Favorite
Framed by a celebratory skeleton mural, a south-of-the-border sweet spot awaits on SE Belmont St. Tucked behind La Calaca Comelona, a Frida Kahlo-inspired Mexican restaurant, this garden of earthy delights is dotted with whimsical iron sculptures, many of which are fashioned by owner and chef Patricia Cabrera. At the center, a rough stone path leads to a shaded hammock and Read more...
Favorite
Irving Street Kitchen has done a lot to warm up the old, cavernous Bay 13 loft space. The new look sports a dark, rustic flair, complete with candlelight and cozy reds and browns. Upon entering, you’ll first be faced with the bar, which is hooked up to 10 curved steel “taps” for their cask-to-tap wine system that offers cask wines Read more...
Favorite
At this cozy, dimly lit restaurant bar on NE Alberta ST, gin martinis are stirred, period. Vodka martinis (which, according to head bartender Christopher Abbott and many other orthodox cocktailians, don’t really count as martinis) are always shaken. And just about every signature cocktail here constitutes a subtle twist on the classics. But in line with the culinary philosophy of Read more...
Favorite
Thanks largely to the Civil War, “Free Bird,” and NASCAR, we Yankees tend to think of the South as a rowdy region peopled by good ol’ boys shooting guns in the air. In the interest of smashing stereotypes, the Pope House Bourbon Lounge on NW Glisan Street offers proof (80 proof to be exact) that there’s plenty more to enjoy Read more...
Favorite
Everyone’s been pinching pennies lately, but the power players frolicking in this dimly lit, Sinatra-inspired dining room don’t seem to have noticed. Perhaps they’re distracted by the high-quality dry-aged steaks, a fine Caesar salad, and a wickedly delicious bananas Foster (flambéed tableside) at prices that remind us of the surplus-happy Clinton years. Still, El Gaucho has a soft spot for Read more...
Favorite
A brief perusal of the cocktail menu at Silk reveals a preponderance of purple prose: Jade Julep? Evergreen? Hanoi Summer? Is this a bar or the fragrance counter at Nordstrom? Oh, wait. Here’s something called a Numchuck—which, despite the martial moniker, turns out to be an avocado smoothie with pineapple rum. The frothy nomenclature at this Pearl District drinkery doesn’t Read more...
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Missouri native Adam Sappington is evangelical in matters of meat and a master of American vernacular cooking—somewhere between a nose-to-tail preacher and a Southern granny. That translates to three meals a day in a family-friendly, wood-booth-clad neighborhood eatery perfumed with hickory smoke, grits, and barbecue essence. Catch the Sappington mode in Portland’s best fried chicken; the squeal-worthy “whole hog plate”; Read more...
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A taste of the Pearl in Old Town, Davis Street Tavern is forever charming with exposed brick, high-ceilings and an elegant feel. Read more...
Favorite
A sort of Martha Stewart version of a German brew house, Gustav’s nonetheless proffers some excellent Happy Hour deals—schnitzel, fondue, cabbage rolls, sausage and sauerkraut—and boasts a superior selection of European beers. Time to launder the liederhosen! Read more...
Favorite
Set in the ground floor of the Ace Hotel, Clyde Common has a tastefully informal chic vibe—and the bar serves the best negroni in town, barrel-aged into something new and transcendental. Noise-sensitive diners, beware: high ceilings and resonant wood surfaces can make the buzz and clatter here deafening. But the small menu makes up for such inconveniences with everything from Read more...