The answer to cooking fatigue – takeout from Portland’s many fantastic restaurants. And what better for takeout than pizza!
I’m tired of cooking. Every meal. Every day. Don’t get me wrong, I like to cook but when it becomes a chore it loses some of it’s luster. The past year of Covid induced eating-in has been tough. I love to dine out and frequent local small businesses. The one bright spot over the past year has been takeout dining. With restaurants struggling to survive, especially small local dining spots, takeout is not only a treat for my family but a way to help local businesses. Cooking fatigue meets fabulous takeout options, the perfect solution to an imperfect situation.
Hello Portland Food
I moved back to Portland a year ago. During my time away it was routine for anyone I knew who visited Portland to return and rave about the city’s amazing food and drinks. Living in Los Angeles one would think that it would be hard to impress an Angelino with dining, but Portland always made an impression.
I was excited to try the many new restaurants which had sprung up in my long absence. Of course I was also looking forward to revisiting old favorites such as Bistro Montage, Saucebox, and BlueHour. Well, these Portland favorites along with so many others are no more, victims of the past year. With each closure comes job losses and a blow to Portland’s culinary spark. Many local restaurants offer outdoor dining, takeout and delivery, so I asked my friends for suggestions of some of their favorites which have gotten them through this long year. As their lists of favorites came in I realized that this will be a multi-part series. Pizza was featured prominently on their lists so that is where this series will begin.
Portland Pizza Favorites
Hot Lips Pizza Multiple Portland Locations
This was my favorite back in my days at PSU. Sadly, that longtime location was a victim of the current Covid crisis. Luckily, five other locations are still operating and offering the same pizza Portland residents have enjoyed for 36 years. They offer free delivery when you order online. Not only can you get Hot Lips vegan, vegetarian and gluten free pizza you can also get cookies, salads, ice cream as well as beer and wine delivered.
American Dream Pizza Laurelhurst
One of the oldest Portland Pizza spots serving pies since 1985. This is one of my friend’s favorites, in particular the Edward Abbey (Pesto Sauce, Sun-dried Tomato, Artichokes, Feta Cheese). Check out their website for the menu but call to order. Located at 4620 NE Glisan Street, they deliver to a portion of NE and SE Portland for a small $2 fee.
Life of Pie NW 23rd & N. Williams
This woodfired pizza place offers both delivery and takeout. Take a look at their website for their current menu which offers a variety of salads, fresh local pasta and pizzas.
Lovely’s Fifty Fifty Mississippi Neighborhood
Pizza and Ice Cream! They have a weekly menu made from local and organic ingredients including pizza, salads and ice cream. Their most recent menu included a roasted cauliflower, potato, olives and pesto calzone which sounds delicious! They are only open for pickup Thursday – Saturday. To order they advise texting in advance. They only take Venmo, gift certificates and cash.
The 1905 Mississippi Neighborhood
In the short time between my return to Portland and the pandemic I was able to visit a few restaurants. Jennifer, one of the aforementioned friends who helped compile this list of restaurants, introduced me to The 1905 on a pre-pandemic night out. We enjoyed our cocktails and delicious pizza while the sounds of jazz filled to room. While enjoying another night inside this cozy spot will have to wait, they are open for patio dining, takeout and delivery.
Pizza Roma Woodstock
This longtime Portland Pizza spot was founded in 2000 and continues to offer delicious pizza. We’ve had takeout from the Woodstock branch multiple times this year thanks to a good friend who lives nearby and has supplied dinner for our Mandalorian / WandaVision viewing nights. Our favorite is the Greek Veggie. Order pizza, salads or sandwiches for pickup or to enjoy on their outdoor patio.
Pizzicato Multiple Portland Locations
This is the one restaurant that made everyone’s list. Another longtime Portland pizza landmark, Pizzicato has been serving pizza since 1989. This is our favorite for takeout and delivery since there is a location nearby and the pizza is consistently high quality and delicious. The Wild Mushroom and Genovese are favorites in our house. They source their ingredients locally and always provide great service. Take advantage of their rewards program and save on future purchases.
Tastebud Multnomah Village
I first visited Tastebud during a visit to the PNW and included it in my Weekend in Portland story. Although they aren’t currently open for dine in service you can still enjoy their fantastic pizza to go. Order takeout on their website Thursday – Saturday from 4pm – 7pm. To get an up-to-date menu and be advised as to when they are taking orders subscribe to their newsletter.
Patio Dining, Pickup and Delivery
Many of these restaurants offer free or inexpensive delivery or pickup as well as delivery via the big name services. The drawback for restaurants, especially small businesses operating on razor thin margins, are the fees which the outside delivery services charge. These range from 10% -30% of the price of the order. If you’re trying to make sure the restaurants get to keep the most profit from your purchase opt for take out or the restaurant’s own delivery. As we all know, small businesses have had an especially tough year. Restaurants are closing at a rapid pace as is evident by the running list Eater publishes. Ordering food from our beloved local spots is good for businesses, the economy and culture of Portland not to mention the perfect cure to cooking fatigue.
This is but a small sample of the Portland Pizza takeout options. What’s amazing is how many of these restaurants are 20, even 30+ years old. That says a lot and I’m sure we all want to do what we can to keep them around even longer. Thank you Molly, Jennifer, Todd and Damon for your recommendations! While we mentioned quite a few spots around Portland I’m sure there are many we missed. Feel free to leave a comment about your favorite local pizza so we can add it to our list of restaurants to try.
