The urge to make the most of Oregon’s wellspring of seasonal foods isn’t limited to the regional style that developed in response to the Pacific Northwest’s year-round bounty. It cuts across all cuisines and price tiers, treating diners to a variety of culinary delights.
What’s cooking in Oregon’s largest city? Anything that’s freshly plucked from the farm, forest or sea, that’s what. The urge to make the most of the state’s wellspring of seasonal foods isn’t limited to the regional style that developed in response to the Pacific Northwest’s year-round bounty. It cuts across all cuisines and price tiers, treating diners to cracker-thin pizza layered with homegrown tomatoes, Peruvian cebiche prepared with Pacific shellfish and locally distilled gin that owes its heady aroma to the juniper, rosemary and lavender that thrive here.
Restaurants
Tabla 503-238-3777, tabla-restaurant.com
Three courses of your choosing for $24 makes this the best prix fixe in town. Throw in a trio of half-glasses of wine from the eclectic list for another $15. Tajarin (hand-cut noodles sauced with truffle or sage butter) is an absolute must.
Nostrana 503-234-2427, nostrana.com
Witness wood-stoked flames toast thin Neapolitan pizzas to chewy-crispy perfection. The rustic oven also yields rosy flank steak, smoky Corona beans and baked Spanish mackerel.
Nuestra Cocina 503-232-2135, nuestra-cocina.com
Premium local ingredients meet inventive Oaxacan cooking. Can’t decide between chorizo-stuffed sopes, white prawns marinated in tamarind or avocado filled with fresh crab? Order up—the prices allow for decadent grazing.
Simpatica Dining Hall 503-235-1600, simpaticacatering.com
No Portland eatery received more buzz this year than this one—and it’s not even a full-fledged restaurant. Call to get a seat at the supper club dinners, which feature a $30 set menu, or pop in for Sunday brunch.
Andina 503-228-9535, andinarestaurant.com
Andina brings a bit of Machu Pichu to Portland with its time-honored Peruvian fare and novoandina cuisine, a colorful spin on tradition that champions native ingredients and artful presentation.
clarklewis 503-235-2294, ripepdx.com
Trailblazing clarklewis elevated warehouse chic with its industrial-yet-playful design to the same degree acclaimed chef Morgan Brownlow raised the bar for creative seasonal cooking. Order the tasting menu.
Northwest Regional
Paley’s Place 503-243-2403
French-trained, James Beard Award-winning chef Vitaly Paley shows his commitment to sourcing exquisite locally grown foods in dishes ranging from pork three ways with wilted greens to steak bordelaise garnished with nettles and goat cheese.
Wildwood 503-248-9663, wildwoodrestaurant.com
If you want to experience signature Northwest cuisine—wild salmon, forest mushrooms, microgreens—this is the place.
Higgins Restaurant 503-222-9070
Half the fun of dining here is watching pioneering chef Greg Higgins turn root vegetables into gastronomic gold in the dead of winter.
Park Kitchen 503-223-7275, parkkitchen.com
The place flirts and wows, serving showy (Campari-and-Champagne cocktails) and humble (chickpea fries with pumpkin ketchup) creations that are somehow always spot-on.
Foodstuffs
New Seasons Market Multiple locations, newseasonsmarket.com
Great artisan cheeses, oddball produce, just-baked breads and regional wines. Yellow tags mark products raised and made locally.
Pix Patisserie Two locations, pixpatisserie.com
Each of Cheryl Wakerhauser’s fantastical sweets is like five desserts rolled into one.
Portland Farmers Market 503-241-0032, portlandfarmersmarket.org
The queen of area markets spawned dozens of neighborhood spin-offs, prompting farmers to grow increasingly unusual and superior produce.
Stumptown Coffee Multiple locations, stumptowncoffee.com
One of Portland’s greatest success stories, Stumptown coffee is served everywhere in town. Go straight to the source so you can buy a bag of Panamanian estate beans to bring home.
Ken’s Artisan Bakery 503-248-2202, kensartisan.com
Croissants to rival those found in Paris, ethereal breads, bracing lemon tarts and Francophilic lunch fare.
House Spirits 503-235-3174, medoyeff.com
Add booze to Portland’s esteemed list of craft beverages. Swing by for a bottle of herbaceous Dutch-style gin or velvety vodka and you’ll pick up some mixology tips for free from the affable distillers.
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