Skip to main content

Athlete Eats – C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers

Athlete Eats is our recently started monthly column where we speak to professional athletes about their favorite spots to eat when they are in their home city as well as on the road. If anyone knows the best spots to eat in a U.S. city, it’s going to be one of our sports stars.

Today, we are showcasing C.J. McCollum, the rookie shooting guard for the Portland Trail Blazers. After an impressive showing in the NBA Summer League, the talented twenty-two year old has been sidelined with a broken foot. McCollum is anxious to return to the Blazers, as they have taken the league by storm with a mix of young talent and great team chemistry and currently sit atop the standings in the NBA’s Western Conference.

Recommended Videos

We chatted with McCollum, who was a journalism major at Pennsylvania’s Lehigh University, about living and eating as an NBA rookie in Portland, one of America’s rising culinary centers.

Where are you in your rehabilitation process?

My foot is coming along fine. I had a CT scan this morning this morning and I’m just waiting to get the results and to have my doctor review them (Note: McCollum was cleared for three-on-three practice after this interview was conducted). But my rehab is progressing.

You must be anxious to get on the court, then? The team has been playing really well and has been the kind of “feel good” story of the league so far.

Yeah, I’m definitely anxious to get back out there. It’s hard to watch when the team is doing well, so I just try to keep my spirits up.

Is there an overall good vibe in the locker room? It seems like you guys have a good chemistry during the game and in interviews afterwards.

Everybody gets along pretty well. You know, they say that everything is good when you’re winning, so we really don’t have anything to complain about right now. But I think we have a tight-knit group and that all the guys are enjoying themselves right now.

Portland has become a very food-centric city. When you first got to town did people give you lists of places that you had to hit?

People gave me a lot of recommendations for places to go. I’ve been trying to get out as much as possible, but it’s tough right now during the season. I try to eat out at least one night a week somewhere so I can get a sense of the Portland vibe.

What are some of the places that you’ve been to so far?

OK, here we go. I’ve been to Tasty n Sons, Henry’s Tavern, Jake’s Famous Crawfish. I really like McCormick & Schmick’s. I haven’t been to Oba yet. I’m about to go there.

No Voodoo Doughnut?

Nah, I haven’t been to Voodoo yet.

Maybe after the season?

(Laughs.) Yeah, I think so.

When you’re on the road, do you go out a lot or is it more of a room service type of thing?

I’ve done some eating out on the road, but it’s more a room service type thing. I try to eat lighter.

During the season is there a certain diet you follow? I know a lot of teams have nutritionists and a lot of players try not to eat unnatural sugars.

Yeah, we have restrictions from our nutritionists. I don’t have unnatural sugars and I stay away from caffeine. I try to stay away from anything greasy or fried, which is…it’s a process.

What was the hardest thing to cut out of your diet?

I’d have to say fried chicken and a lot of the greasy kinds of pork dishes.

Is there anyone on the team that you go out to eat with?

We mix it up. I went to Departure [in Portland] with Damian [Lillard]. That’s a good spot. I’ve been out to eat with Myers Leonard. I go out to eat with my strength and conditioning coach, Ben Kenyon, as well. You know, the guys that like to go out to eat will go out to eat.

You were a journalism major at Lehigh and you’ve written for a bunch of publications (Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, Maxim, ESPN.com) already. Is there someplace you’ve always thought about working for if you were a full-time journalist?

I haven’t really thought about one particular place. I was always more interested in being in front of the camera and being a sports broadcaster. But I honestly would feel comfortable writing for anyone.

Who are your favorite sports broadcasters?

That’s a tough a question! For play-by-play, I have to say that I like the guy who does the Brooklyn Nets games…

Ian Eagle?

Yeah, Ian Eagle. I really like him. And then in terms of analysis, I would say that I like Jalen Rose and Magic Johnson. And I think that Charles Barkley is really funny. But, man, that’s a tough question.

Matt Domino
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matt Domino is a writer living in Brooklyn. His fiction has appeared in Slice and The Montreal Review, while his non-fiction…
Don’t be afraid of using Scotch in cocktails – these bartenders show you how
Beatnick on the River

As today is National Cocktail Day, lots of us will be reaching for our home bars to try out something new. That could be working with a new spirit or an unusual liqueur -- or even digging in the garden for some fresh herbs to add to a mixing glass. But there's one spirit which plenty of people enjoy drinking but rarely mix with, and that's Scotch.

Scotch is most often enjoyed neat, and it used to be the case that even thinking about mixing with it was considering wasteful and unsophisticated. But that time has passed, and now plenty of bartenders and experts are interested in what this powerful, smokey whisky style can add to a cocktail.

Read more
AeroPress Clear XL is here— and it’s bigger, sleeker, & clearer
A crystal-clear, extra-large brewer
AeroPress Clear XL

The renowned AeroPress, a manual brewing system that quickly brews bold coffee, has launched an even bigger, sleeker, and clearer model. The AeroPress Clear XL is the latest evolution of its popular AeroPress Clear, which now features a 20-ounce capacity. After the launch of the AeroPress Clear, fans of this brewing system requested a larger version for bigger brews. The new AeroPress Clear XL expands on the convenience and innovation of the original model, offering a larger size without compromising the brew's taste. The precise, see-through nature of this design is excellent for watching the brewing process from start to finish (an aesthetically pleasing feature I can surely appreciate)

Made in the USA, the AeroPress Clear XL offers a simple yet effective brewing process for home and cafe use. It uses the brand's revolutionary 3-in-1 brewing technology to ensure the signature smooth, full-bodied, grit-free coffee that AeroPress is known for. You can even travel with this brewer, ensuring you have access to a quality cup of coffee anywhere. Like the other AeroPress Clear sizes, the XL is shatterproof and dishwasher-safe for easy, efficient cleaning and use. The AeroPress Clear XL retails for $89.95 and is available now for purchase (or to gift to the coffee lover in your life).

Read more
Want to sound like a wine pro? The wine buzzwords of 2025 you ought to know
The descriptors you should comprehend
Erin Lindstone.

In wine, it pays to know what you're talking about. You can get lost in the lingo and end up with something you never would have ordered. But, if you crack the code, you'll be in with the cool wine kids and enjoying exactly what you were after.

Now, there's helpful wine terminology, which can help you navigate the field. But there are also buzzwords — descriptors sommelier-types like to throw at wine to paint a better picture of its build, style, or texture. This story is focused on the latter and will set you up to converse in even the hippest wine bars in the land.

Read more