James Beard-Themed Walking Tours of Portland, Oregon

by jbfauthor on June 16, 2011

"Portland at that time was a rich city with magnificent houses and a tightly knit society composed largely of New Englanders, English and Scots. As the center of the shipping, lumber and fishing industries, it had the raw vitality that characterized large port cities of the era...Meier & Frank had become established as one of the great stores on the West Coast, and a luxury loving public enjoyed a continuous interchange with the East Coast and Europe. Good food abounded.” ―James Beard, Delights & Prejudices That’s how James Beard described his native city, circa 1896, the year his mother, Mary Elizabeth, opened the boarding house in which young Jim grew up. Fast forward a century and then some, add a few tattoos and some plaid shirts, and Portland, Oregon, is still a rich city where good food abounds. Robert Reynolds, a renowned chef and cooking teacher, is showing off Beard’s Portland. As Reynolds described his historic James Beard walking tours to blogger Byron Beck, participants follow in “James Beard’s footsteps from Pioneer Square where the Portland Hotel once existed, past the sites of former Public and Carroll markets, through part of Old Town and ending at the River. The walks are without charge because their purpose is to keep Beard’s name, influence and contribution to Portland vibrant.” The next Portland walking tour is scheduled for Saturday, June 25. It will begin at 1 P.M. and last about an hour and a half. For details and to reserve a place, email Reynolds at troufood@me.com. There is no charge for the tour. For more about Robert Reynolds, see thechefstudio.com.