Portland, OR
Restaurants in Portland, OR
From traditional cuisine to wildly creative menus, plus large quantities of the organic, farm-to-table fare that’s become synonymous with the city, Portland restaurants offer eclectic dining opportunities as well as modern twists on traditional dishes, sure to satisfy even the most discerning foodies. At Pok Pok, James Beard Award-winning chef Andy Ricker serves up a fusion menu inspired by classic Thai cuisine and served in a trendy, low-key environment. Locals’ favorites include Vietnamese chicken wings, boar collar, and Thai noodle soups. Castagna, on Hawthorne Boulevard, takes the farm-to-table ethos very seriously: Chef Justin Woodward forages greens and flowers from Portland’s surrounding woods himself, and serves them up in an molecular style that will blow the lid off your classic salad. Just try not to Instagram each course of Woodward’s inspired tasting menu.
For a dash of rustic-chic, visit Ned Ludd, a Portland restaurant where everything is cooked in a wood-fired oven, including the salads. Chef Jason French’s menu includes whole roasted trout, pork noodles made entirely from pork fat, and a variety of pizzas, all cooked in the wood oven, of course. Portland’s favorite meal – brunch – gets a makeover at Tasty ‘N Sons, with a massive family-style menu comprising dishes from around globe. Some of this Portland hotspot’s best dishes include shakshuka with merguez sausage, steak and eggs with corncakes, spaghetti carbornara, grilled lamb chops, and polenta and sausage ragu.
The extensive menu at this upscale Peruvian spot presents some tough decisions. The small-plate selection is awfully tempting, with choices like grilled octopus kebabs with a caper-chimichurri sauce, or prawn-mango-passion-fruit ceviche.
Sangria and tapas rendezvous
Olympic Provisions is a salumeria, deli, restaurant, and bar that opened in 2009. The Southeast branch, located in a former warehouse, prepares soups, salads, and sandwiches at lunch.
There’s usually a weekend line outside this low-key neighborhood spot; owner and pizza-maker extraordinaire Ken Forkish inspires a devoted following and doesn’t accept reservations.
Andy Ricker specializes in fiery northern Thai cuisine, and he created this whiskey-centric bar across the street from his increasingly popular Pok Pok restaurant to support spillover crowds. The glass-fronted lounge with an aqua back bar showcases whiskey in flights and cocktails.
Local legend. When Huber's, Portland's oldest restaurant, opened as a saloon in 1879, its cocktails came with a complimentary turkey sandwich.
This key cog in Portland’s movement of market-driven, farm-to-table restaurants opened in 2004 near the Willamette River's eastern banks, honoring the two American pioneers. The industrial space includes roll-up garage doors and exposed ductwork.
The sweet, redheaded, and tattooed Kir Jensen serves cupcakes from her cart of desserts.The "Amy Winehouse" cupcake is soaked in brandy and comes topped with a straw and "bump" of powdered sugar.
This northeast Portland newcomer isn’t so much a restaurant as a regularly occurring, eccentric dinner party in chef and co-owner Naomi Pomeroy’s exhibition kitchen. Dining is at a pair of communal tables, and there are just two seatings per evening (plus brunch on Sundays).
Located in an art-lined basement with communal tables in a building east of the Willamette River, this restaurant sprouted from a charcuterie and butcher shop called Viande Meats and Sausage and focuses on comfort food crafted from local, seasonal ingredients.
This American brasserie and bar in Portland’s Pearl District has a green and glass front and limited seating on a railed-in former loading dock, whlie the interior has wood floors, art-lined walls, and an active bar.
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