First and foremost our favorite restaurant in the Portland Metro Area is Tabla on NE 28th. The food is always perfectly seasoned and they concentrate on what is fresh from local farmers. Their fresh-made pasta is outstanding. You cannot beat their $28 three-course dinner where you choose from an appetizer, pasta and entree. If we have a free night and have no new restaurant to explore, we go to Tabla...and really if we have a free night, we generally go to Tabla. It is AMAZING.
Mike's Recommendations - Here is the email that Mike normally sends out to people who ask him about dinner in Portland:
"Laurelhurst Market - A steakhouse with a bit of a Portland twist.
Gruner - “Alpine Food” was given Restaurant of the year a couple years ago.
Castagna - Probably the best food in PDX but is a bit adventurous for a meat & potato kind of diner.
Ringside - A proper steak house and a PDX original.
Metrovino - A cool smaller place with a huge wine selection, this is either #1 or #2 in food for me in town.
Tabla - (as described above) Our favorite place in town. Not overly fancy but world class food.
Natural Selection - Yes it is a veggie only place but it may change your mind on veggie food.
Noisette - The owner owned Couvron in Portland which in the mid-90s was the best place in town. He moved the NYC for a bit and is recently back in PDX. I have not been yet but it is top on my list and I am sure would be a really good meal."
Other restaurants that I like and we tend to go to:
Kenny & Zukes - Whenever we are downtown during the lunch hour, we tend to end up here. Everything they have on their menu is outstanding. My favorite is the Ruben sandwich with corned beef.
Andina - Mike does not like this restaurant, but I LOVE it! I always have an amazing meal when I am there, but usually it has to be a Girls Night Out for me to get to go to this place. And they have an amazing drink called a SACSAYHUAMÁN (I think it is pronounced Sexy Woman) habanero pepper vodka shaken with pureed passion fruit and cane sugar, served up with a sugar rim and a cilantro leaf garnish - SO GOOD!
Out in the burbs (we live in Tigard, so restaurants that are close to us that are definitely worth going to are the following):
MiNGO- which is the same people who own Caffe Mingo on NW 21st Avenue. It is an outstanding restaurant, located in the Round in Beaverton. It is really a nice, fresh Italian meal.
decarli - A lovely discovery that is honestly one of the best restaurants out in the suburbs. Once you are inside, you truly feel like you are in a downtown restaurant and everything I have had there is wonderful!
Breakfasts - I go out to breakfasts with the ladies I used to work with on a regular basis and so I have had quite the tour of the Portland breakfast joints. My requirements for chosing a restaurant is that they have to have either mimosas or bloody mary's (I am a stay-at-home mom, it does not take much for me to get excited):
Roost - This is one of my favorite places! I love their Kentucky Hot Brown and their mimosas are really good!
Irving Street Kitchen - I really liked this place. I do not even remember what I had, but I know the food was good and I LOVED the ambiance.
Cafe Nell - AWESOME Bloody Mary's!
City State Diner - This is a small place, but really good food!
Meriwether's - Beverages are good here and they use fresh local produce. Sometimes service has not been the best, but in general we have had good breakfasts here. And we have had cocktails around the firepit in the back and that was fun too!
Veritable Quandary - When Spring starts to come out, their patio is a great place to have brunch!
Radio Room - Super yummy food and a bloody mary bar!
Hopefully this helps and please feel free to add your own recommendations!!!
Cheers to going out to eat in the best city in the United States!
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