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


Photo courtesy of Lovely Rita

The Hit List   Portland

The November Hit List: Casa Zoraya, Lovely Rita, Baon Kainan, and More

The dreary, rainy days of fall are finally here. And though the weather isn’t particularly inspiring, there are plenty of…

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Photo courtesy of Miss Delta

The Hit List   Portland

The October Hit List: Miss Delta, Fish & Rice, Verdigris, and More

As the first full month of fall, October in Portland always feels like both a mourning of summer and a…

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Photo courtesy of Voysey

The Hit List   Portland

The September Hit List: Bamboo Sushi, Voysey, Canard, and More

After blissful, warm and sunny Portland days (and this year a few too many on the warm side), September brings…

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Photo courtesy of Jacqueline

The Hit List   Portland

The August Hit List: Apizza Scholls, Jacqueline, Firehouse, and More

Pandemic or not, summer in Portland is all about patios. From Moore Alley’s back-alley cheesesteak and coffee cart duo to…

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Photo courtesy of Oma's Hideaway

The Hit List   Portland

The July Hit List: Oma’s Hideaway, Ox, Street Disco, and More

The summer heat came early this year, bringing beautiful berries, stone fruit, tomatoes, and the best of the Northwest’s growing…

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Courtesy of Takibi

The Hit List   Portland

The June Hit List: Artigiano, Takibi, Principe Maya, Meals 4 Heels, and More

It’s officially summertime in the Portland. With long, sunny days pushing 9 p.m., there’s more time than ever to head…

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The cakes stack high at Papa Haydn.

The Hit List   Portland

The May Hit List: Gino’s, Papa Haydn, Da Pine Grinds, and More

Rising temps and longer, sunnier days only mean one thing in Portland: patio season is back. Between more restaurants than…

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Courtesy of Montelupo Italian Market.

The Hit List   Portland

The April Hit List: Verdigris, Montelupo, Tope, Raij PDX, and More

It’s finally spring in Portland! After slogging through months of gray and rain (OK, we still have some of those…

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The bento at Shizuku by Chef Naoko

The Hit List   Portland

The March Hit List, Lunch Edition: Nacheaux, Huber’s Cafe, Stone Soup, and More

Lunch: a meal sometimes so overlooked we merge it with breakfast, or get so caught up in other things we…

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Courtesy Apizza Scholls

The Hit List   Portland

The February Hit List: Nimblefish, Apizza Scholls, Firehouse, and More

After enduring almost a year of constant adjustments to pandemic indoor-outdoor dining rules, and sky-high delivery fees, Portland restaurants have…

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