Restaurant Recommendations

blackc5 · #1 Posted **Oct 23, 2007, 12:30 AM**

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 · #2 Posted **Oct 23, 2007, 3:50 AM**

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 · #3 Posted **Oct 23, 2007, 9:02 PM**

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 · #4 Posted **Oct 23, 2007, 9:14 PM**

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 · #5 Posted **Oct 23, 2007, 9:28 PM**

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 · #6 Posted **Oct 24, 2007, 3:38 AM**

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 · #7 Posted **Oct 24, 2007, 5:56 AM**

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 · #8 Posted **Oct 24, 2007, 6:44 AM**

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

zilfondel · #9 Posted **Oct 24, 2007, 9:01 AM**

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

Course he lives around the corner from it!

blackc5 · #10 Posted **Oct 24, 2007, 9:50 PM**

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 · #11 Posted **Dec 13, 2008, 6:21 AM**

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 · #12 Posted **Dec 13, 2008, 7:44 AM**

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 · #13 Posted **Dec 14, 2008, 1:53 AM**

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

65MAX · #14 Posted **Dec 14, 2008, 4:58 AM**

Alberta Street Oyster Bar closed.

MarkDaMan · #15 Posted **Dec 14, 2008, 5:40 AM**

^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 · #16 Posted **Dec 14, 2008, 10:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · #17 Posted **Dec 15, 2008, 2:12 AM**

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 · #18 Posted **Dec 15, 2008, 2:13 AM**

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

tworivers · #19 Posted **Dec 15, 2008, 6:14 AM**

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 · #20 Posted **Dec 15, 2008, 7:23 PM**

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.