1. Tackle the El Diablo Plate at Teote

Teote’s back patio is the place to enjoy Portland’s premature summer. Order the El Diablo Plate, headlined by a smoky-sweet swirl of fatty pork belly and sided by fried plantains, roasted poblano chiles, vinegary beets, and a dense, buttery arepa. Bonus: Tecate is on draft for just four bucks. Or walk across the street to Upper Left Roasters and cool down with a cacao-blended iced coffee.

2. Tear into fried chicken at Hat Yai

Hat Yai fries up chicken by way of southern Thailand, from the man behind Langbaan, Portland Monthly’s Restaurant of the Year 2014. The juicy, fried leg is studded in a thick armor of spices, most notably whole toasted coriander seeds, sided by a sweet and sour chile sauce for dipping. Also included: a complex, rust-hued curry rich with coconut and ground chile heat, best mopped up with pockets of chewy roti.   

3. Down a cider flight at Bushwhacker Cider

Last year, the cider-dedicated bottle shop opened a second location on NE Oneonta Street, right across from Firehouse restaurant. Go for a dry cider flight, with flavors like the Wild Scarlet, fermented with Scarlet Surprise apples plucked in Hood River. Pair it with the house cashew-pesto chicken sandwich and a few rounds of Streetfighter.

4. Fork into a personal pie at Sisters and Pete’s

It’s so warm outside, we’re foregoing June altogether and going full-bore Fourth-of-July-by-the-beach. This cute Manzanita shop makes all matter of personalized pies, Washington Walnut to Peach Blueberry with Coconut Almond Crumble. We prefer the O.J. cherry pie, which tastes like the Hostess cherry fruit pies of our youth, but in the best possible way.