10 Great Ideas
for Portland Dining

Where do we send our friends?
Take a look at these culinary recommendations

By MARTHA WRIGHT
For Oregon.com

The good news is that you will eat well in Portland. The even better news is that it may be difficult to decide where. The city's dining scene continues to explode, and in this city of neighborhoods, several "restaurant rows" have emerged, on both sides of the river.

Mind you, this isn't necessarily a "Top 10," but the recommendations that I would give my best friends. OK, even better than that; these are the recommendations that I would give my chef friends visiting from out of town. An emphasis on seasonal and local ingredients continues to be the mantra for our best restaurants. But now, a new emphasis is placed on flexibility for the customer. Put together a meal the way you like it, with big portions, or lots of smaller plates. Graze or dig in. Either way, enjoy!

Acadia 1303 NE Fremont Street
503-249-5001
Dinner Monday - Saturday; lunch Wednesday

These people understand seasoning! Imagine a girl from Louisiana, such as myself, actually giving a thumb's up to a displaced Cajun restaurant. But I'll say here on the record that Acadia's version of Barbequed Shrimp rivals my favorite version of the dish at Mr. B's Restaurant in New Orleans.

It's a large serving of already shelled (head on) shrimp, cooked in a finger-licking sauce of butter, white wine, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. It's served with plenty of French bread and a small mound of rice, both vehicles for dredging the wonderful, albeit filling, sauce.

My husband has enjoyed the steak, served with potatoes laced with Morbier cheese. The pecan pie and bread pudding are both excellent. Portions are large.

The vibe at this very attractive little Cajun bistro is both romantic and lively as the space inevitably fills up.

Andina
1314 NW Glisan Street
503-228-9535
Lunch Monday - Saturday, dinner daily, happy hour 4-6 p.m. daily

I just love this Peruvian place for a fun, sexy, eating adventure. Full disclosure: I've never eaten in the main dining room. I can't get past the bar. The lengthy tapas menu is so reasonably priced, and the cocktails are exciting and delicious. Some of my favorite items are the cebiches, the Serrano ham, the stuffed yucca, the crispy shrimp or chicken crusted with quinoa and the mussels. I like to try as many things as possible and Andina's tapas pricing ($4.50 for small plates; $8.00 for large ones) allows me to do that.

Check their schedule for live music. Andina also owns a very unique wine shop, The Pearl Wine Shop located on a lower level, where you can actually try any bottle before you buy. After dinner, take a stroll around the Pearl neighborhood for some art gallery-window shopping.

Carafe
200 SW Market Street
503-248-0004
Lunch Monday -Friday, dinner Monday - Saturday. Free valet or validated parking

Ooolala … Finally, Portland has a quintessential French bistro, and its right in the heart of downtown's performing arts district. Owned by Chef Pascal Sauton and his wife, Julie, Carafe soothes the ache experienced by forlorn Francophiles with its authentic décor and sublime dishes such as Steak Tartare, house-made pâté, Moules-Frîtes, Skate with Capers, Coq au Vin, Onion Soup, or Steak Frîtes.

clarklewis
1001 SE Water Avenue
503-493-9500
Lunch Monday - Friday, dinner Monday - Saturday

They're young, they're hip and they're building a food empire in Portland. Owned by Naomi and Michael Pommeroy and their rising star chef, Morgan Brownlow, clarklewis restaurant defies convention (just as the restaurant name challenges the way we normally refer to the famous explorers).

For instance, you might not expect from these young restaurateurs such reverence for ingredients and time-honored, slow-cooking methods. While the crowd might be hip at this former loading dock/warehouse space in industrial southeast Portland, the food is anything but. It is, in fact, honest and even soulful.

The restaurant's roots are rustic-Italian, with a special touch with the braised meats and handmade pastas. If ordering à la carte, it becomes an interactive experience: you define your portion size and whether or not you want it served family style. (Clearly, this is one area where the restaurant defies convention; when I lived in Italy, the Italian restaurateurs were charming and helpful, but never this flexible!)

This is quite simply too much decision making for me which is why I highly recommend the chef's menu - a decision-free dining nirvana with a different dish for each person in the party for each of three to four courses. Hands-down, it is the best meal and best bargain ($35 per person) I've had in Portland. The atmosphere is a very casual minimalist chic, with dim lighting, and can be loud.

