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GRAZE
A
ROTATING GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS WE LIKE, UNSCIENTIFICALLY
PLUCKED FROM OUR CHEAP EATS AND RESTAURANT GUIDES AS WELL AS FULL-LENGTH
REVIEWS
WW
reviewers have visited these establishments and can recommend them.
$:
up to $15 per person, beverage and tip included
$$: $25 and under
$$$: $35 and under
$$$$: above $35
The
restaurant world is squirrely; please call for reservation information
and hours.
NORTHWEST
LUCY'S TABLE
Seek
out Lucy's Table for contemporary cooking with Mediterranean inflections.
The dimly lit room, with pretty amber lamps, soft velour curtains
and crisp napery, is a warm and slightly formal setting. International
706 NW 21st
Ave., 226-6126. $$$
STEPPING
STONE CAFE
For
half a century, this tiny, heavenly shack has stood off the well-beaten
path of Northwest 23rd Avenue and has been pumping out breakfast
and lunch to locals at affordable prices. None of that swanky crap
here: The omelettes (the jalapeño offers a better wake-up
call than the coffee) are massive and packed with cholesterol goodness,
while the chicken-fried steak floats lovingly atop an ocean of gravy.
The lunch-menu sandwich selection is wonderful, with most of them
running around $5. American
2390 NW Quimby
St., 222-1132. $
PARAGON
Chef
Peter Dougherty is handy with the fresh, hot and now ingredients,
and the menu has some seasonally rotating aspects. The staff is
knowledgeable and accommodating, and the dining room is upscale
but comfy. American
605 NW 13th
Ave., 833-5060. $$-$$$
SOUTHWEST
HIGGINS
The
restaurant's ever-changing menu reads like a road map of the region--Oregon
bay shrimp snuggle up to Walla-Walla sweet onions, who live a few
doors down from home-grown hazelnuts. This provincialism works at
the downtown restaurant, where even the garnish is gobble-worthy.
Still, though Higgins has a Northwest-centric approach, the cuisine
isn't small-town. And the waitstaff here is top notch. Want to order
a few starters and share an entree? No problem. In fact, they'll
most likely bring it separated on two different plates--they even
divvied-up duck for us once, no easy feat. Northwest
1239 SW Broadway,
222-9070. $$-$$$
PAZZO RISTORANTE
Although
it's had more cycles of boom and bust than the New York Stock Exchange,
right now Nathan Logan presides at the helm, and he's been elevating
the level of the food to earlier plateaus. There are some fine innovations
on the basically Northern Italian menu, as well as a few classic
dishes that have been offered for some time. Logan has also created
a number of nicely turned dishes not found elsewhere in town. Italian
627 SW Washington
St., 228-1515. $$-$$$
SOUTHEAST
CHEZ GRILL
An
enthusiastic thumbs up for this Tex-Mex cantina where the de
rigueur Corona serves as an accompaniment for slam-bang fare.
With its giddy mix of baroque decadence and hombre cool (jewel-toned
harlequin walls and Jesus candles--a match made in heaven!), Chez
Grill and its progeny Chez's Lounge is a double-header of eastside
chill. Mix with the locals and enjoy Chez Grill's eye-popping 12-ounce
tequila goodness: a margarita that lays the good, the bad, as well
as the ugly, equally low. Mexican
2229 SE Hawthorne
Blvd., 239-4002. $$
GINO'S
This
is a quintessential neighborhood place--but beyond that, Gino's
is a wonderful spot for a casual but well-executed Italian meal.
