Restaurant Recommendations

[blackc5]

Howdy Portlanders! I am going to be making a weekend trip down to Portland here in a few weeks, and was hoping for some recommendations on good restaurants. I have been to a few places in the Pearl like Andina and the sitdown Vietnamese place (Silk?), both of which were quite good.

I will mainly be in the Pearl/Downtown area again, but willing to explore other areas, especially if it is on/near a streetcar line. Preferring to find some good local places that have great food at reasonable prices and maybe a good brew pub or something as well. Hidden gems if you will.

THanks all! :)

[tworivers]

Here are a few recommendations:

Toro Bravo, on N Russell next to the Wonder Ballroom. You can take the Yellow Line MAX to the Mississippi stop and walk east on Russell. Affordable and utterly delicious.

Clyde Common, in the Ace downtown. If you only eat out twice, make it here and Toro Bravo.

Le Pigeon, E Burnside and 8th. An easy walk over the bridge from downtown. Go across the street afterwards to Rocket's outside balcony (top floor 10th/Bside) for a beer if the weather is nice.

If you get up to the Mississippi area: Lovely Hula Hands, just north of Shaver.

For breakfast, try the oyster omelet at Bijou, SW 3rd and Pine next to Stumptown Coffee. YUM. Worth the $12.75.

Ken's Artisan Bakery, NW 21st and Flanders, is always a good bet for a late breakfast or lunch.

For what I humbly suggest is the best burger in town, go to the Bluehour happy hour, every day between 3:30 and 6:30 (NW 13th, next to PICA). You have to ask for the burger because it's not on the happy hour menu, and you can request the seasonal vegetable or a salad instead of fries. All for $6. Beware the $6.50 beers though.

One can never go wrong with the Higgins bistro, SW Broadway and Jefferson.
Make sure you're in the more casual and affordable bistro, not the main restaurant.

Last but not least, pay a visit to Cacao, SW 13th between Stark and Washington up the street from American Apparel. Great place to get a buzz on with a combo double shot of espresso + shot of spicy drinking chocolate.

Enjoy.

[brandonpdx]

Higgins: which is downtown has incredible local food. it's a bit spendy though. they have a great bar and beer list as well.
Masu for sushi is a fun place but Hiroshi in the Pearl has probably the best Sushi in town but it is spendy.
Henrys has an incredible beer list: 100 on tap! but you'll have to excuse the meat market going on around you.
Bridgeport and Rouge, both in the Pearl are good brew pubs.
The new Old Lampoc and Laurelwood are 2 good brew pubs on 23rd.
Kenny & Zukes is also a new jewish deli that opened up DT that is good.

enjoy

[blackc5]

Great - thanks for the awesome recommendations. I will definitely check as many of those out as I can. It is basically just a shopping and eating trip, so should be able to make the rounds pretty nicely. Feel free to suggest others if anyone else stumbles upon this. Still a few weeks before the trip.

[PacificNW]

Pick up a copy of the November issue of the Portland Monthly ( http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com ) @ your newsstand...or @ a newsstand here in PDX. It lists their choices of the top eating establishments in PDX. Also, Willamette Week has their restaurant guide for 2007. http://www.willametteweek.com/ Have fun!

[Okstate]

If you're going with someone i'd check out Portland City Grill only for the awesome view. I had a great dinner when i checked out PDX last December, however, on a potential tight budget & so many other better dining options, you can probably skip a meal and just enjoy an appetizer & drinks there. Also, another thing that i've never heard discussed on this board is Portlands comedy club in Old Town. It was probably one of the highlights of my trip (of course the comedians were top notch that night)

[SpongeG]

does anyone know the name of a German Restaurant - it has quite the well known reputation

i don't know if its the same place my parents went to when i was a kid or not - but they have huge portions and amazing food and beer

a friend of mine was recommended a German place but we couldn't remember the name to find it

[tworivers]

^^^ Probably Berlin Inn on Powell or Rheinlander on Sandy. Never been to either one...

[zilfondel]

My friends rave about the Berlin Inn's sausages...

Course he lives around the corner from it!

[blackc5]

BTW, was looking for the Willamette Week guide Pacific Northwest mentioned and found the direct link if anyone else wasn't aware:

http://www.wweek.com/editorial/3349/9697/

And thanks for the idea about the comedy club Okstate - that is a great idea.

