Portland - Dining & Drinking

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When the folks in Bridgetown congregate at one of their many waterfront festivals, amazing things can be found in the center of the throng. Booths and tents dispense steaming fragrant coffees, wines are offered from a valley so rich and perfect it rivals the finest vineyards of France, and there are fun takes on old food favorites. Microbrew, a craft this town almost single-handedly made popular in the U.S. is much more than simple beer, it is beer with a pedigree. No matter what brings you to “Puddletown,” do not leave without sampling at least one or two of the following suggested establishments. With more restaurants per capita than nearly any other city in the United States, you simply cannot say you have been to Portland without enjoying a taste.

Downtown

One of the best restaurants in Portland, or possibly anywhere, is the Heathman Hotel Restaurant and Bar. The Northwest cuisine varies from season to season, but always includes amazing seafood, game and local fruit preparations. The atmosphere is clean and elegant.

To experience Portland's freshest seafood, make a reservation at Jake's Famous Crawfish, which has not changed much since opening in 1892. Savor a few pre-dinner drinks in the lively bar, then settle into a roomy mahogany booth and be pampered for a while.

Another excellent downtown reservation is Pazzo Ristorante. As the name tells you, the food is Italian and so is the atmosphere, with overhead bouquets of garlic and candlelit tables.

Other sterling downtown choices include Typhoon! On Broadway, Dan and Louis Oyster Bar and Saucebox. Do not miss the dim sum served daily at Fong Chong in Chinatown.

Northwest and Nob Hill

Northwest Portland, the heart of which is called the Pearl District, begins at Burnside Street and is extremely easy to navigate. The area is loaded with the trendiest, most daring restaurants in town, most located in renovated turn-of-the-century homes or warehouses.

When a former trendy Northwest restaurant closed its doors, the owner of Bluehour was quick to assuage the loss with an upscale restaurant worthy of local buzz.

A relative newcomer, Paley's Place is one of the spots to be seen. Chef Vitaly Paley has put his special mark on Northwest cuisine with a creative menu that speaks to the season. Memorable dishes include Pacific Rock Cod with Truffle Potato Puree.

On Northwest Ninth Avenue, Cafe Azul dispenses authentic Oaxacan cuisine, including hand-patted corn tortillas and star-making desserts. On 21st Avenue, savor the lovely decor and delicate crab cakes at Wildwood.

Eastside

Pick up the phone and make a reservation for dinner at Caprial's Bistro and Wine. Chef Caprial Pence cooks her heart out on her television show, and does much the same at her Milwaukie Avenue restaurant. This is a terrific place to sample the finest Oregon wines.

Visit the tiny dining room at Genoa and choose from four- or seven-course meals. Linger over fresh-baked bread, marinated salad, soup, a delectable entree and dessert. It is darkly romantic and delicious.

For more Italian delights, try the Zuppa di Pesce, a hearty Italian fish stew with snapper, mussels and vegetables, at Il Piatto.

Inexpensive

If your pocketbook, rather than your sophisticated palette, influences your dining choices, fear not. Portland is a veritable gold mine of “sleeper” restaurants where you can have it all for very little cash. Here are just a few places to indulge with confidence: The Original Pancake House, Chez Jose and Saigon Kitchen. Although the riversideOld Spaghetti Factory is a chain, it began right here, providing a quintessential Portland experience. You can feed a good-sized crowd for next to nothing, too.

Drinking

Surely you have heard someone ask, “What does a guy have to do to get a cup of coffee around here?” In Portland, the answer is simple: Just take a few steps to the closest latte stand. This is just a sampling of the great coffeehouses in Portland: Rimsky Korsakoffe House, Pappaccino's and Anna Bannanas. If you like your coffee with more kick than mere caffeine can provide, head over to Huber's, Portland's oldest restaurant, where a delightful wait staff will serve you all the Spanish coffee you desire.

There is no shortage of microbrew choices in Portland, and there are even more places to find the brew of your choice. Any McMenamins Pub, right down to the basic McMenamins Tavern, will do nicely, and there is bound to be one within a mile or two. For a genuine pub experience, get involved in the extremely colorful atmosphere of the Horse Brass Pub. Kells is another great choice, offering a bounty for Scotch whiskey aficionados. Those with refined tastes will enjoy the upscale setting at the Harborside Pilsner Room.

For cocktails, do not miss the lobby bar in the Benson Hotel. Drinking does not get more civilized than this. Any of the three bars in the Heathman Hotel are perfect for an intimate evening. For an after-theater experience, visit the Brasserie Montmartre and create a crayon masterpiece while sipping a frosty Lemon Drop and chilling to the jazz.

Finally, for a wild night of drinking, try the upstairs space at the Downtown Deli and Greek Cuisina. Before your eyes, the polite 8pm crowd transforms into an ouzo-snorting, plate-smashing (literally, they sell you the plates to smash), and wild-dancing free-for-all.

There are many more fabulous music and drinking venues, including Berbati's Pan. Wine bars are sprinkled throughout the city, or you can enjoy the flavors firsthand by visiting wine country, with its endlessly rolling green hills and many gracious tasting rooms. Sokol Blosser Winery will provide a classic start to your tour.







