Generally, I’d say I enjoy GQ magazine. It’s just that I can’t afford the lifestyle they espouse. Were I a wealthy man, I’d be lousy with Brioni Suits, Dolce & Gabbana shades, Rolex watches, and surfeit of brand name scents, creams, cravats and hats. But unfortunately my strides to be a gentleman of style have been stymied. My 1975 Mercedes Coupe developed a fatal engine syndrome and was sold yesterday for a couple hundred bucks. My suit costs too much to dry clean and is therefore worn infrequently. My dress shirts are all missing buttons and my shoes are unpolished. I’m left with the dregs of my wardrobe, which prompted one co-worker to comment recently, “You wear a lot of rainbows.” I do try to remain a gentleman though, in spirit if not in lifestyle.

So imagine how pleased I was to learn that I have something that GQ readers now only wish they could have: a job eating in “America’s Newest—And Gutsiest—Food City.”

That title can be found in the recent issue of GQ with a favorably fawning take on the food scene in our little burg. The piece covers the basics—Bunk, Paley’s, Toro Bravo, 2 Pok/Ping, etc.—but is not without its cynical (yet true) asides:

Ramps and yuzu have taken their place beside Gore-Tex and Nalgene as hallmarks of Portland lifestyle.

Then later:

There are plenty of reasons to be dubious about Western-run Asian restaurants, especially those in a city as strikingly un-ethnically diverse as Portland.

And regarding Paley’s place:

…which at nearly a decade and a half old, qualifies as one of Portland’s grand old institutions.

Okay, maybe "cynical" is a stretch. I’m just a bit overly sensitive considering this is the only thread of GQ cred I have.

Of course the piece left out about as much as it covered, but for out-of-towners it’s a fine primer to our city's food scene. I only hope that when the hordes of gentlemen begin arriving on our streets—littering the mud-puddles with cloaks they have graciously laid down for ladies in fancy shoes—that they venture a bit further afield than the safe choices presented in the article. There is so much more in this city to explore.

Check out the full article here.