Morgan Joffe is the Instagrammer behind the handle @foodie.passport, and her insights into the local food scene have landed her appearances everywhere from KATU to BuzzFeed.
After moving to Portland in 2011, Morgan went on the hunt for the freshest, newest, most delectable dishes in town — and more than 10,000 Portlanders now follow her in her quest.
I met up with Morgan to talk about her Instagram presence and what makes the Portland food scene so unique. Read on for the Q&A, or check out our video ☝️ where Morgan gives us the inside scoop on must-experience dishes at Pine Street Market.
How did you come up with the Instagram handle @foodie.passport?
I came up with it because I love to travel and I love to eat. I like doing both at the same time so I just thought that would be a good way to combine it because a lot of times, those two often go together. That’s why I travel.
How did you become a foodie influencer?
To be honest, I don’t consider myself an influencer. I know people do go to places based on my recommendations, but I just consider people who follow me my friends because we share a lot of things back and forth. I’ll ask people for recommendations and try it out and I like to have that community of sharing what’s new in the city.
Do you get inspired by some of the dishes that you try?
Yeah, especially the veggie-heavy dishes because I’m not a huge meat-eater. There are so many vegan and vegetarian places that it kind of gets the juices flowing so that when you’re at home, you can recreate some of your favorite dishes.
Do you have a culinary background?
I have no culinary background, but I love to eat. I like seeing how creative chefs can be, and I actually hated cooking when I was little and I started enjoying food when I was in my 20s living in L.A. I tried sushi for the first time and it changed my life. Ever since then, I’ve been trying new things.
What did you think of Pine Street Market when you first walked into it?
A lot of other big cities have these food halls and we just never had one. I was really excited at this concept to have so many different places to choose for lunch. And every time a new place would open, I would come for the opening and I’ve been coming back ever since.
What tips do you have for folks when eating out in Portland?
My best tip is making a list of places you want to eat at on your phone because you never know when you’ll need it. I organized mine by neighborhood—that way it’s easy to reference.