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Benson Hotel


Luxurious 1912 restoration
 309 Southwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 228 2000 / +1 888 523 6766
http://www.bensonhotel.com
Benson Hotel
Wildwood Restaurant & Bar


Wildly energetic
 1221 Northwest 21st Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 248 9663
Wildwood Restaurant & Bar
Jake's Famous Crawfish


Fun shellfish feasting
 401 Southwest 12th Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 226 1419
Jake's Famous Crawfish
Waterfront Park


City by the river
 Front Avenue
(Between Southwest Harrison and Northwest Glisan)
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 823 2223
http://www.portlandparks.org/Parks/TomMcCallWaterfront.htm
Waterfront Park
Chez Jose


Great food and fun
 2200 Northeast Broadway
Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 280 9888
Chez Jose
Genoa


Special occasion dining
 2832 Southeast Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97214
+1 503 238 1464
Genoa
McMenamins Tavern


Old-fashioned relaxation
 1716 Northwest 23rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97210
+1 503 223 0109
http://www.mcmenamins.com
McMenamins Tavern
Original Pancake House


Deliciously original
 8601 Southwest 24th Avenue
Portland, OR 97219
+1 503 246 9007
http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/
Original Pancake House
Typhoon! On Broadway


Flavor fest
 400 Southwest Broadway
Hotel Lucia
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 224 8285
http://www.typhoonrestaurants.com/locbroadway.htm
Typhoon! On Broadway
Horse Brass Pub


British cheers
 4534 Southeast Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 232 2202
http://www.horsebrass.com
Horse Brass Pub
Berbati's Pan


Smorgasbord of Excitement
 10 SW 3rd Avenue
(at SW Ankeny Street)
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 248 4579
http://www.berbati.com
Berbati's Pan
Chinatown


Gateway to the East
 Northwest Fourth Avenue and Burnside Street
(various blocks)
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 275 9750 (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
http://www.travelportland.com/arts_culture/cultural_tours/chinese/chinatown.html
Chinatown
Nob Hill/Westover/Northwest 23rd District


San Francisco-style neighborhood
 North of West Burnside Street
(Northwest 23rd & 21st avenues)
Portland, OR 97210
+1 503 275 8355 / +1 877 678 5263 (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
Nob Hill/Westover/Northwest 23rd District
Anna Bannanas


Congregate with pals
 1214 Northwest 21st Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 274 2559
Anna Bannanas
Fong Chong


Portland's dim sum
 301 Northwest Fourth Ave
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 220 0235
Fong Chong
Caprial's Bistro and Wine


Bistro Best
 7015 Southeast Milwaukie Avenue
Portland, OR 97202
+1 503 236 6457
http://www.caprialandjohnskitchen.com/bistro/
Caprial's Bistro and Wine
Saigon Kitchen


Thai on Broadway
 835 Northeast Broadway Street
Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 281 3669
Saigon Kitchen
Heathman Restaurant and Bar


Cultured cocktails
 1001 Southwest Broadway
(The Heathman Hotel)
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 790 7752 / +1 503 241 4100
http://www.heathmanhotel.com/heathmanrestaurant/
Heathman Restaurant and Bar
Pazzo Ristorante


Refined metro
 627 Southwest Washington Street
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 228 1515
http://www.pazzoristorante.com/
Pazzo Ristorante
Rimsky-Korsakoffee House


Late-night coffeehouse
 707 Southeast 12th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214
+1 503 232 2640
Rimsky-Korsakoffee House
Il Piatto


Italian flavors with Portland style
 2348 Southeast Ankeny Street
Portland, OR 97214
+1 503 236 4997
Il Piatto
Saucebox


Asian ambrosia
 214 Southwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 241 3393
http://www.saucebox.com/
Saucebox
Sokol Blosser Winery


Fine Pinot Noir
 5000 Sokol Blosser Lane
Portland, OR 97115
+1 503 864 2282
http://www.sokolblosser.com
Sokol Blosser Winery
Old Spaghetti Factory


International original
 0715 Southwest Bancroft Street
Portland, OR 97239
+1 503 225 0433
http://www.osf.com/
Old Spaghetti Factory
Cafe Azul


Culinary fiesta
 112 Northwest Ninth Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 525 4422
Cafe Azul
Huber's


Aged turkey
 411 Southwest Third Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 228 5686
http://www.hubers.com/
Huber's
Downtown Portland/City Center


Park city
 Between Interstate Highway 5 and 405
Portland, OR 97204
http://www.downtownportland.org/
Downtown Portland/City Center
Bluehour


Pricey style
 250 NW 13th Ave at Everett St
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 226 3394
http://www.bluehouronline.com
Bluehour
Harborside Restaurant and Pilsner Room


Reflections of good taste
 0309 Southwest Montgomery Street
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 220 1865
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/main.cfm?action=location&element=initial&locID=26
Harborside Restaurant and Pilsner Room
Dan and Louis Oyster Bar


Dan and Louis Oyster Bar
 208 Southwest Ankeny Street
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 227 5906
Dan and Louis Oyster Bar
Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub


Welcome Irish or not
 112 Southwest Second Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 227 4057
http://www.kellsirish.com/portland/pdx.shtml
Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub
Heathman Hotel


Pampered like royalty
 1001 Southwest Broadway
(At Salmon Street)
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 241 4100 / +1 800 551 0011 (Toll Free)
http://www.heathmanhotel.com/
Heathman Hotel
Paley's Place


Portland palate pleaser
 1204 Northwest 21st Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 243 2403
Paley's Place
Downtown Deli and Greek Cusina


Lively Greek food and festivities
 404 Southwest Washington Street
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 224 2288
http://www.greekcusina.com/downtown_deli.html
Downtown Deli and Greek Cusina
Portland
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