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Mattie John Bamman

Mattie John Bamman is a culinary-travel author and freelance writer focused on the Pacific Northwest, Italy, and the Balkans. Wine, wilderness, and words brought him to Portland, Oregon, where he regularly contributes to Northwest Travel Magazine and serves as editor of the Big Weekend Calendars Portland events calendar.

Articles by Mattie

Cremo Beard Care

Portland's 11 Best Old-School Barbershops

Old-school barbering is in full effect in Portland, and just like our food scene, our barbershops have created a movement that is spreading across the nation.

Cremo Beard Care

By Mattie John Bamman

A Cheese Lover’s Guide to Portland

Portland chefs use cheese better than MacGyver uses paperclips, so this article is long overdue: time to unleash the most creative uses of cheese in Portland.

By Mattie John Bamman

By Mattie John Bamman

Portland’s 15 Best Parks, Ranked

Portland's parks aren't just pretty.

By Mattie John Bamman

By Mattie John Bamman

The World’s 50 Most Meaningful Cheeses, Ranked

Just try and ask a cheesemonger to list the top 50 most meaningful cheeses.

By Mattie John Bamman

By Mattie John Bamman

Portland’s 13 Best New Burgers

Just like 10% of Portland’s population, all of the burgers on this list appeared in the city in the last two to four months.

By Mattie John Bamman

By Mattie John Bamman

The 9 Best Steak Joints in Portland

While Portland may be lacking in traditional steakhouses, it’s more than overflowing with great steaks.

By Mattie John Bamman

By Mattie John Bamman

11 Portland Road Trips That Are Actually Worth Taking

Let's face it, being surrounded by road trips is one of the things that makes Portland Portland, but everyone's always talking about the same road trips: take a drive to Cannon Beach, Willamette Valley, Timberline Lodge...

By Mattie John Bamman

By Mattie John Bamman

The 8 Best Izakaya (Japanese-Style Taverns) in Portland

Because Japan and America go together like... um, Tom Selleck and that movie where he moves to Japan, it should be no surprise that a slew of that country's sweetest kind of drinking establishment, izakaya, are showing up stateside, especially in booze happy Portland.

By Mattie John Bamman