If you’re the kind of traveler so interested in food that the word “foodie” makes you shudder a little, it’s time to schedule a trip to Portland, Ore.

Autumn is the best time to visit this city of about 500,000 people, which perches atop many lists as the greenest, fittest, most livable and best designed city in the country. Portland also is the motherland of James Beard, the father of American gastronomy, and it’s a place for food lovers visit who want to eat well and dress down.

But I’m jumping ahead. First, start your day with breakfast at the elegant, European-styled Everett Street Bistro, which has freshly squeezed juices, Grand Marnier French Toast, or a scramble made with local Viande chorizo, and nearby Tillamook cheddar. Wash it all down with Sleepy Monk coffee from the Oregon coast town of Cannon Beach.