[Okstate]

Where is a good spot to get an oyster fix besides alberta and dan/louis? I'm looking for something low key if it exists.

[nobody]

Go to Eat on Williams and Failing. It's in the middle of the building that has the Lincoln Restaurant on the corner. Looks tiny from the street/sidewalk but good sized inside.

It's new-ish, really cool inside. Tons of tasty oysters. I like the setting a lot, really relaxed, sometimes has a small band playing, but otherwise just a cool low-key place.

[Okstate]

^Thanks. I'll be there tomorrow if they're open sundays.

[65MAX]

Alberta Street Oyster Bar closed.

[MarkDaMan]

^Oyster Bar on Ankeny is Dan & Louis I think...so I won't recommend that...although it is DELISH...

Fish Grotto on Portland is good, but expensive.

Know of a place in Seaside and also in Long Beach, WA that has good Oysters.

[IanofCascadia]

^Oyster Bar on Ankeny is Dan & Louis I think...so I won't recommend that...although it is DELISH...

Fish Grotto on Portland is good, but expensive.

Know of a place in Seaside and also in Long Beach, WA that has good Oysters.

Doogers, I think you mean. I actually like McGrath's Fish House a lot better... unfortunately there isn't one in Portland yet.

I have heard great reviews of the Hawthorn Fish House, but have never been there personally.

[PDX City-State]

Sorry, but I must inject a tad bit of food snobbery.

Fish Grotto is terrible. McGrath's is a chain. Dan and Louis Oyster Bar is also pretty shoddy, and really expensive for what it is. Portland is one of the best food cities in the country, and not due to any of the aforementioned restaurants, none of which made Willamette Week's top 100.

If you must eat seafood on Stark Street, try Jake's. Expect nothing innovative, and most things will be covered in a heavy cream sauce, but it's pretty classic and kind of fun. The best place to eat in that area is Ten 01. Not only do they serve dollar oysters during happy hour, their cauliflower soup with lamp sausage and curry oil is other worldly. They also have this phenomenal bacon wrapped pork belly with garlic puree and beluga lentils... mind blowing. Anything the chef does with seafood is unforgetable, and the desserts were recently named the best in Portland by Willamette Week's restaurant guide.

Clyde common is another place to go on Stark Street. They have really nice housemade pastas and everything is sharable. It's the type of place you can indulge in a burger and beer, or a tourchon of foie gras with sauternes...very versatile; a kind of place for every occasion. On the other end of the block, Kenny and Zuke's serves traditional New York Jewish deli fare with giant pastrami sandwiches, reubens, matzo ball soup, and great bagels. Stumptown Coffee Roasters is located next door. It's considered by many authorities to be among the best coffee roasters in the country.

Someone else mentioned Cacao on 13th and Stark, and I must second that. They have hundreds of chocolates that can't be found anywhere else in the NW, and their drinking chocolate can be life changing. Think 67% Bolivian Cru Savage dark chocolate with milk and creme. It's thick and best eaten with a spoon.

For classic NW fare, you can't go wrong with Paley's Place, widely considered to be the best restaurant in Portland. (and mentioned above). It's been around 13 years, but it's still on the cutting edge. Wildwood also has similar cred, but it's simply not what it used to be. Higgin's bistro has an incredible burger, and more than 150 Belgians.

On the East Side, Le Pigeon can't be beat. Simpatica is nice price fixed, but one must reserve ahead of time. Pok Pok is fantasic SE Asian, Lauro is a sure bet for NW-inspired Mediterranean, and Lovely Hula Hands features the former sous chef of Ches Panisse. His food is just as good, and half as cheap. Toro Bravo, Beast, Navarre, Ken's Artisan Pizza, Apizza Scholl's, Sel Gris, Nuestra Cocina, Castagna, Clarklewis, Biwa, Nostrana, and Noble Rot are all sure bets.

For pastries, try Little T's on Division and you won't find a more unique brunch than Broder. Coffeehouse NW has the best coffee on the West side, and for a quick slice, try Hot Lips.

Portland doesn't have much in the way of big cultural amenities or major league sports, but its food scene hangs with any in the country. And if you were to come here and miss out on that, that would be a shame.

