Best Restaurants 2018

Ten amazing dining destinations, five must-eat dishes, and one neighborhood on the rise. It's an excellent year to eat in Portland. Also in this issue: Palm Springs, wolf vs. dog, and our annual Light a Fire awards.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

The Essentials

11 Things to See and Do in Portland: November 2018

Tom Hanks and Abbi Jacobson come to town, Tank and the Bangas play the Roseland, and the Oregon Symphony mashes up Tchaikovsky and Drake.

10/17/2018 By Rebecca Jacobson and Fiona McCann

Comics

In a New Book, the Comics Writers Behind Oh Joy Sex Toy Tackle Sex Ed

Portlanders Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan set out to school us on the basics.

10/17/2018 By Fiona McCann

Photography

This Jewish Photographer Captured Life in a World War II Ghetto

Nearly 300 photos taken by Henryk Ross land in Portland.

10/17/2018 By Rebecca Jacobson

Eat & Drink

Dining Guide

Portland’s 50 Best Restaurants Right Now

Hungry? Here are top picks from Portland Monthly editors.

10/18/2018 By Eat Beat Team

Savor

This Grocery ‘Boot Camp’ Helps POC and Immigrant Entrepreneurs Get to Market

Portland Mercado's three-week crash course is free and bilingual.

10/17/2018 By Natasha Tandler

Look Who's Cooking Now

The Easy Bake Oven Era Is Over

A new Portland-based cooking program aims to teach the next generation of gourmets.

10/17/2018 By Natasha Tandler

Best Restaurants 2018

Portland's Best New Restaurants of 2018

Ten amazing dining destinations, five must-eat dishes, and one neighborhood on the rise. It's an excellent year to eat in Portland.

10/10/2018 By Karen Brooks, Kelly Clarke, and Benjamin Tepler Photography by Stuart Mullenberg

Best Restaurants 2018: Culinary Cully

Cully Is Set to Become One of Portland's Coolest Food Hoods

A working-class community with global tastes revs up.

10/10/2018 By Kelly Clarke

Best Restaurants 2018: Still-Flapping

Portland’s Best New Restaurants 2018: Nimblefish Serves Up Serious Sushi

All the fish. None of the frills.

10/10/2018 By Benjamin Tepler

Best Restaurants 2018: Burger Time

Portland's Best New Restaurants 2018: Super Deluxe Is Our Answer to In-N-Out

Micah Camden's drive-through brings together all walks for burgers, fries, and fizzy waters.

10/10/2018 By Benjamin Tepler

Best Restaurants 2018: Family-Style Maximalist

Portland's Best New Restaurants 2018: At Oui! Wine Bar, More Is More

Southeast Wine Collective builds a better wine bar, from bold, roller-coaster dishes to clever pours.

10/10/2018 By Kelly Clarke

Best Restaurants 2018: The Next Generation

Portland's Best New Restaurants 2018: Nostrana’s Little Sib Is More Than a Wine Bar

An Italian institution's side hustle holds its own.

10/10/2018 By Benjamin Tepler

Best Restaurants 2018: Fufu & Smoked Fish

Portland's Best New Restaurants 2018: Akadi Brings the West African Flavor

Chef Fatou Ouattara airlifts the spice (and sun) of the Ivory Coast to Stumptown.

10/10/2018 By Kelly Clarke

Best Restaurants 2018: Late-Night Surprise

Portland's Best New Restaurants 2018: At OK Omens, Castagna’s Chef Cuts Loose

Fried chicken Caesars and mapo tofu poutine are signs of good things to come.

10/10/2018 By Benjamin Tepler

Best Restaurants 2018: Chicago Style

Portland's Best New Restaurants 2018: Sammich Crushes the Sandwich Game

The city's best new sandwich shop walks the smack talk.

10/10/2018 By Karen Brooks

Best Restaurants 2018: Eat This Now

Portland's 5 Must-Eat Dishes of 2018

Pan pizza to tinned fish to the dreamiest chocolate chip cookies, here's what we just can't quit this year.

10/10/2018 By Karen Brooks and Kelly Clarke

Best Restaurants 2018: No Scrap Left Behind

Portland Monthly's 2018 Chef of the Year: Karl Holl

At Park Avenue Fine Wines, a bootstrapping chef redefines farm-to-table cooking.

10/10/2018 By Karen Brooks

Best Restaurants 2018: Jungalow of Ambition

Portland Monthly's Rising Star Restaurant of 2018: Holiday

Instagram-ready smoothie bowls to fancy gluten-free toasts, Stumptown founder Duane Sorenson's new spot bridges the gap between vegan punks and tweezer chefs.

10/10/2018 By Karen Brooks

Best Restaurants 2018: Duck Stacks & Steam Burgers

Portland Monthly's 2018 Restaurant of the Year: Canard

With his third restaurant, famed Le Pigeon chef Gabriel Rucker proves he’s still an original.

10/10/2018 By Karen Brooks

Editor's Note

Portland Monthly Turns 15—and Welcomes a New Editor in Chief

Remember when Voodoo Doughnut was edgy? We've come a long way since 2003.

10/24/2018 By Kelly Clarke

Home & Real Estate

Design

How a Gossip-Haunted Mount Tabor House Became a Wholesome Family Abode

Nanny affairs! Secret passages! This midcentury marvel boasts juicy stories galore.

10/17/2018 By Amara Holstein

Trophy Case

Refresh Your Thanksgiving Table with These Portland-Made Tools and Textiles

Ditch the decorative gourds.

10/17/2018 By Amy Martin

News & City Life

Light a Fire 2018: Caring for the Planet

Save the Bugs. Save the World.

Portland's Xerces Society fights for the littlest links in our ecosystem.

10/17/2018 By Kelly Clarke

Light a Fire 2018: Best New Nonprofit

This Portland Nonprofit Transforms Homeless Youth into Filmmakers

At Outside the Frame, street kids take charge of their own stories.

10/17/2018 By Rebecca Jacobson

Light a Fire 2018: Exceptional Volunteer

Portlander George Nicola Documents Untold Stories of the LGBTQ Movement

The GLAPN volunteer captures how change happens.

10/17/2018 By Fiona McCann

Light a Fire 2018: Game-Changing Project

A New Center Brings Health Care and Housing Under One Roof

Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare's new Garlington Health Center makes access simple.

10/17/2018 By Sam Pape

Light a Fire 2018: Lifetime Achievement

This Portlander Has Devoted His Life to Helping At-Risk Children

Friends of the Children, founded by Duncan Campbell, follows kids for more than a decade.

10/17/2018 By Fiona McCann

Light a Fire 2018: Most with the Least

At Portland's Q Center, the Fight for Queer Rights Is Far from Over

In the age of Trump, the community center is more important than ever.

10/17/2018 By Eden Dawn

Light a Fire 2018: Extraordinary Executive Director

This Portlander Takes School Fundraising to the Next Level

As executive director of All Hands Raised, Dan Ryan brings fundraising dollars to more school districts.

10/17/2018 By Benjamin Tepler

Light a Fire 2018: Keeping Us Healthy

This Nonprofit Supports Portland's Sex Workers

From trauma support to career coaching, the Cupcake Girls help those in the sex industry or affected by sex trafficking.

10/17/2018 By Sydney Dauphinais

Light a Fire 2018: Inspiring Creativity

Open Signal Brings Education, Access, and Equity to Media Production

The media arts center is out to amplify voices that often go unheard.

10/17/2018 By Marty Patail

Light a Fire 2018: Extraordinary Board Member

Kimberly Howard: Actor, Foundation Leader, Dot Connector

The board member helps Portland Playhouse act on its intentions—and throw a great brunch party.

10/17/2018 By Margaret Seiler

Light a Fire 2018: Emerging Leader

Portlander Olivia Katbi Smith Fights for Justice

"The community’s struggle is my struggle,” says the Democratic Socialist activist and IRCO staffer.

10/17/2018 By Sam Pape

Light a Fire 2018: Exceptional Community Contribution

How IRCO Helps the Newest Oregonians Feel at Home

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization has been a "one-stop shop" since 1976.

10/17/2018 By Ramona DeNies

Top Nonprofits

Meet Our 2018 Light a Fire Winners

Welcome to our annual celebration of local nonprofits, volunteers, and community projects.

10/17/2018 Edited by Fiona McCann Illustrations by Loris Lora

The Shakedown

What's the Deal with Thanksgiving?

We size up the annual family feast.

10/17/2018 By Marty Patail

Science

Wolf. Dog. What’s the Difference?

A pair of scientists chase canine evolution deep into DNA.

10/17/2018 By Benjamin Tepler

Long Story Short

This Banana Slug–Eating Survivalist Will School You on Wilderness Skills

Nicole Apelian says those mustard-colored monopods are delicious.

10/17/2018 By Rebecca Jacobson

Politics

Kate Brown and Knute Buehler, in Their Own Words

We ask the major-party gubernatorial candidates about what's best for Oregon.

10/17/2018 By Marty Patail

PDX Index

Dare We Hope for a Good Year for the Trail Blazers?

2018 disappointed. Will 2019 be any better? Their season kicks off October 18.

10/17/2018 By Sam Pape

Style & Shopping

Style

These 3 Portland Brands Support International Makers

Sandals to stylish baskets, these local entrepreneurs expand a community-minded ethos around the globe.

10/17/2018 By Eden Dawn

Jean Therapy

This Super-Niche Portland Studio Can Repair Your Busted Jeans

Shredded knees and blown-out crotches are no match for Indigo Proof.

10/17/2018 By Theresa Christine

Travel & Outdoors

Travel

8 Reasons to Winter in Palm Springs

From jet-set art to vintage gems, the Coachella Valley is a cultural oasis.

10/17/2018 Edited by Ramona DeNies By Eden Dawn, Zach Dundas, and Fiona McCann

Nature

Should Oregon Kill Sea Lions to Save the Salmon?

Sea lions are scarfing the Columbia River's already struggling salmon populations. Now some politicians want to kill them.

10/17/2018 By Ramona DeNies