Samantha Bakall

Samantha Bakall

Portland Contributor

Samantha is a queer, second-gen Chinese American journalist and strategic communications leader living in Portland, Oregon. From 2013 to 2018, she worked for The Oregonian and was the only staff food writer of color in the state, and has since worked as a freelance writer specializing in equity-based food issues, particularly about the AAPI diaspora in the Pacific Northwest, alongside nonprofit social justice work. When not sharing her opinions on food with all her friends, you can find her in the great outdoors where she’s still sharing her thoughts, just without cell service.

Fun Facts

  • Lives in
    Portland, OR
  • First Resy ever made
    The Gold Room in 2022.
  • Drink of choice
    Almost any old fashioned or Manhattan.
  • Favorite food city
    Chicago (my hometown, I’m biased).
  • Restaurant you’ve been to the most
    Cafe Olli.
  • Favorite food movie
    “Ratatouille.”
  • Last meal on earth
    A Frankensteinian menu of sashimi, salt-and-pepper head-on shrimp from Honeymoon Cafe in Chicago, butter chicken, a sausage and giardiniera tavern-style pizza from Vito & Nick’s, hot pot, and boxed yellow cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

Recent Posts


The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

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The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in Jan. 2026

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

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Best of The Hit ListPortland

The 10 Restaurants That Defined Portland Dining in 2025

We asked our contributors to the Resy Hit List to share their top dining experiences in their cities this year —…

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The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in Nov. 2025

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

By Updated:

The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in Oct. 2025

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

By Updated:

The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in Sept. 2025

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

By Updated:

The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in August 2025

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

By Updated:

The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in July 2025

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

By Updated:

The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in June 2025

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

By Updated:

The Hit ListPortland

The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in May 2025

There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an…

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