A Guide to Specialty Markets in Portland
These local shops specializing in vegan hot dogs, chef-made hummus, imported sea salt and more showcase the distinct quality and range that can be found in Portland’s specialty products.
Emilly Prado
Emilly Prado is a writer, award-winning journalist and consultant living in Portland. Read More
In an era of ever-enlarging big box retailers, small and slow boutique shopping can feel refreshing, comforting and even revolutionary. In Portland, neighborhood delis, mom-and-pop shops and retailers favoring quality, ethical ingredients over profit with familiar, friendly faces aren’t relics of the past. This selection of specialty markets in Portland makes the case that bigger isn’t always better. Grab a bite to eat, pack your own international charcuterie board for a picnic, or share artisan, edible souvenirs with friends back home.
What Is a Specialty Market?
Retail shops specializing in specific products like books or shoes are considered “specialty,” and those who further whittle down the focus to, say, romance novels or running shoes are considered “super specialty markets.” All shops on this list could be categorized as “super specialty.” Don’t get us wrong — we totally agree that they are super special — but for simplicity’s sake, we’ve used the term “specialty” alone.
Mama Pauline’s African Market
Every inch of Mama Pauline’s African Market is packed with global products from Ethiopia to the Ivory Coast and Cameroon to the Caribbean. The main room of the store is lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves of spices, condiments and tomato- and olive-oil-drowned tinned fish. A small but mighty selection of produce brims with fresh plantains, yams, cassava and more. Cool off with chilled imported drinks like Jamaican citrus soda, Ting or UK-made Lucozade, and find specialty meat and fish items like cubed goat, cow skin and tilapia in the freezer.
In the back, a gorgeous array of bangles and vibrant clothing is displayed next to impressive sky-high racks of high quality, hard-to-find staple grains and flours — including the owner’s own brand — like parboiled rice, garri, banku mix (a blend of fermented white corn and cassava flour), and egusi.
The Meadow
A bite of steak sprinkled with finishing salt sparked the seed for what would later become The Meadow, a charming artisan goods shop created by Mark Bitterman in 2006 — a whopping two decades after said bite. Bitterman’s fateful experience blended with his passion for travel, and he journeyed over the next period of his life to meet salt makers around the globe. Today, he’s an award-winning author of several books, including Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral with Recipes. He still operates The Meadow, which has since grown to three locations in Portland (Mississippi, Hawthorne and NW 23rd) and another in New York City.
No matter which Meadow you pop into, enthusiastic shopkeepers will guide you through their stock: salts, chocolate, bitters and flowers. But be warned: The Meadow, akin to the salt bite, can feel transcendental, leaving you with sudden expertise on the versatility of salt block cooking and the impact on farmers and shoppers alike from direct-trade retail. If you want to buy it all but aren’t sure where to start, you can’t go wrong with their curated gift boxes, with themes like “Oregon foodie,” “pantry essentials,” and cocktail kits.
Providore Fine Foods
At first glance, Providore Fine Foods might appear to be an ordinary (albeit strikingly elegant and friendly) neighborhood grocer, but a closer look reveals this Portland institution, which opened in 2016, is actually a collective of several businesses — each bringing their expertise and artistry to the floor.
Pastaworks, a European-inspired market that has flourished in Portland since 1983, is the central tenant at Providore, and they stock an array of fresh pasta and excellently prepared salads in the deli case. Rubinette Produce brings in fruits and vegetables from local farms, Revel Meat Co. runs the locally sourced butcher shop, and bouquets by Hilary Horvath Flowers line the check-out counter. Providore’s footprint nearly doubled in 2021 with additional market space housing an expansive wine bar and bottle shop. There’s more to the store; an in-person peruse is the best way to fully take in Providore’s mouthwatering stock of imported and regional pantry goods.
The collaborative approach to curation makes for an exquisite experience for visitors, as well as the perfect place to stock up for a picnic at your favorite Portland park. We suggest pairing the experience with Comedy in the Park at Laurelhurst Park or a hike to Mount Tabor, a dormant volcano with sweeping city views.
World Foods
World Foods is a grocery store made for getting lost in. It isn’t a maze, by any means, but rather the wide variety of products, commercial orange juice squeezer, and an entire aisle dedicated to chocolate are experiences meant to be savored. You can settle in for a glass of wine from a bountiful selection, sip kombucha on tap, or warm yourself up with a golden milk latte. But perhaps all the aforementioned activities are best spent leading up to a trip to the chef-run deli, which features countless savory and sweet hot and cold case options created by chef Mirna Attar — the same chef and owner of Portland’s famed Ya Hala Lebanese restaurant. The saying goes, “If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” but I wonder instead, “If a shopper makes a trip to World Foods but doesn’t stop by the deli counter, does it even count as a visit?”
Even More Specialty Foods
Continue your international food tour by making stops at these destinations:
Portland Markets
At these local market events find international eats and locally grown and made goods.
Portland Saturday Market
Open every Saturday from March–December, Portland Saturday Market is the largest arts-and-crafts fair in the U.S.
Portland Farmers Market
Enjoy fresh, local produce, meals and treats at every Portland Farmers Market location.
Jade International Night Market
Thousands gather every August in Southeast Portland to celebrate the Jade District’s diverse immigrant community at the Jade International Night Market.
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