The Mighty Gastropolis: Portland: A Journey Through the Center of America's New Food Revolution Paperback – December 26, 2012

It's almost impossible to grasp the non-stop carnival of food in Portland, but Karen Brooks does a marvelous job of capturing the spirit that comes from the personalities behind one of the most exciting--if not THE most exciting--food cities in the USA.This is absolute required reading for anyone into Portland's food scene, and a must-read for anyone living in Portland. If anyone is not aware of what's going on here while they go about their daily lives, this will be an eye-opener. For anyone outside of Portland who has an interest in food, or spends any time watching Bourdain or any of the chef-based Food Network shows, this should cause a flurry of activity on Expedia. (The local travel bureaus should be very thankful for this book.)I have interviewed a few of the subjects profiled in The Mighty Gastropolis. Karen digs deep into the chefs' and the artisans' backgrounds, giving us a new appreciation for the restaurants and shops we visit. These are obsessed talented folks who do what they do incredibly well. And their obsessions are our gain (experiential AND on the scale!) Thanks to Karen for giving us cause to appreciate the bounty -- and the talent -- we have here in Oregon.I'm not a voracious book reader by any means. But this one I consumed in two sittings the day it was released. I will be going back to read it again, and will someday foray into the recipes. As someone who has a small business built around showcasing the people who make up the Portland food scene, many of whom are in this delicious book, I can't recommend The Mighty Gastropolis more emphatically than to say put down your fork and pick up your reader.Don't worry, it'll all still be there when you're done.

In short, this book is a must read!Not only does Karen Brooks write pregnant phrases like "pork is the new salmon" in the Northwest--not a slim insight for a writer who cut her eye teeth as a writer on one of the earliest vegetarian cook books--she does so with an incisive analysis of a scene that not only represents a sea change in Portland, it symbolizes a revolution in eating in America. It is about "democracy in America" where the "prophets" of cuisine are dressed down (like all the prophets were) uttering new truths about not only what to eat and how to cook, but how to eat. This is a revolutionary response to "fast food living" that incorporates the American struggle for finding home, nourishment and joy at prices attainable for the common man (and woman). In fact, Ms. Brooks is the prophet spirit herself, who perceived the revolution as it was happening on the ground, and in highlighting it, brought it momentum. Kudos to the achievement! This book is way, way beyond a travelogue in import, but anyone wanting to know how to live in Portland, wanting to visit, wanting to bring some of Portland's revolution to where they live, should be nourished by this book.

This book is unique in the fact that you can tell Karen Brook's actually knows and cares about every business in it. The pictures are personal and beautiful, the stories are informational and interesting. I've even tried some of the recipes and they're amazing! Da Sterling Bombs by Two Tarts Bakery (pg. 171) were a personal favorite. One other really great feature is the cover. The back side is map of Portland with all the places in the book highlighted. Truly a wonderful purchase and I recommend anyone involved with anything Portland to buy it!

I bought this as a gift for my brother and sister-in-law. They had to move away from Portland and I thought this book would be a great way to bring the food to them. Some of the recipes are very creative and might be difficult to get all of the ingredients in their new city, but they seem to really enjoy it!

This book features excellent food writing about the emergence of Portland as a culinary mecca. It features many of the chefs and food styles that have made Portland a great food city. While I do not live in Portland, I have visited many, many times, and frequent restaurants of all price levels when I visit. This book does a great job of capturing the eclectic and interesting food vibe that is Portland and includes some excellent recipes by some of Portland's most well known chefs.

My wife and I honeymooned in Portland and Seattle a few years back pretty much because of our love of food. This book takes me right back there from the nose to tail restaurants, the bakeries, to the food carts. Usually food books about a city come up short on depth but this one does a great job of bringing these chefs passion for what they do to the forefront. Love it.

The Mighty Gastropolis: Portland: A Journey through the Center of America's New Food Revolution.This is a bubbly, fun, well written romp through Portland's food scene and why it is in the unlikely forefront of new ideas about how to cook, how to serve and how to eat food of every kind.

Very interesting and well written review of the dining experience in one of the most intriguing cities in the world (I live in Vancouver BC).The book was delivered promptly and was in great condition