Portland, OR

The second edition of Feast hits Portland from September 19th-22nd. One of America's top foodie cities gets to strut its stuff by bringing together top local talent with the best chefs in the country.

Tickets go on sale on May 20th at feastportland.com. Organizers have stacked the festival with more than 40 events, ranging from small sit-down affairs to big tastings to culinary classics with cooking legends. Get some tips that will revolutionize your kitchen skills, or just come rub elbows with world-famous talent and enjoy some of the best food of your life.

Read more about the events and the schedule, as well as the chefs who will be serving up deliciousness in our feature article on Feast 2013.

The Beaverton Summer Farmers Market kicked off on May 11th and runs every Saturday from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. until November 23rd. The biggest all-agricultural market in the state adds two new features this year: a doggie day care so that your pooch doesn't need to stay home on Market day -- with all proceeds going to charity, and a Local Liquid lounge, with a rotating cast of local brewers, wine makers and distillers keeping visitors well lubricated and encouraging folks to take a load off and hang out a while during their shopping.

Read more about the Beaverton Summers Farmer Market in our feature article, including info on vendors and music shows going on every week.

It's Portland: many of you are already riding your bike on a consistent basis. But for those who aren't and want to give it a try, the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike to Work Week, from May 13th-17th, is the perfect opportunity.

If the extra calorie burn, stress reduction  and overall health benefits aren't motivation enough, how about free breakfasts, massages and gelato, among other incentives? OK, so after all of those things, maybe you won't come out calorie-negative, but they definitely make for nice rewards for getting your butt out the door and onto that bike you've been meaning to ride.

Read more about the events going on, as well as several recent accolades that have come Portland's way in our coverage of National Bike to Work Week, and National Bike Month.

Photo courtesy League of American Bicyclists.

This Saturday, May 4th, 2013, Schwinn Bikes' Helmets on Heads education campaign is teaming up with the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation for a free helmet fitting program. Schwinn will also provide 300 free helmets to kids attending the program at the Oregon Zoo.

Safe Kids Oregon Metro will have 10 safety activities booths set up at the event. Kids who visit at least eight of the booths will receive a free helmet from Schwinn. The kids will also be eligible for one of the two Schwinn bikes to be raffled off.

More info about the event is on the Oregon Zoo website.

Check out our recent articles on Portland's top bike shops and the Portland, Oregon, to Portland, London, Bike Ride.

Portland has several noteworthy chocolatiers, but Cacao's array of drinking chocolates may be among the most decadent offerings. If you're a chocolate lover, a mug -- or, better yet, a flight of each flavor -- of these exquisite concoctions is a must.

There are two Cacao locations, 414 SW 13th Avenue and in the Heathman Hotel at 712 SW Salmon Street. Read our full write-up for more information, and go treat your taste buds to something special.

Photo: Cacao Drinking Chocolate flight. ©Joshua Liberles

Spring is most definitely upon us here in Portland, as reflected by the plethora of outdoors goings-on. Street festivals abound, from the St Johns Bizarre to the Kenton Street Fair; MaiFest welcomes spring with a German flair; and Hood River pairs pears with wine at the annual Columbia Gorge Wine & Pear Festival. Both First Thursday, in the Pearl, and Last Thursday, in the Alberta Arts District, will be in full force this month.

Get info on all of the above, as well as a host of other worthwhile activities -- many of them free! -- in the May 2013 Events Calendar.

When a British group of architects, environmentalists and cyclists got together to plan a ride that's part research into effective cycling infrastructure used in various cities in the US, Ireland and UK, they picked one of North America's top cycling towns as the starting point: Portland, Oregon.

The Portland to Portland (P2P) ride shoved off from Portland, Oregon on Saturday, April 27th, and it crosses the country to New York. There participants hop on a boat before resuming the journey in Dublin, and pedaling on to London.

The cyclists will meet with policy makers and other cyclists in cities along the route, gathering data they can use to encourage cities to improve their cycling infrastructure. Read our full coverage of the ride, the charities supported, and see how you can follow along on the journey.

Also, be sure to check out our wrap-up of Portland's best bike shops.

Listen closely to breakfast-goers' laments, and you'll quickly learn that a Kettlemans left a hole when the bagel makers shuttered their doors (or, more precisely, sold out to the Einstein Bros chain).

Spielman Coffee Roasters & Bagels fills that void with aplomb, but satisfaction doesn't come cheap. Speilman's bagels are both excellent and distinct -- a Portland twist on the Montreal style -- and the house roasted coffee alone is worth the trip down to SE Division.

Read our full review of Speilman's bagels, and schmear over that hole in your soul.

Photo: Spielman's bagel lineup ©Joshua Liberles

What better place than Portland for a film festival filled with bicycle-themed shorts? The 11th Annual Filmed by Bike Festival hits the Clinton Theater April 2oth through 23rd, with a big kickoff New Belgium street party, films on everything from the annual Portland World Naked Bike Ride to a pedicab driver's last day on the job, and plenty of opportunities for folks to get interactive and express their bike love.

Bike parking is, of course, provided, so pedal your way down to celebrate two-wheelers of all shapes and sizes. Full festival passes are just $25! Check out more of the Filmed by Bike Festival details.

Photo: Filmed by Bike Festival Fabulousness ©Bike Ranger

Looking for New York style pizza here in Portland? Escape from New York has been serving up slices on NW 23rd since the early '80s, and many East Coasters claim that it's the real deal.

Read our full Escape from New York review, and experience East-meets-West in a completely different way. Also be sure to check out our list of the city's best pizzerias.

Photo: Escape from New York's slices ©Joshua Liberes