BEST BAR AMENITY
BEST ANARCHIST COOKIES
BEST BISCUITS AND GRAVY
BEST WATERBORNE SNACK STAND
BEST EGGLESS HANGOVER BREAKFAST
BEST PMS CURE
BEST RESTAURANT THAT CLOSED
BEST ICE-CREAM FLAVORS
BEST CHEAP LATTE ON THE RUN
BEST HONKY BURRITO STAND
BEST REASON TO GO TO FOREST GROVE
BEST BAR FOR BEER AND WAFFLES
BEST HEALTHY BREAKFAST AT A BAR
BEST VEGAN PIZZA MAKERS
BEST PLACE TO LEARN HOW TO TIE A PORK LOIN
BEST SAUCE AT A BURRITO STAND
BEST CHANGE OF HANDS

Best Bar Amenity
Get over your fear of food chains--they're not all fast, and they're not all fattening. Il Fornaio (115 NW 22nd Ave.) was born as a baking school near Milan in 1972--an origin that makes sense once you try the ciabatta bread. The Northwest Portland restaurant has an appropriately tony interior; the trilling Italian that most staffers favor over English, plus the regional music and other friendly touches, transports diners overseas. The most welcoming touch is found at the bar alongside colorful martinis: not stale popcorn or tough pretzels, but slippery, succulent olives. The tidy little plates contain picoline (green) and gaeta (black) olives marinated in garlic, parsley, black pepper, oregano and chili flakes. Bowls of peanuts paired with beer will never have the same appeal after you've gone Mediterranean at Il Fornaio.

Best Anarchist Cookies
Leah Gold wraps it all up into one: comics, snacks and social change. The North Portland baker sells her delicious vegan Flying Jesus Cookies in cafes around town as well as at stores like Nature's. Besides coming in yummy varieties such as peanut butter chocolate chip, many of the plastic-wrapped treats come with one of Gold's tiny pink comic strips. The well-drawn cartoons have a political message and include a list of important phone numbers, such as the Women's Crisis Line.

Best Biscuits and Gravy
Everyone has his or her own ideas about what biscuits and gravy should be like. And from time to time, vegetarian and otherwise-unorthodox versions tend to surface. But, on the advice of some dedicated fans, we've found the standard of heart-stopping goodness by which all others may be judged. The Overlook Restaurant (1332 N Skidmore St., 288-0880) offers a heavy-handed portion of tall, homemade biscuits swimming in well-seasoned sausage gravy ($4.50). Half portions ($3.25) are recommended for normal appetites or for those who want a couple of eggs over-easy on the side.

Best Waterborne Snack Stand
The Banana Boat floating snack stand has been prowling the waters of the Willamette for three years, supplying boaters, swimmers and dock walkers with ice cream, munchies and heartier fare. Owner and operator Janet Magoon offers a menu that includes fresh fruit, iced mochas, sunscreen, super Thai veggie burritos, roast beef deli sandwiches and Big-Stick Popsicles. "Ice cream is always a welcome sight on a hot summer day," she says. Magoon usually bobs around the strip of water between the Sellwood Bridge and Oaks Park. She floats every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the summer, weather permitting. "When the water is busy, I pick the most supportive customers or coolest boats to offer specials to," she says. "Sometimes I give people cookies just for being them."

Best Eggless Hangover Breakfast
You wake up in the afternoon. Your head is throbbing, your mouth tastes like death and there's nothing but ketchup in your fridge. You know food is a necessity, but the thought of facing the crowds and heat of a packed breakfast restaurant and eating a heavy meal is just too much. Your solution: the spicy shrimp rice stick noodle soup ($5.25) at Saigon Kitchen (3829 SE Division St.). A large bowl can easily feed two people; it includes shrimp, rice noodles and raw bean sprouts with jalapeños, cilantro and lime. The warm broth soothes a churning stomach, while spices help you sweat out the previous night's overindulgence. Green tea loosens the average hangover, but if you're in really rough shape, try a Singha ($2.75). This malt liquor (the Bloody Mary of Thailand) will help you face what's left of the day.

Best PMS Cure
The $5 shake ($5, of course) at the Delta Cafe (4607 SE Woodstock Blvd.) is the best remedy when PMS, insecurity or near-suicidal vulnerability (the cure is good for guys too) goes beyond your endurance. The magic elixir combines rum, kahlua, cocoa and ice cream in a pint glass. And once you're sitting at the homey Delta, enjoying your adult treat, you'll realize that you've left your house, which probably means you aren't going to die friendless and alone in your bedroom after all.