Noble Rot
1111 E. Burnside
503-233-1999
Dinner Monday-Saturday

Wine and upscale comfort foods go together at Noble Rot. The restaurant has an industrial garage door exterior, but the inside is warm and cozy, featuring a long bar made of wood salvaged from a ship wreck, and a vaulted wine cave in the back, with additional seating. I love the chef's soulful approach (as much as his cool name, Leather Storrs).

Noble Rot is also a wine retailer, so pick something off the shelf to go with your dinner (for a modest $7 corkage fee), or choose a bottle or glass from their interesting, eclectic list.

The menu changes regularly and is not long, but always inviting. Try a not-your-usual panini such as Leek, Wild Mushroom and Baked Parmesan, or Tandoori Chicken, Saag Paneer and Mango Mustard. Entrées might be a Braised Pork Spare Ribs with Rapini ($10), or Quail Breast with Cippolini Onions and Warm Bread and Pancetta Salad ($12), or Cod with Bacon and Sautéed Greens with Veal Jus ($13).

Check out the schedule of wine classes.

Paley's Place
1204 NW 21st Avenue
503-243-2403
Dinner daily

Owned by husband and wife, Kimberly and Vitaly Paley, the restaurant is housed in a quaint Victorian cottage in Northwest Portland. He mans the stoves while she graciously runs the front of the house. The cuisine is partly Northwest, partly French, but solidly rooted in classic French technique.

The Paleys are pioneers of Portland's sustainable agriculture campaign. They are passionate about wine and wine pairings, and there is an intimate bar and bar menu. The atmosphere is traditional, romantic, but unfussy.

If you're inclined to want to wear a sport jacket or a dress to dinner, this is one of a few places in the city that you won't feel out of place (though it is positively not required).

Some menu favorites include Moules Frîtes, Sweetbreads, Dungeness Crab Salad, and Chicken Roulade.

Park Kitchen
422 NW 8th Avenue
503) 223-7275
Lunch Tuesday-Friday, dinner Tuesday - Saturday, brunch Saturday and Sunday

If you've visited one of Downtown Portland's three weekly farmer's markets, you've no doubt inadvertently rubbed elbows with Park Kitchen chef/owner Scott Dolitch.

Dolitch is devoted to all things seasonal and local. Naturally, the menu changes daily, so it is difficult to make recommendations, but don't miss one of his signature appetizers, a cone of tempura fried green beans with ham, and a tarragon aioli. A salmon filet served with sautéed sea beans, and lobster mushrooms are excellent, as is a flank steak salad with blue cheese. The desserts by Ellen Jackson shine.

The restaurant is small, so make a reservation. If not, go early or prepare to bone up on your Bocce skills (the court is just outside, and the staff will happily supply the balls). The atmosphere is stylish-casual.

The lunch menu gives an upscale and seasonal application to simple fare, such as a "Reuben" sandwich with duck confit; mushrooms on toast; or a house-made hot-dog.

St. Honoré Boulangerie
2335 NW Thurman Street
503-445-4342
Open daily, 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.

This extremely popular French bakery is a mini-trip to Europe with its warm stone and wood interior and street-side café tables, for the ultimate in sipping, chatting, reading and people watching. The pastries, coffee and salads are wonderful. Portland boasts a few other excellent bakeries, but none with such beautiful atmosphere. Don't miss the wine shop, Square Deal Wine Co., two doors down, and the brand-new tapas restaurant, patanegra, around the corner.

Sinju Sushi
1022 NW Johnson Street
503-223-6535
Lunch Monday - Friday, dinner daily

I've tried a lot of sushi bars, even crossing the river and standing in line for what was promised as the city's best sushi (it was big, and it was cheap, as promised, but it was not good).

Sinju Sushi is great. Perfectly fresh, the fish is silky and buttery, and the chefs are masterful. The traditional design is beautiful with gorgeous woodwork and lovely tatami rooms. Judging from the conversations between the sushi chefs and customers at the bar, the crowd is loyal. Aside from the sushi there is a full Japanese menu. After dining, cross the street to Jamison Fountain, a neighborhood gathering spot.