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[WESTWARD THE WAGONS] Tex-Mex is out, New Mex is in. In the past year, three new restaurants specializing in the Enchantment State's chile-fired cuisine have popped up in town, including this good egg in the former Esparza's space. Long before its fling with taxidermic armadillos, the building housed a watering hole named the Blue Goose. The name returns, though the cocktail menu is now agave-driven—try the strawberry basil margarita or the stiff but bright tequila old-fashioned ($10)—and the must-try dish is now the green-chile cheeseburger ($10.50), a thick half-pound slab of beef on a soft brioche bun with a super-sweet marinated tomato, ground Hatch chile peppers and layer of crispy aged cheddar. The other killer entree is a beastly burrito stuffed with ultra-rich pork shoulder, heat-dripping Hatch chiles, salted crema and Yukon gold potatoes ($12.50) that comes out barely contained by a brave-but-doomed-to-fail tortilla. You can't order those from the bar or on the patio, where instead they serve tacos, $7.50 a pair. I like the deeply smoky, salty pecho de vaca, beautifully balanced with a salsa of pickled corn and the vegetarian-friendly pasilla-roasted squash. MARTIN CIZMAR.
Keep an eye on the seasonal salads, which on our late-fall visit included a Latinized version of a Caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes and queso fresca, and grill-blackened corn on the cob with caramelized garlic-lime butter glaze and salty cotija.
The Directory: Our 100 Favorite Restaurants in Portland
By Neighborhood: Southeast | North/Northeast | Westside | Suburbs
2014 Restaurant of the Year: Kachka
Top Five: Old Salt, Ataula, American Local, Expatriate
Counter Service Spots: Latin | Asian | Italian | Sandwiches | Burgers
Wine Bars | Beer Lists | Veg-Friendly | Gluten-free | Elsewhere in Oregon
WWeek 2015