Best Restaurant that Closed
A row of plush banquettes washed in warm colors, an art-deco rack filled with smart magazines, a serene setting and exemplary food served in tapas-sized portions are some of the elements that made Square Peg an ideal Portland restaurant. Owner Alton Garcia offered delicate potato tarts, lentil salads, free-range chicken sandwiches and brown-sugar shortbread to loyal customers for two years. Unfortunately, he couldn't draw in enough new patrons to keep the place going. Square Peg was perfect for a calm lunch or dinner precisely because it wasn't overly crowded--which may be pleasant for diners but is rotten for management. Garcia was unwilling to raise the prices or reduce the quality of food. "You get to a point," he said, "when you have to look at the balance sheet." Although it's in the popular Pearl District, the location (422 NW 8th Ave.) is on a rather sedate stretch of the Park Blocks. Garcia also cites inconsistent weather as a problem, adding that most restaurants suffer from it. Portlanders can stand the rain, obviously, but when the skies shift hourly between sun and clouds, people naturally hesitate to go out. It's unclear what will replace Square Peg--possibly a gallery or another cafe--but it's harto imagine a different eatery faring better in the same space. Garcia has few thoughts on the future, but he has been approached to write an Internet cooking column and to teach culinary classes.

Best Ice Cream Flavors
Bypass the fast-serve YoCream vendor on your next stroll along the marina and sit down for a proper ice-cream indulgence at the Esplanade (1510 SW Harbor Way, 228-5733). Don't be put off by Esplanade's glossy interior and fancy hotel atmosphere--a scoop of supreme cream costs only $1.50. Pastry Chef Colin Cameron has created a frozen dessert menu offering four to five custard-based ice creams and two to three tangy sorbets. A recent sampling determined that the chocolate silk ice cream made with crème fraîche has the truest, most unbelievable chocolate taste this side of Rome. Equally delicious and more refreshing is the lemon verbena ice cream, made with herbs straight from the garden at RiverPlace. For $6, a group of three or four can share the Frozen Palette, a civilized version of Ben and Jerry's Vermonster, including a dainty scoop of each of the seven flavors offered. With luck, the lime-juice-and-black-pepper-infused mango sorbet will be on the menu--it's a spicy-tart treat not easily duplicated.

Best Cheap Latte on the Run
The espresso machines in Plaid Pantry locations are a great idea: You go up to the machine, pick out your drink, push a button and have a speedy caffeinated beverage. The downside is that the beans aren't particularly tasty and the artificial flavors make the milk too sweet and syrupy. Sheridan Fruit Market (408 SE 3rd Ave.) combines the best of both worlds with its new Espress Yourself machine. You still push a button for your latte, but the coffee beans are from Torrefazione and the milk's fresh--you can even choose between skim and 2 percent. The prices are generally lower than those at Starbucks or Coffee People; gourmet drinks cost between $1.50 and $2.50.

Best Honky Burrito Stand
Let's face it, most downtown burrito carts are no La Sirenita. Few serve completely authentic Mexican fare, and those that do sometimes offer too heavy a meal for weekday lunch. The Zona Rosa stand (Southwest Yamhill Street and 6th Avenue) serves gringo burritos that are flavorful in an Asian/Mexican/American way. (The cooks mix hot sauce and salsa with sweet chili sauce.) $3 buys you a sizable veggie burrito of black beans and Spanish rice, garnished with yogurt or sour cream. Cheese and a whole-wheat tortilla cost a little extra, but you're still looking at a lunch of complete protein for under $4. No oil is used in the preparation, and the young gents under the umbrella are always friendly and accommodating of finicky tastes. Become a loyal customer and you may benefit from occasional homemade cookies.

Best Reason to Go to Forest Grove
Even if Portland's rainy and the coast is overcast,there's a good chance the sun will be shining in Forest Grove, illuminating pastoral farm fields and the quaint Pacific University campus. If not, Pizza Schmizza alone is a ray of light. Thirty-four pies come with one of five bases: classic tomato sauce, Alfredo, pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto or garlic noodle. The pies run the gamut from Five Cheese (mozzarella, jack, provolone, Romano and Parmesan) to Gator (lemon-garlic broiled alligator with sweet peppers and onions). Those who cringe at toppings galore should stay away from the likes of the Burrito pizza (refried beans, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and sour cream) and the Sink (salami, Italian and German sausage, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms, red and green peppers, spinach, red onions, zucchini and black olives!) but will probably enjoy the modest Rustic pie with garlic, broccoli, red potatoes, tomatoes and feta.

