As the Chef and Owner of Magna Kusina in Portland, OR, Chef Carlo Lamagna is a busy guy. After all, he was just named one of Food & Wineโs Best New Chefs. Most days, he spends his time crafting delicious Filipino food at his restaurant. But when he has a day off, he jumps at the opportunity to eat, drink, hike, and even do Jiu Jitsu around the city he loves. We asked Chef Carlo what he would do in Portland if he wasnโt bound by the constraints of time, traffic, or stomach space.
Deadstock CoffeeโYou know, when you wake up, you gotta get some coffee. I would definitely hit up Deadstock. Itโs an amazing business supporting the BIPOC community, and their outdoor space is great.โ
โAs for what Iโm ordering, Iโm a simple guy: just an Americano.โ
JinjuโFor a pastry, Jinju is a canโt miss. Itโs owned by two Koreans: one is a master pastry chef and the other is a master chocolatier, so you really canโt go wrong with anything you order.โ
โBut for me: Iโm getting their mushroom tart, and well, a salted caramel bar just because, you know, weโre there already.โ
Forest ParkโI would definitely go for a quick hike to work off the big breakfast, just because there are so many great trails to hike around Portland. Thereโs Forest Park, up in the hills of Portland and it has seventy-some-odd miles of hiking and it overlooks the entire city of Portland.โ
Hร VLโFor lunch, Iโm headed to Hร VL and Iโm grabbing whatever soup they're serving that day. So they only serve two soups a day and if they run out, they run out.โ
โHร VL is actually family owned and now they have another spot called Rose VL. The Dad, he was a former CIA Agent during the Vietnam War. So after that he came to the US and opened these amazing noodle soup restaurants. He made enough money to bring his whole family to the US , and now his kids run it. Itโs bomb.โ
Renzo GracieโAfter a lunch like that, I probably need a nap. But not today. Iโm gonna go do Jiu Jitsu at Renzo Gracie. Iโve been doing Jiu Jitsu for 23 years and I still get my ass kicked.โ
St. JackโIโll need a drink after that so Iโm headed to St. Jack. Itโs a little French restaurant, so Iโll just sit at the bar for a bit and have an aperitivo and their pรขtรฉ of the day or maybe some charcuterie to snack on.โ
UrdanetaโFrom there, Iโll probably bounce around a bit, but Urdaneta is a must. Itโs a Spanish joint and I would just rock their tapas. Itโs always a variety of traditional and non-traditional dishes, and I would just eat and drink the night away. Gilda, which is an olive, anchovy, and tomato breadโitโs one of my top dishes everโand some Spanish red wineโmaybe some Croquetes de Jamonโmuy delicioso.โ
The Rum ClubโTo close this amazing day, Iโll grab a cocktail at The Rum Club, which as the name suggests, is a super chill that serves great, Rum-forward drinks. Itโs just such an amazing vibe though, thereโs really chill palm outdoor seating and all of the bartenders over there are just really great and super talented at crafting balanced cocktails.โ