Day 19: Let's Eat!

Today is Day 19 in our 24 Days of Books, and we're just a little bit hungry and thirsty! (Must have been reading about all those fabulous cookbooks yesterday.) Here are a handful of books that would make great gifts for people in your life who want to partake of the multitude of edible goodies Portland has to offer.

First, there's the new 2011 edition of the Portland Happy Hour Guidebook, which -- as the title implies -- provides a guide to many of the great happy hours in the Portland area -- drink specials and food specials, along with important-to-know information. This pocket-size book is a perfect stocking stuffer.

Second is the new edition (2nd) of Breakfast in Bridgetown: The Definitive Guide to Portland's Favorite Meal, by Paul Gerald. I love this guide -- partly because breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out, but also because Paul is so thorough in his research. For each establishment, he not only tells you the usual basics -- describing the menu, hours, location, and payment options -- but also some intriguing extras, such as what kind of coffee they serve (LOVE this feature!), whether or not they have WiFi, and what wait times tend to be. Those of us lucky enough to live in northeast Portland are blessed with a plethora of delicious breakfast options.

Finally, there is the new book about the hot-hot-hot food cart craze in Portland, Cartopia, by Kelly Rodgers and Kelley Roy. We just talked about this new book last month, so I'll just link to the posting here.

You can always pair any of these books with the recently published Food Lover's Guide to Portland, by Liz Crain, last year's Fearless Critic Portland Restaurant Guide, or the newest edition of Best Places Portland, to provide a little broader overview of what the Portland food community has to offer. The Food Lover's Guide to Portland offers the ultimate guide to Portland producers and purveyors -- the folks who create, produce, bake, distill, gather, and sell the things that make good eating and drinking possible.

We've got lots of great NW guidebooks -- hiking, eating, history, and more -- in the store; just ask us for suggestions!