[PDX City-State]

Oh, and Alberta Street Oyster Bar reopened in October. It's better than ever.

[tworivers]

I second pdxcitystate's recommendation of ten01's happy hour! The Thai pork ribs are delectable, as is the butter lettuce with anchovies and the chorizo burger topped with a fried egg. Incredible value for top-notch food. I'll have to try the cauliflower soup next time.

Also, bluehour's burger (with salad, fries, or seasonal veggies) is only $6 during their happy hour and I think it is the best in town.

[PDX City-State]

Agreed Two Rivers. The Bluehour burger is stellar, though I've found that quality has slipped a bit on the Bluehour menu in recent years.

Whatever you do, avoid at all costs brunch at the Everett Street Bistro. I went there this weekend, and it was terrible. Small portions, perfunctory service, overcooked eggs, long ticket times, bad over-roasted coffee, ad what their hashbrowns are a culinary travesty. In stead of simple potatoes, they opt for a "hashbrown casserole," which is nothing more than shredded spuds in a pasty sauce that tastes like melted Laughing Cow cheese. It was just plain unacceptable.

The Pearl District lacks brunch options.

[brandonpdx]

^I agree about Everett Street
try Isabel's for a good proportionate breakfast that doesn't make you feel like you have to take a nap afterward

[65MAX]

Oh, and Alberta Street Oyster Bar reopened in October. It's better than ever.

That's great to hear. I really like that place. Thanks for the info, PDX.

[MarkDaMan]

Wasn't thinking Doogers...yuck! Ummm, name escapes me but it wasn't a chain, just a couple locations up and down the cost...I guess that makes it a chain. No, not Mos either.

I had good food at Fish Grotto, I've heard from many others their experience was not even mediocre.

[PDX City-State]

It's sad that there's not much good food on the Coast. A friend was telling me that with the way seafood distribution works, a lot of seafood consumed in places like Cannon Beach and Newport is actually first send to Portland distribution centers and shipped back to the Coast. Rather bass-ackwards...

There's a place in Cannon Beach owned by the folks who own Everett Street. It's called Gower Street Bistro, and it's absolutely terrible as well. French Bistro fare is pretty hard to screw up. You just need good ingredients (easy in Oregon), and a light touch. Mussels with fries, steak frittes, roasted brussel sprouts, and the like are pretty straight forward, and yet, both of these places manage to screw it up by trying to get inventive with what's already perfect. If you're going to innovate, it had better be better than the original.

[Okstate]

The ecola seafood restaurant (nevermind the name) in Cannon Beach was top notch the time i went. Was never thrilled with Mo's but then again i've never been to the original in Newport...maybe it has a better vibe.

[designpdx]

I would say that Local Ocean in Newport is very good, fresh, and local.

[PDX City-State]

Mo's is terrible. My mother tells me it used to be good.

You're right about Local Ocean. It's pretty good.

[Inkdaub]

Encanto in St. Johns is great New Mexican food.

Also if you come to PDX you have to try a few carts. My current favorite is Eurodish, which is Polish. My old favorite is right next door...I Love Thai Food...but the good people who ran it sold it and now I'm upset because they were my lunch buddies and always took good care of me. Chaat House is everybody's favorite Indian cart...perma-cart I guess. Whatever your taste...there's a cart for you.

[PDX City-State]

Encanto in St. Johns is great New Mexican food.

I'm bummed to hear about I Love Thai Food as that was my favorite cart too. Unfortunately, I have more bad news. Encanto closed in late November and will reopen as a Cuban restaurant.

[Okstate]

You may know the Oregonian has listed on their website "Positively Portland" restaurants including some well known listings...Clyde, Coffeehouse NW, Higgins etc.. I want some atmosphere/foodie reviews of what you guys perceive to be positively Portland places to eat/drink. From the limited couple weeks I've lived in Portland my absolute favorite place right now is Fire on the Mountain (probably the original location)

[nobody]

I used to live across the street from Fire on the Mountain and after a couple visits never went back. Do they have one thing on the menu that isn't fried to death?

[Okstate]

I don't think they fry their wings anymore than any other wing place but i could be wrong.

