2023 PORTLAND RISING STARS AWARDS

There's nothing quite like looking out into an open field after a storm. With windswept grass and flood lines running through the soil, the question of ‘Will this ever look like it used to?’ inevitably comes up. The short answer is, as always, no. But if you look closer, you’ll find something blooming. You’ll find an abundance of cleared space and something beautiful in its wake. Such is the case with Portland in 2023. News media narratives be damned, because we found a new Portland. New businesses, new faces, and new cuisines are exploding all over the city. In over 100 editorial visits across Portland, we found people plating honest dishes and mixing approachable cocktails, with a welcome balance of top notch hospitality that lack pretension.

There is an artisanal spirit that’s alive and well here—it was our 2011 class of Portland Rising Stars that first inspired our artisan awards category. This city empowers people to make businesses out of products that they wholeheartedly believe in, and they’re going beyond brewing, baking, and butchering. These businesses couldn't function without a community willing to support them, and Portland shows up.

This city's progressive mindset is ever-present and permeates its way into the hospitality industry. The result is a community that creates space for pop-ups and residencies to better serve the needs of chefs. While downtown is certainly in a transition period, Portland’s outer neighborhoods are becoming major hubs for innovative hospitality businesses.

Overall, we found a city that has rediscovered and rebuilt its identity over the past few years. Portland is a place where chefs and bartenders are thoughtfully serving local products, and are supported by artisans and a community of industry folks who continue to believe in what they do. So keep pushing, and keep showing up for each other, Portland—the sky’s the limit.