Neighborhood:
Hillsdale Hidden away between I-5 and Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, this small neighborhood feels like downtown Portland—in miniature. (read more) Circa 1950. Houses set back in winding hills flank a small village center where a Food Front co-op grocer, brunch spot, bakery and funky clothing store all nestle under the Hillsdale Shopping Center’s (6344 SW Capitol Highway) huge, red, neon “Welcome to Hillsdale” sign. And, like all self-respecting Portland ’hoods, it’s got its own McMenamins outpost, Hillsdale Brewery & Public House (1505 SW Sunset Blvd., 246-3938, mcmenamins.com). Just across the street sits the Pacific Artists Dance Center (6250 SW Capitol Highway, 452-8448), a Southwest Portland outpost for movers and leapers, while just down Capitol Highway the chosen people and their competitors play soccer and stay dry under the giant green bubble top at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center SportsPlex (6651 SW Capitol Highway, 244-0111, oregonjcc.org). The Hillsdale vibe is a bit on the yuppie-granola side, with yoga studios and DIY pottery joints sprouting alongside new, mixed-use senior housing, but 40-year-old pub Fryer Tuck (6722 SW Capitol Highway, 246-7737, fryertuckchicken.com) still crisps up epic fried chicken in all its wood-paneled glory. The indisputable heart of the neighborhood is its Sunday Hillsdale Farmers Market (Southwest Sunset Boulevard and Southwest Capitol Highway, hillsdalefarmersmarket.com)—watch the locals tromp down from their houses, cloth bags and Radio Flyer wagons in tow. The market is open year-round. —Kelly Clarke
Featured in Restaurant Guide 2009
The house salad here isn’t complicated, with lettuce and pickled carrots spritzed in a light almond vinaigrette, but if you order it, be prepared to sink your teeth into some of the best lettuce you’ve ever had. That sounds strange, but Three Square Grill elevates straight-shooting vegetables and greens, and sometimes meat and seafood, to stardom. This should come as no surprise; these are the folks behind Portland’s famous Picklopolis pickles. Three Square Grill’s farmers market platter midsummer is a straight-from-the-source flavorful medley of grilled baby artichokes, zucchini, wild mushrooms, warmed housemade sauerkraut, green beans, citrusy garlicky collards and more. Although the Hillsdale-proper dining room isn’t much to speak of, it’s comfortable and feels like family.
Order this: Pickle platter with briny-good fiddlehead, asparagus, beets, green beans, etc.
Best deal: Fried okra, fried pickles and hushpuppies platter with jalapeño jelly, $6.
I’ll pass: On the crab cakes, which are a little mealy and batter-heavy.
Liz Crain