[Artist]

I've enjoyed Habibi's for good Lebanese food. Anyone know of other great Lebanese restaurants?

[Joeplayer19]

I've enjoyed Habibi's for good Lebanese food. Anyone know of other great Lebanese restaurants?

Nicholas is good, they have amazing pizza! http://nicholasrestaurant.com/ I believe Habibi was opened by a chef who worked at Nicholas, but I could be wrong. There is another place called Arabian breeze http://www.arabianbreezeportland.com/ that one is pretty good, I went there while the place was still under construction so I am sure it looks really good now. It was opened by the same people who opened Nicholas.

[urbanlife]

there is a great Lebanese cart at 4th and College and a great little restaurant being it on College as well. Both are worth stopping by. Neither are fancy, but they are damn tasty.

[philopdx]

I've enjoyed Habibi's for good Lebanese food. Anyone know of other great Lebanese restaurants?

My favorite place hands down is Karam on Stark Street. Not to be confused with Al-Amir right down the street, which I consider several rungs down on the totem pole.

http://karamrestaurant.com/

http://www.allmenus.com/or/portland/6189-karam-restaurant/menu/dinner/

[dkealoha]

Email I got today:

Ping Restaurant will open on Tuesday, February 17th.

Our hours of operation are 4pm to 10pm, Monday through Saturday.

We are located at 102 NW 4th Avenue on the corner of NW 4th and Couch in Chinatown.

Sorry, we do not accept reservations.

For more information please visit our website at: www.pingpdx.com

Ping Restaurant
102 NW 4th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97209

www.pingpdx.com


It is located in the old Hung Far Low building in China Town. I'm going to try to get a table tonight so I'll write up a little review when I get a chance.

From the Oregonian:
Pok-Pok owner and Wieden + Kennedy partner join forces for Chinatown eatery
Posted by dperry September 07, 2008 13:37PM


Pok Pok owner Andy Ricker is teaming with John C. Jay, Wieden+Kennedy's branding guru, and his fashion-designer wife Janet Jay to open Ping, a restaurant in Chinatown slated for winter 2008-2009.

Anyone who watched Pok Pok transform from take-out shack on Southeast Division to a popular restaurant at the top of Portland's competitive food scene (watch video above) has wondered: What's next for Ricker, a vision guy with impressive drive, business smarts and an uncanny feel for Asian street food.


Ping will be a casual hub for Asian snacking and drinking in the (now vacant) bottom floor of the Hung Far Low Building at 102-106 N.W. Fourth Ave. Unlike Pok Pok, Ricker says Ping will be a cross between a izakaya (Japanese pub) and a Southeast Asian cafe and coffeehouse.

The restaurant is part of the Jays' vision to rejuvenate and modernize Chinatown. Blogging from Beijing on Saturday, Portland mayor-elect Sam Adams wrote: "Portland uber creative guy John C. Jay thinks Portland's Old Town/Chinatown can be the North American hot spot for Asian contemporary culture and art, i.e. a modern Chinatown. To get a sense of what he was talking about, John suggested I check out Beijing's 798 Art District."

Adams found the district "weird and wonderful," and an inspiration for a smarter city. "I see why John Jay sees a fit for modern Asian art and culture in Portland, " writes Adams. "No other U.S. city has a lock on it."

Jay is Executive Creative Director/Partner at Wieden+Kennedy and a star in advertising circles, who travels regularly to China and Tokyo. The Jays will design the space, with Ricker overseeing the food. Another partner, Kurt Huffman, will handle operations. The group, HFL Project LLC, may expand their Chinatown restaurant reach in the future.

Meanwhile, Ricker will stay hands-on at Pok Pok - "that's not going to change," he says. But he sees Ping as a logical extension of his philosophy. "I'm not interested in trendy," says Ricker. "I'm interested in places that are timeless, that last forever, with really good quality."

[bvpcvm]

btw, there's a great forum of food snobs discussing various portland restaurants here (http://www.portlandfood.org/index.php?showforum=3). it's worth reading.

[Okstate]

Not a recommendation but a new bistro opening in the Pearl the 1st week of May. Metro Vino Next to Tanner Springs Park where the DF Mexican place used to be for those who remember. WWW.METROVINOPDX.COM