Portland: Crowd control

Portland’s food is for everyone. Only a handful of restaurants charge over $28 a plate or need to be booked more than a few days in advance, and the 600 or so food trucks represent true dining democracy. Plus, restaurants are easy to get to, thanks to P-Town’s ferocious commitment to public transit and lack of sprawl (something to keep in mind when you’re sitting in Seattle traffic). The only time you might have to wait to be seated is brunch.

Score: 9