Springtime in Portland happens as much on our plates as it does in our gardens and on our weather reports. Every year at restaurants and farmers markets, the winter roots and leaves start fading away in favor of sweet, bright green things—and one colorful ingredient that stands out like a red beacon of sunny days ahead: rhubarb.

Here are this year's hottest rhubarb-centric plates springing from Portland's food carts and white tablecloth establishments alike:

• Viking Soul Food: This Norwegian inspired food cart is serving up rhubarb lefse with spiced Portland Creamery Chevre and walnuts. 4262 SE Belmont
• Raven & Rose: SW Broadway's towering historic eatery features rhubarb on its inaugural brunch menu. Think blood sausage and fried eggs with creamy grits and rhubarb and a dessert of honey yogurt panna cotta with rhubarb and rose meringue. 1331 SW Broadway
• Bridgeport Brew Pub: This Pearl district pub is featuring house-made rhubarb BBQ sauce on its specials menu. 1313 NW Marshall
• Bakeshop: Get your rhubarb hand pie fix at Kim Boyce's chic bakery and select farmers markets around town. 5351 NE Sandy
• Olympic Provisions: Need even MORE rhubarb hand pie options? Both locations of OP's porky palace are baking them up this month. 107 SE Washington and 1632 NW Thurman
• Little Bird: Downtown's classiest French bistro brings the rhubarb to their dessert menu with a rhubarb croustade topped with chèvre caramel and crème fraîche sorbet. 219 SW 6th 
• Beast: The current six-course prix-fixe menu at the House of Pomeroy features shaved asparagus, pickled rhubarb, and bread salad (with flowering arugula and asparagus emulsion). 5425 NE 30th
• Clyde Common: Chef Chris DiMinno is plating a lunchtime special of braised lamb belly with fresh rhubarb and radish. 1014 SW Stark
• Baker & Spice: Hillsdale's community gathering spot keeps it classic this spring with rhubarb tarts and rhubarb danish. 6330 SW Capitol Hwy
• Firehouse: Dekum Triangle's family-friendly food-fired eatery is offering housemade rhubarb soda and a trio of rhubarb-centric desserts: rhubarb tart, rhubarb spice cake, and almond cake topped with rhubarb. 711 NE Dekum St
• Ox: The Dentons show the sweet and savory sides of the rose-hued ingredient with a Belgian endive and arugula salad with rhubarb, fourme d'ambert blue cheese, toasted pecans, and dijon vinaigrette as well as a rhubarb vanilla sorbet with bittersweet chocolate "magic shell." 2225 NE Martin Luther King Jr
• Riffle NW: The Pearl District's sustainable seafood dock is showcasing a foie gras, rhubarb jam, and pistachio butter torchon with a shot of kahlua and milk (think grown-up PB&J) and a cocktail dubbed Bebida Rosa (silver tequila, mezcal, rhubarb, lime, cardamom, and radish). 333 NW 13th
• Pacific Pie Co.: Dig into a classic rhubarb crumble at this pie-lover's haven. 1520 SE 7th
• Genoa: Genoa chef Jake Martin's ode to spring (pictured above): Barbabietola e Rabarbaro, a colorful splash of rhubarb and beets with toasted walnuts, celery, and gorgonzola dolce. 2832 SE Belmont
• Bent Brick: Scott Dolich's recently revamped menu now includes a rhubarb crisp and a rhubarb liqueur (imagine a colorful, complex sip somewhere between Campari and Aperol). 1639 NW Marshall