Where to eat in Porland OR? Come and share!

[mercoledi]

First I want to thank you all for your helpful suggestions in my other Portland thread; we now have a ridiculous and exciting list of things to do. But let''s get down to brass tacks, what/where do you love to eat?

DH and I eat almost everying. We''re ethnic food junkies. We''re casual slow food movement and local eaters. We''ve been known to come to blows over icecream.

So please share with us! Where''s your favorite taco truck? What''s the best Thai take out? Whose prix fixe is bar none? Which sushi place will put our east-coase sashimi to shame (probably all of them )?

Any and all suggestions are welcome, we''ve got six days of meals to fill!

 

[divergrrl]

Oooh! Glad I logged on! What part of town are you staying in?

My favorite locations in Portland:

The Pearl District
Sellwood
Multnomah...

Restaurants:

Greek food: Eleni''s (one location in the Pearl, one in Sellwood...mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, not your regular greek, but high end gourmet, its fabulous)

Ambiance: Portland City Grill. Best steak in town, very chi-chi, great views on the 30th floor of the US Bank Tower

Fun Bar: Henry''s on 12th (pearl district)

Standby: Papa Hayden''s (one on NW 23rd -- another great area a few blocks west of the pearl district) the dessert case is just insane

Quirky & Cool: McMenamin''s Kennedy School. The McMenamin brothers buy & renovate old abandoned buildings and create brewpubs with euro style lodging, movie theaters where you can down pints of beer and watch 2nd run movies for $3, get a great ahi steak sandwich or a burger.... nothing like their properties anywhere in the world...definitely a MUST SEE. Even if you just wander around the property, you can have a drink in any of the bars...choose the detention or honors bar!
http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=57&category=Location+Homepage

Best Sidecar in Portland: Oba! in the Pearl.

Best Pan-Asian fusion with killer happy hour: Silk in the Pearl. (I like the Pearl, can you tell? used to live in that hood...so I miss it)

Best Italian: Cafe Mingo on NW 21st...however, no reservations, small place, awesome food.

Best sushi: Saburo in Sellwood....no reservations, long waits, so worth it. (and I don''t wait for ANY FOOD)

Sightseeing: Multnomah Falls are beautiful, as are the Rose Gardens & the Japanese Gardens (both in Washington Park in downtown)

Powells'' Books on Burnside......its one of a kind. If you like books, you must make the pilgrimage.

ABC Jewelers, downtown.

Gilt on NW 23rd (she has an amazing and ever changing selection of fine estate jewelery at prices a pricescoper would love, but her stuff FLIES out the door, you either buy it or someone else will)


Everything is central to downtown, so let me know what else you might need!!!

have fun!

 

[divergrrl]

oooh i missed your love of ethnic food...

Best Indian: Bombay Cricket Club in Hawthorne (close in SE...very funky cool urban hippie neighborhood)

Thai: all our thai is good here...but I prefer Typhoon! on NW 23rd...Beau thai on NW 21st is wonderful ..

For breakfast, Mothers Bistro & Bar on 2nd & stark downtown Portland is NOT to be missed. mmmm. the french toast...oh my lord...I don''t know who I love more, it or my husband. LOL!

 

[mercoledi]

Thanks Diver! I was hoping you'd catch this. We're staying at the Kennedy School near Alameda ( I think that's where it is). Alameda/Irvington seems like a nice place to maybe live so we thought we'd really check it out. But we'll have a car, and I understand that public transport there is all aces.

Henry's on 12th was on our maybe list, I'll bump that up to GO.

Thanks for the rec's! It's so hard to find the *good* ethnic places in a new town!

 

[divergrrl]

Ooooh! Glad you are staying at the Kennedy School. I grew up in Alameda/Irvington and it IS a wonderful place to live. It used to be rougher by Kennedy School, (you really didn''t go any farther North than Prescott St.) but that''s changed. Its close in, urban, diverse, and the homes are old and charming. I think its a safe area (Portland''s violent crime rate has dropped to 1960''s levels) but it is the CITY so there is some crime, but really, compared to other cities, I think its fine--everyone has kids there, so its a family area. Or not...there are also lots of gay couples, etc. You get a nice diversity IMO.

I can''t comment on Portland public Schools since I went to parochial schools K-8 , however, I did go to Grant (the high school in that neighborhood) and it wasn''t very good. Not horrible, but a lot of drugs & some violence (gang shooting..but that was isolated & in 1985...I doubt there''s been anything since), and the educational curriculum was dumbed down compared to my St. Rose education...(also Grant was much EASIER than Tigard High, where I spent my jr. & sr. years--my mom moved because of Grant). I''d probably send my kids to parochial grade & high schools if we lived in the city. But like I said, that was the 80''s and a lot may have changed. It''s always been a nice neighborhood though, that has not changed.

