1. Spoon into Thai tea ice cream at Pok Pok

Portland is set to explode into summer this week, which means you should be eating ice cream. Lots of it. Make at least some of it Pok Pok’s frozen riff on Thai iced tea, which is gently spiced, absurdly creamy, and, miraculously, not too sweet. After too many chile paste-slathered wings, it’s the perfect recovery for your mouth. 

2. Dig into Herring Under a Fur Coat at Kachka 

Defy your skepticism and fork into the Soviet drinking den’s most booze-friendly zakuski (drinking snack), with savory-salty layers of potato, beet, mayo, egg, and cured herring. Wash it down with the Russian Standard flight: a trio of 30 gram pours from one of Russia’s household vodka names. 

3. Slurp French onion soup at Bible Club

Sellwood’s new time-warped cocktail boîte charms with a deeply-flavored, star-anise-tasting bowl of French onion soup, topped with the proper bubbly Gruyere and baguette cap. 

4. Devour a monster fried chicken sandwich at Basilisk

The Zipper’s newest micro-eatery, which replaced bánh mì slinger Rua, lures with a tall, knife-speared stack of crunchy-crisp fried chicken, tangy slaw, and house pickles on a super-buttery bun. Bonus: Kool-Aid soft serve for dessert. 

5. Take down a dozen chicken wings at Fire on the Mountain

There’s no better place to watch the Blazers slide into the playoffs than at this bro-ed out but consistently delicious hot wing house. Pick from a dozen or so sauces (lime-cilantro to the diabolical “El Jefe”), the compulsory blue cheese and ranch dressing, and a side of garlicky “Cajun-style” tater tots. Rip City!