You can hardly go wrong, whether you order the mussels and/or clams
doused with mouth-filling tomato chunks and a sublime broth, or
the hearty Grandma Jean's Pasta, a meaty stew ladled over the fettuccine--a
dish right out of la cucina de Nonna. Another virtue is the presence
of excellent Italian reds in half-bottles. With its richly polished
antique bar, period lighting, and full house of serious eaters,
you're bound to have a good time. Italian
8051 SE 13th
Ave., 233-4613. $-$$
IVY HOUSE
For
many parents, the thought of dining out with kids is connected with
the phrase "Happy Meal." But Ivy House offers families a very civilized,
relaxed alternative to fast-food joints. As the kids play nearby,
parents can savor delicious, expertly prepared food from an ambitious
menu that changes seasonally. Eclectic
1605 SE Bybee
Blvd., 231-9528. $$-$$$
RIYADH'S
Food
here is good, fresh and cheap, including both meat and vegetarian
selections, mainly kebabs and sandwiches. The roasted vegetables-and-feta
sandwich on a pita hits a home run out of the savory ballpark, and
the lentil soup sticks to your ribs and your brain. The Makanish
herb pizza on a baked pita is sprinkled with dill and an assortment
of seasonings that make it more lush than your average pie. Take
time to imbibe both the berry smoothie and the Turkish coffee seasoned
with cardamom. Middle Eastern
1318 SE Hawthorne
Blvd., 235-1254. $
NORTHEAST
COUNTER CULTURE
Most
revolutions were brewed in salons and fashionable cafes, so it's
appropriate that Portland's first all-vegan restaurant should be
a high-end establishment with serious cuisine. Counter Culture's
fare includes many exceptional dishes. Start with one of their tangy
and sweet appetizers. For dinner, the seitan dishes are successful,
as is the occasional special of garlic-laced dal served with saffron
basmati rice and a lightly crusted somosa packed with apple, potato
and sultanas. Counter Culture also offers a fantastic brunch. Vegan
3000 NE Killingsworth
St., 249-3799. $$
CHEZ WHAT?
Get
your recommended daily allowance of greasy goodies during breakfast
with biscuits smothered in a gravy that's home to two (count 'em,
two!) kinds of sausage. Lunch and dinner kicks come in the form
of sweet-potato fries cut thin and turned crispy, an assortment
of things on a bun crowned with Chez sauce (mayo, ketchup, barbecue
sauce, dijon mustard, relish, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, garlic,
red onion and chopped kitchen sink). If you're into chicken, veggie
and beef patties, you will find them served up special here. Cute
people, cool art and kick-ass apple pie help to complete the space.
American
2203 NE Alberta
Ave., 281-1717. $
JOHN STREET
CAFE
The
best breakfast and lunch available on the North Portland peninsula.
Pancakes laced with filberts and currants come perfectly crisped
around the edges and so big they flop off the plate. Corned beef
hash combines big chunks of shredded meat--not the finely ground
mush that comes from a can--with julienned spuds and sweet red pepper;
a pair of poached eggs sit on top. For lunch, there's a classic
Reuben, a B.L.T. (or what they call a T.A.B.) enhanced with sliced
turkey breast, avocado and cream cheese, and one of those juicy
burgers that, once in hand, can't go back on the plate without falling
apart. American
8338 N Lombard
St., 247-1066. $-$$
SUBURBS
SYUN
IZAKAYA
Tucked
away in the basement of an old library, Syun (pronounced "Shoon")
is the perfect culinary getaway to the Land of the Rising Sun. For
starters, check out the spicy cabbage salad or the light, tasty
gyoza (pot stickers to you). While Syun offers plenty of
tempura and other deep-fried delights, the main attraction is the
exceptional fish. Syun also boasts an impressive variety of sakes,
helpfully accompanied by a scale rating the wines from sweet to
dry. Japanese
209 NE Lincoln
St., Hillsboro, 640-3131. $$
LATE-NIGHT
EMPIRE
ROOM
Feeling
like a glass of wine, a light snack and maybe a little romance?
The Empire Room has it all. With its mood lighting, candle-lit tables
and slow jazz, this place has enough sexiness to make Barry White
scream. From the raised platform at the front of the restaurant,
guests can gaze upon the streets of the trendy Hawthorne district
as they tip back $4 glasses of Borsoa. The menu is limited, tending
toward classic wine partners such as a cheese and fruit plate or
a pork truffle and cognac pâté, both healthy in size
and under $10. Try not to miss the amazing dessert works that are
brought down the street daily from JaCiva's. A slice of 7th Heaven
Torte and glass of Smith Woodhouse Port will cap your night off
right. Wine
4260 SE Hawthorne
Blvd., 231-9225. $-$$
LA CASITA
La
Casita shines like a beacon in the night--all night long. Classic
Oaxacan tacos of two corn tortillas around a simple filling of your
choice of meat come with the house salsa, a blended version with
a nice balance of tomato and chile. If you anticipate a hangover,
order a plate of chilaquiles, torn tortillas with scrambled
eggs and salsa. Of course, you can stop in during more traditional
dining hours for any of the two dozen specialties, from chiles rellenos
to chicken mole. There's not much better on a cold, wet day
than a hot bowl of posole, tender stewed pork and chewy hominy
in a broth enlivened with red chile. Mexican
436 E Burnside
St., 234-8893. $
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