I'm headed to Portland this weekend, for the first time, to hang with my sister (Freshman at Reed College) and check out XOXO. Any recommendations? Where do the locals go?

Coffee: Extracto first and foremost, then Heart on Burnside, Barista, and most smaller shops will do you right.

Food: I'm vegan so I can't tell you where to get a good steak (though Beast does amazing on-site butcher work and I hear it's great.) Don't miss Sizzle Pie for pizza — best in town, there are some great carts and I think Andy has them all going to XOXO, Sweet Hereafter for pub food, and make sure you check out the scene up on Alberta...loads of good food up that way.

Tough questions.

My favorite food place is Swagat. I've been to India twice and it has the best Indian food I've had in the US.

My favorite beer place is Bailey's Taproom. It's all regional microbrews, and they rotate what's on tap regularly. Plus they have a neat leaderboard for beer consumption. Get a sampler to try six beers at once.

Both of these recommendations are within walking distance of the Pearl, which I think is where XOXO is. You should definitely make it to the NE too (e.g. Mississippi or Alberta) as it's where the young'uns hang out.

Oh, and for walking, your two best options are the waterfront + East Bank Esplanade, which is accessible from downtown, or Forest Park Thurman Gate, which you might need transportation to if you don't want a *really* long walk.

Restaurants: I always favor Asian food over almost anything else. For an extremely popular (and always delicious) restaurant go to Pok Pok. Since it will be the weekend it's super busy, put your name on the list and then go across the street to the Whiskey Soda lounge for cocktails (A+) and appetizers (get the frog legs!). For Vietnamese: Luc Lac is awesome. Fun atmosphere and ambiance and realllly good food. For Thai/fusion: try Jade Bistro and Tea House in Sellwood. Also awesome: Montage.

Bars: Dig a Pony, Eastburn and Rontoms are my favorite (all on the eastside of town). Eastburn is especially fun and has a good crowd. And, you can go out back and sit on swings instead of chairs. Because drinking isn't fun enough by itself. ;)

For other stuff to do (in between eating): Powell's Books, Saturday Market (mostly for people watching), hike Forest Park, people watch on 23rd or Belmont or Alberta, beer taste at a microbrewery.

Montage is overrated ;) +1 for Luc Lac though.

How can alligator and leftovers folded into an aluminum foil swan be overrated? Plus you get to sit at long, last-supper-esqe dining tables, drink wine and pretend you're Jesus.

If you got a car, id recc going out to the columbia river gorge to hike. lots of destinations but my fav one is munra point. i do it every time im back home. perfect sat morning (4hrs total). within 45 mins of portland. stop at edgefield mcmenamins on your way back for a burger and beer.

This is really awesome. Thanks so much for the recs everyone. The festival just put out a city guide too: