Portland’s Best Restaurants 2022

The best dishes, drinks, and desserts in town. PLUS: The insider’s guide to Mt Hood, and the city’s top doctors, nurses, and more.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

Music

Portland Monthly’s Essential Winter 2022 Playlist

Fire tunes from Portlanders old and new to keep the season warm.

12/20/2022 By Conner Reed

Year in Review

The Best Oregon-Made Books, Films, Music, Theater, and Art of 2022

From a Decemberist’s spine-chilling ghost story to a joyful album from an old Portland master, 2022 was the year the arts roared back to life.

12/14/2022 By Conner Reed

Photo Essay

Portland Is One of America's Great Moviegoing Towns

The Rose City is overflowing with ornate, independent movie houses. We zeroed in on 7.

11/01/2022 By Conner Reed Photography by Michael Novak

Theater

Northwest Children’s Theater Finds a New Home in Downtown Portland

For nearly three decades, NWCT has operated in a former Christian Science church in Nob Hill. In January, it’s moving to Broadway.

09/21/2022 By Conner Reed

visual art

Julian Gaines Isn't Under the Radar in Oregon Anymore

The body of work, on display at the Russo Lee Gallery August 4-27, explores blackface, Oregon history, and our connotations with the American flag.

08/03/2022 By Dalila Brent

Eat & Drink

Best Restaurants 2022

PoMo Food Writer Matthew Trueherz’s Insider Picks

What do the magazine’s food writers eat at Portland restaurants when they're off duty? Classic sushi, straightforward pho, serious sandwiches, and more.

12/05/2022 By Matthew Trueherz

Best Restaurants 2022

Where Does PoMo Food Critic Karen Brooks Eat Off-Duty?

From scratch-made breakfast to late-night cocktails and bar eats, here’s what Brooks seeks out at Portland restaurants

12/02/2022 By Karen Brooks

Eat Cheat Sheet

Where PoMo Food Editor Katherine Chew Hamilton Eats Off-Duty

Comfort food is the name of the game at this food writer's go-to Portland restaurants.

12/01/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Recipe

Make Shop Halo Halo’s Bright Purple Ube Crinkle Cookies

Move over, chocolate mint—purple yam jam is here, starring in this cookie recipe courtesy of a Filipino dessert pop-up in Portland.

12/01/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Michael Novak

Best Restaurants 2022

Canard’s Steam Burgers & Duck Stack Pancakes Have a New Roost in Oregon City

Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon fame brings retro dinner party dishes to this Portland suburb.

11/30/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Thomas Teal

Best Restaurants 2022

Two Food Parties in One Space: Phuket Cafe & the New Langbaan

Thai tasting-menu destination Langbaan takes on new life inside the playful party atmosphere of Phuket Cafe in Northwest Portland

11/29/2022 By Karen Brooks Photography by thomas teal

Restaurant Review

Michelin-Starred Chef Matthew Lightner Seeds Oregon’s Next Food Revolution at Okta

Two Michelin-starred chef Matthew Lightner conjures new menus in the middle of a farm field and fermentation lab.

11/28/2022 By Karen Brooks

Best Restaurants 2022

Hors d’Oeuvre, Cocktail, Entrée & Dessert of the Year—Our Dream 2022 Meal

These are our top menu picks of the year, from French cheese puffs at St. Jack to the perfect takeout chicken from Mama Bird.

11/28/2022 By Karen Brooks, Katherine Chew Hamilton, and Matthew Trueherz

Best Restaurants 2022

At Tercet, a Scrappy Trio Proves Downtown Portland Can Do Fine Dining

The former staff of Roe is shaking things up in the old downtown space, bringing fine dining without the fussiness.

11/23/2022 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Thomas Teal

Best Restaurants 2022

At Bar Cala, It’s Summer 365 Days a Year

The millennial-pink stucco castle is basically a $14 flight to the tropics.

11/22/2022 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Novak

Best Restaurants 2022

Cult Burmese Pop-Up Rangoon Bistro Finds a Permanent Home

Tea leaf salad, or lahpet thoke, and seasonal specials are favorites at this former farmers market stand.

11/21/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Best Restaurants 2022

Kann Is Portland Monthly’s Restaurant of the Year: 2022

Celebrity chef Gregory Gourdet puts the food of his youth on a grand platter. Welcome to the new Portland—and to one of America’s most important restaurants of 2022.

11/18/2022 By Karen Brooks Photography by Thomas Teal

Best Restaurants 2022

Chef of the Year: At Berlu, Vince Nguyen Stretches the Definition of Vietnamese Cooking

Portland Monthly’s Chef of the Year embraces his inner rebel at Berlu, his restaurant on Southeast Belmont.

11/17/2022 By Karen Brooks Photography by Thomas Teal

Best Restaurants 2022

Som Tum Thai Kitchen Offers Papaya Salad Paradise Near PSU

The year-old restaurant in downtown Portland specializes in papaya salads, laab, soups, sausages, and more.

11/07/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Best Restaurants 2022

Jojo Gets a Glow-Up in the Pearl

The social media–famous fried chicken, burger, and jojo cart now has a brick-and-mortar restaurant on the west side.

10/10/2022 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Best Restaurants 2022

Cafe Olli's Goodfellas-Level Pizza, Destination Brunching, and a Year of Struggle

The do-it-all collective arrived last year with hope for a new future. We take stock.

09/13/2022 By Karen Brooks

Health & Wellness

Health Care

In Oregon, an Effort to Train the Next Generation of Abortion Care Providers Gets Underway

Patients from other states are already coming here to seek help. Now their caregivers are following suit.

12/05/2022 By Julia Silverman Illustrations by Marina Muun

Top Medical Providers 2023

The Portland Area’s Top Naturopaths, as Chosen by Their Peers

Meet the winners of our annual peer survey, when we ask local naturopathic doctors and complementary medicine health care providers to tell us the people they turn to.

11/18/2022 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Top Medical Providers 2023

Portland’s Top Doctors, Nurses & More

In our annual peer survey, medical providers let us know which colleagues they turn to when they need health care.

11/18/2022

Top Medical Providers 2023

The Portland Area’s Top Physical Therapists, as Chosen by Their Peers

Meet the winners of our annual peer survey, when we ask local physical therapists and other complementary medicine health care providers to tell us the people they turn to.

11/18/2022 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Top Medical Providers 2023

The Portland Area’s Top Massage Therapists, as Chosen by Their Peers

Meet the winners of our annual peer survey, when we ask local massage therapists and other complementary medicine health care providers to tell us the people they turn to.

11/18/2022 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Top Medical Providers 2023

The Portland Area’s Top Nurse Practitioners, as Chosen by Doctors and Nurses

Meet the winners of our annual peer survey for nurse practitioners, midwives, and certified registered nurse anaesthetists

11/18/2022 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Top Medical Providers 2023

The Portland Area’s Top Chiropractors, as Chosen by Their Peers

Meet the winners of our annual peer survey, when we ask local providers in chiropractic medicine and other complementary health care fields to tell us the people they turn to.

11/18/2022 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Top Medical Providers 2023

The Portland Area’s Top Acupuncturists, as Chosen by Their Peers

Meet the winners of our annual peer survey, when we ask local providers in acupuncture and other complementary medicine health care fields to tell us the people they turn to.

11/18/2022 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Essay

After Dobbs, a Mother Imagines What Would Have Happened without a Choice

Silence doesn't help when it comes to pregnancy complications, later abortion, and a family navigating the aftermath.

11/08/2022 By Hanna Neuschwander Illustrations by Marina Muun

Health

Samantha Hess, Portland's OG Cuddling Professional, Is Calling It Quits

Over nine years, Hess received national publicity and dreamt of a chain of cuddling studios. But bad faith landlords and the pandemic both took their toll.

09/22/2022 By Julia Silverman

Home & Real Estate

Habitat

A Midcentury Collector Home Gets a Very Modern Push into Tomorrow

One of Portland homebuilder Robert Rummer’s classic ’60s designs is retrofitted for modern life.

12/07/2022 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Christopher Dibble

Home Decor

For Portland Homeowners and Interior Designers, Wallpaper Is Back

Bold, innovative choices and YouTube tutorials help resurrect the midcentury trend in homes across the Rose City.

11/04/2022 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

News & City Life

Movers & Shakers

Perfect Party: Winter 2023

From Pinocchio to Ryan Reynolds, here’s who we’re inviting to the dinner table to warm us up this season.

12/21/2022 By Conner Reed

Justice System

Mike Schmidt Doesn’t Want to Be the Next Chesa Boudin

But after a rocky first half to his tenure, the district attorney has a lot of ground to make up in Portland.

12/08/2022 By Julia Silverman Photography by Thomas Teal

Editor’s Note

From the Editor: How a Magazine Helped Me Fall in Love with the City

‘Working here and writing about the mind-bending arts, the blazing food scene, the outdoors, the shops, the wine, has immersed me in what’s truly crushable about this town.’

12/01/2022 By Fiona McCann

Urban Forestry

What Will Become of Portland’s Tree Canopy?

Friends of Trees, the nonprofit that has been greening the city for years, has been released from its city contract. We wondered what was next.

11/30/2022 By Matthew Trueherz

Mall Rats

What Does Lloyd Center’s Indie Rebirth Say about Portland’s Future?

Local artists and small business owners are turning things around at a mall that was left for dead.

11/23/2022 By Sam Pape Illustrations by Lars Leetaru

Shoe Gazing

Beyond Nike and Adidas: Shoes Are Big Business in Portland

A totally cosmic look at the brightest stars—and the up-and-comers—in our local sneaker industry’s footwear firmament.

11/22/2022 By Julia Silverman

Media

A New Newsletter/Podcast Launches in Portland, Joining a Crowded Field

The team so far behind the launch includes host Claudia Meza, audio producer Giulia Fiaoni, and newsletter writer/editor Rachel Monahan.

10/07/2022 By Julia Silverman

Q&A

Ripping the City With Emily Greene

The 'Foodie Snitch' creator dishes on her favorite place to getaway, the future of Portland, and restaurants–of course.

06/22/2022 By Dalila Brent

Style & Shopping

Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas: Small in Size, Big in Spirit

From airpods to earrings to dog toys, these local treasures prove a little goes a long way.

11/24/2022 Photography by Michael Novak By Dalila Brent

Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas for Portlanders Who Love to Travel and Get Outdoors

From sunglasses to satchels, equip the adventurers in your life with the goods they need to go the distance.

11/23/2022 By Dalila Brent Photography by Michael Novak

Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas for Portland Homes

Make an impression this holiday by thinking outside the box, and inside our local community, with these Oregon finds.

11/22/2022 Photography by Michael Novak By Dalila Brent

Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas for Portland Foodies

Chocolate, coffee, chunky mugs, and sharp knives—you can't go wrong with these local kitchen finds.

11/21/2022 By Dalila Brent Photography by Michael Novak

Long Story Short

Drea Johnson of Hidden Opulence Wants to Help Save Your Clothes

The founder of the Southeast Portland design studio talks apparel sustainability, fast fashion, sewing education, and human contact.

11/02/2022 By Dalila Brent Photography by Jason Hill

oh baby!

Are Baby Shoes You Can Boil the Answer to Our Landfill Questions?

Woolybubs creates shoes made of PVOH, dissolvable textiles (similar to dishwasher or laundry pods), and the odorless boiling process takes about 30 to 40 minutes.

09/27/2022 By Dalila Brent