Best Bar for Beer and Waffles
You'll think you're in a movie when you exit the chipper morning sun and step into the surreal darkness of the Clinton Street Pub (2516 SE Clinton St., 236-7137). Who gets up at 7 am on a Sunday for waffles and beer? Plenty of people, because the thick, gooey batter runs out around 10 am. Unscientific sampling indicates that the Clinton Street Pub has the cheapest breakfast in town. Step up to the waffle iron for a make-your-own-buffet of tasty 75-cent waffles dressed with melted butter, cherry syrup and peanut butter; you won't need seconds. Round out the meal with a Henry's, Hamm's or coffee, grab the paper and settle into the private, shuttered alcove by the corner window for a breakfast unlike any you've ever had at home.

Best Healthy Breakfast at a Bar
No oil, butter or Crisco is required to perfectly poach an egg. Strangely, very few Portland cafes serve this healthy alternative to scrambled and fried, unless they're drowned in hollandaise. Holman's (15 SE 28th St.), known for serving Bloody Marys at 7 am and greasy fries at 3 am, recently added poached eggs on toast ($2.25) to its breakfast menu. So next time you're hungry after a jog or a bike ride, get out of the sun for your low-fat breakfast.

Best Vegan Pizza Makers
Not only do they make the heartiest vegan pizza in town--their soy cheese seems to melt better than most--the guys at Murray's (there don't seem to be any women working there) are some of the friendliest pizza makers in town. They welcome you into their shop (at 2211 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 232-5593) like it's a living room, and they can recommend good rock shows. They'll also reward great smiles with "pizza bucks," $1 coupons for your next pie.

Best Place to Learn How to Tie a Pork Loin
Portland's most fabulous and hospitable culinary couple, Caprial and John Pence, run one of the best restaurants in town, Caprial's Bistro and Wine (7015 SE Milwaukie Ave., 236-6457). They also offer a very different kind of memorable evening with their unique series of cooking classes. Each Tuesday night, 25 drooling devotees shell out $40 to watch and learn as the Pences whip up some of their more delectable recipes. The best part comes at the end of the class, when the students eat the heavenly results of the lesson, topped off by wine from the bistro's extensive collection. Caprial has gained a nationwide following in the wake of her public television and Learning Channel cooking shows. But she and her equally talented husband obviously relish the opportunity to interact with the multitudes of neighbors and fans who flock to their restaurant. In September (probably), the Pences will open a newly remodeled, larger bistro that will boast a state-of-the-art classroom and an expanded schedule of classes.

Best Sauce at a Burrito Stand
Filiperto and Jose not only greet each customer with a smile; the two proprietors of Chinto's burrito cart (at the Southwest corner of Park Avenue and Washington Street) also conclude each order with an enticing interrogative: "Red or green sauce?" The many repeat visitors to Chinto's--which also offers tacos, quesadillas and other Mexican fare--would probably argue over which of the two fresh salsas is more flavorful, but each has its advantages. The tasty green sauce is a palate-soothing accompaniment to the bursting burritos, but the red adds a potent, spicy edge. The friendly owners, who moved to Portland from Zacatecas, Mexico, less than a year ago, are so obliging that the smart customer can gain satisfaction by replying to their question with a simple "Both!" The red and green salsa combo spruces up any lunchtime meal.

Best Change of Hands
Taxed residents in Southeast got a generous break when Clay's Smokehouse Grill (2932 SE Division St., 235-4755) opened April 15. Replacing the dank Liberty Ale House, home to overpriced pizza and surly service, Clay's brought needed flavor to a street that sports a mélange of menus: Indigine, Saigon Kitchen, Nature's and Zing. Smokehouse owners Michael (also the chef) and Cathryn Slyman have transformed the deadbeat space into an inviting, neighborhood restaurant. Cathryn, former manager at Nor'Wester Beer, eradicated the blackened windows, painted the walls pomegranate red and replaced picnic tables with rustic, mismatched tables and chairs to give Clay's a comely look. Michael, who has worked at Uptown Billiards Club and the Arlington as well as a smokehouse in South Carolina, fashioned Clay's cuisine after his uncle's southern smokehouse. The menu features plenty of hickory and mesquite-steeped fish, meat and veggies that are smoked in-house and mixed with pears, hazelnuts, ginger and tzatziki for a distinctive Baptist-church-barbecue-meets-Wildwood taste.