Warp

50 Years of Rocky Horror at the Clinton Street Theater

Portland’s favorite single-screen theater hosts the longest continuously running movie of any theater, anywhere.

09/26/2025 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Raines

Long Story Short

A Tiny Travel Bookstore That Takes You Places

Tucked inside Cargo, Patrick Leonard’s Postcard Bookshop is an argument for armchair travel.

08/20/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Book Club

The Bike Library Connecting Portland’s Housed and Unhoused Residents

Street Books has made a lot of friends in its 15 years—and divined a uniquely effective form of mutual aid.

08/12/2025 By Jaydra Johnson Photography by Michael Novak

Requiem

Michael Hurley Was the Folk Hero of Portland

Novelist Justin Taylor remembers the cherished songwriter, who named Sweedeedee, was a LaurelThirst regular, and filled out Mississippi Records’ catalog.

08/11/2025 By Justin Taylor

As Seen on TV

Why Is PBS Teaching Me How to Sell Things Online?

The Portland-produced doc Generation: Freedom has a complex relationship to the problems it hopes to solve.

06/18/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Eat & Drink

We All Scream

Why Ice Cream Is the Perfect Portland Pizza Pairing

Portland finest pizzerias are some of the city’s best ice cream shops.

09/26/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden Photography by Michael Novak

Eat Your Veggies

In Defense of the Pizzeria Salad

Portland goes far beyond the uninspired, half-wilted salads of days past.

09/25/2025 By Alex Frane

Pizza Party

The Most Quintessentially Portland Pizza Toppings

You knew Mama Lil’s was going to be on this list, right?

09/24/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden and Alex Frane

Superfan

At Chin’s Kitchen in Hollywood, It’s Always Soup Season

Patrick Herlihy is working his way through the menu at the Chinese restaurant, but a steaming bowl is a must.

09/12/2025 By Margaret Seiler Photography by Michael Raines

Editor's Note

The Willamette Valley’s Transformational Decade

Oregon wine country introduced me to the world of vino. Ten years later, it’s growing in its own way.

09/03/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Restaurant Review

At Javelina and Inisha, Indigenous Cuisine Finds Portland Quirk

With fry bread burgers and a precolonial tasting menu, the conjoined restaurants stand in a major gap of the city’s restaurant scene.

09/02/2025 By Jordan Michelman Photography by Thomas Teal

Dining Picks

Where to Eat in Oregon Wine Country, According to Winemakers

The Willamette Valley knows how to roll out the white tablecloths. But many vintners and cellar hands prefer low-key gems.

08/12/2025 By Emily Teel

Dish Exploder

Som Tum Thai Kitchen’s Pork and Papaya Platter Is the Perfect Starter

At the sensationally spicy Thai restaurant, the eponymous salad centers a sausage-laden platter.

08/08/2025 By Alex Frane Illustrations by Amber Day

Wine Lunch

The Best Wine Tasting Lunch Is at the Vineyard

A long-standing tradition elsewhere, formal-ish lunches among the vines are finding their place in the valley.

08/06/2025 By Jordan Michelman Illustrations by Amanda Lanzone

Open Invite

Welcome to Oregon's Wine Party Scene

Alt Wine Fest and AAPI Food & Wine are not just the valley’s hottest festivals—they’re making Oregon wine feel approachable.

07/08/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Wine Time

6 Ways to Taste Wine in the Willamette Valley

Whether you’re looking for rare varietals or simply a great view.

07/02/2025 By Alex Frane and Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Health & Wellness

Skin Contact

In Northeast Portland, You Can Take a Bath in Wine (Sort Of)

Hey, it’s cheaper than a trip to Bordeaux.

07/28/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Tara Jacoby

News & City Life

Q&A

Ripping the City with Debbie Bailey

The owner of a Beaverton witch shop is casting good vibes with tarot, brooms, and spiritual guidance.

10/13/2025 By Dalila Brent Illustrations by Betty Turbo

In Short

Hot Takes on Portland's Latest News

Real news in small packages.

09/10/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Dead Air

Musicians Loved PCC’s Sonic Arts Program. The College Killed It Anyway.

As enrollment dwindles and federal decisions loom, community colleges are axing programs to cut costs.

09/08/2025 By Karly Quadros

Education

Portland Private Schools, by the Numbers

Application deadlines, tuition costs, demographics, and more key info on Portland-area K–12 private schools.

09/03/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

PDX Index

Portland Public Schools’ Numbers Problems

The new bond will help school buildings, but will there be enough kids to fill them?

08/25/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Land Rights

The Fight for Willamette Falls

As tribal communities and local governments imagine a future for the country’s second-largest waterfall, they’ve exposed the long-standing rifts born from the wounds of colonization.

08/18/2025 By Karina Brown Photography by Kari Rowe

Animal Planet

Have the Vaux’s Swifts Ditched Chapman for Good?

Last fall, the birds abandoned their longtime roost. Now, a city waits in suspense.

08/11/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Soil Deposit

The Luxe Conglomerate Quietly Gaining Ground in the Willamette Valley

New money famously draws skepticism when coming into the valley. What’s different about the Ground’s mini wellness empire?

07/29/2025 By Jordan Michelman

Style & Shopping

Knives Out

Portland’s Cutting-Edge Knife Shops

Portland’s culinary fervor and abundance of artisans make for a razor-sharp knife scene.

07/30/2025 By Alex Frane

Travel & Outdoors

Oregon Trails

The Boom-and-Bust Tales of 8 Oregon Ghost Towns

Hopeful homesteaders, gold mining boomtowns, and resorts that slid into the sea.

10/15/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Jordan Kay

Fun with Fungi

A Beginner’s Guide to Mushroom Foraging in Oregon

Intimidated? Don’t be. Here’s all you need to know to get started—including the ultimate hack for finding the freshest intel.

09/17/2025 By Emma Marris Illustrations by Michael Novak

Wine Country

The Most Exciting Chefs in the Willamette Valley Right Now

‘Farm to table’ is nothing new. But Oregon’s wine country cooks are making local food feel fresh.

08/18/2025 By Alex Frane, Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Emily Teel, and Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Novak

Willamette Valley

When in Wine Country, Sleep Among the Vines

Willamette Valley wineries have turned grain silos and farmhouses into boutique inns and vacation rentals.

07/22/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Getaway

Where to Stay in Willamette Valley Wine Country

Hotels, inns, and a trailer park for an overnight in the Valley.

07/15/2025 By Alex Frane, Brooke Jackson-Glidden, and Matthew Trueherz