My old school is on 52nd & Alameda (a catholic school..) you are SO in my old stomping grounds.

I will say we chose our suburb where we live now based on the fact that it has the best public schools/zero crime, (I live in a rich Mayberry...its kind of homogenized, but still nice & I have an old home), but really...in all honesty? All high schools have drugs, and again, Portland is a pretty nice city to live, raise a family, march to the beat of your own drum, have a dog, go walking, biking etc. safely in. So I don''t think it matters.

The great thing about Portland is the laidback vibe and the restaurants. You could realistically NEVER set foot in a chain restaurant ever if you chose to do so. (I prefer privately owned restaurants, DH & I are foodies)

Even with one toddler & a kiddo on the way, I do get out once or twice a month for a date with DH, but I still feel like I''ve missed so much & there is a lot more to do, more places to go, more places to eat, and more bars than a few years ago. I''m kind of out of the loop per se.

I did go to the Boiler Room for a friend''s birthday, that was hoppin'' and fun. (Karoake...LOL...but a fun bar nonetheless)

Where do you live now????

 

[mercoledi]

Hiya,
We''re in a Boston in-urb. I grew up near Richmond VA and when to college outside Philly; I sincerely doubt that the crime rate in Portland can compete! Really it''s so much safer in Boston than Richmond that it''s a breeze to live here.

DH has a job interview today, and if he somehow got that job we''d be staying here for a while.We''re visting Portland to see if we might want to move there, but mostly it''s vacation. We''re heading out Newport/Depoe bay for the weekend.Neither of us has ever been to the west coast, so this will be a treat!

Since you''re so into food, have you heard of a place called Simpatica dining hall? It grew out of a dinner club; they only open three times a week and you MUST have a reservation because they only cook for the number of people expected. It sounds neat.

Thanks again for all the reccomendations! We really try to aviod chain restrauants, and largely succede unless we''re traveling in the south where real food still hasn''t really caught on (it''s where food comes from, yet it isn''t served! It frustrates me to no end.). I''m impressed you manage date night with little Jake. Yay for you!

 

[E B]

I haven't lived here long so I can't really weigh in much, but I have to second The Kennedy School (or any McMenamins location, really!). They have such fun, delicious food and a great atmosphere. If you're feeling naughty, try the tater tots. They're crispy-fried evil. So delicious.

FH and I went to a brew pub called the Mash Tun (in NE) yesterday that we both really enjoyed. The brew pubs are our favorites; good beer, casual food, a relaxed environment. Also, check out www.yelp.com for other suggestions from local Portland-ites.

 

[divergrrl]

Mercoledi: no...haven''t heard of that....good cuban food at Pambiche on NE 28th & Glisan (not too far from Kennedy school)

Oohhh Gino''s in Sellwood is awesome (the awnings still say Leipzig Tavern...its a building issue thing)

Yeah, you coming from the East Coast? All of Portland will feel low crime to you. My mom''s family is from Chicago, and I love it there, but it is calmer here. I feel less comfortable in Seattle than in any other city (my faves are DC, San Fran, Chicago) isnt'' that odd?

You''ll have fun at Newport & Depoe Bay. I also like Cannon Beach, but its way North of there.

Be forewarned. we are a weird city to navigate. City planners were smokin'' something. Mapquest/yahoo maps unreliable. Streets end & start over with no rhyme or reason. Windy, hilly, weird. HAVE FUN! LOL.... I only know how to get around because I grew up here. LOL.

Ebree: hmm what is yelp? like I said, i"m out of the loop. I got all excited last week because of the new St. Honore boulangerie in Lake Oswego''s Lake View village had an amazing dessert that my big ole preggo belly had to have. Ahh...the mommy track....oh well!

 

[shigidigi]

Definitely go to Mother''s for breakfast. It''s downtown and it is the best breakfast I have ever had!! Really inventive dishes.

Also if you are a seafood person go to McCormick and Schmicks!!

And you must visit at least one brewery because there are seemingly a million there!

I love Portland- have a great time when you go!!

 

[shigidigi]

Oh oh oh! One more! Go to Voodoo Donuts!! You won''t regret it!

 

[divergrrl]

Mercoledi:

how was your trip? I want details!!!