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The Roseway neighborhood is about a mile across, in a part of the city known to be a little sleepy—but don’t snooze through what this area has to offer. Northeast Sandy Boulevard juts right through the heart of Roseway and is lined with businesses run with loads of intention and care, surrounded by mellow roads and gorgeous views that sometimes feel like the country, but with sublime city amenities.
Phở Stop
Before you’ve even entered Phở MeKha ( 6846 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-719-4584, mekharestaurants.com), the wraparound murals adorning the corner lot and the hoyas and monsteras pushing their leafy faces against the wide windows are calling you in. The Vietnamese restaurant serves some of the most delightfully tasty phở in town, and easily some of the most satisfying vegetarian broth, garnished perfectly with chrysanthemum leaves. The wooden booths are usually packed with diners, one wall of the restaurant covered in tacked-up postcards from around the globe, serving as proof of how many people consider this place to be a home. Whatever you do, do NOT leave the building without stopping by the cold case and getting a Mason jar of the housemade kimchi ($9), which balances richness and tang and heat like a rock band in the pocket.
Home Slice
One WW staffer goes to Pizzeria Otto (6708 NE Sandy Blvd., 971-373-8348, pizzeriaotto.com) for its happy hour Margherita pizza ($9) so often their family has invented the word “hargs” in its honor. Whether you get to the happy hour or not, the Neapolitan-style pizzas are some of the best in this city, with soft burnt bubbles dotting the crust ringed around all sorts of fresh ingredients, depending on your pie. And then there’s the Sandy Boulevard spot itself, which feels so darn loved and local that even if you’re grabbing food to go and it’s running a little late, you might find yourself grabbing a glass of wine and just feeling at home.
Park Views
Attention, New York City transplants (there are many of you out there): You know that sweet view from Sunset Park in Brooklyn, the one where you’re perched high on the park’s slope? Take that and swap in some cherry trees and a view of Mount St. Helens, and you’ve got the vibe of Wellington Park (6635 NE Mason St., 503- 823-2525, portland.gov/parks/wellington-park). This little Roseway greenspace feels both intimate and open, a patch of grass that slopes down and collides with Scott Elementary School. It’s a somewhat small park, but it still has goal posts for a soccer match, and a solid playground for little ones.
Truck Stop
It may be a drizzly weekday afternoon, but Reeva (7727 NE Sandy Blvd., 971-416-6748, reevapnw.square.site) is popping. Clusters of casual diners are all over the new patio as owner Roberto Hernandez Guerrero churns out dishes without missing even a bee pollen garnish. For the past two years, the former FedEx truck converted to a gourmet spot has featured delicate Neapolitan-style pizzas with Peruvian and Honduran accents, like the pizzaleada for two ($17), a signature dish made with Honduran “baleada” beans and crema manchada. Make sure to get the Green G.O.A.T. ($9), a flower-topped smoothie blend of seasonal greens, fruit, ginger, lime, mint and fermented coconut yogurt—the ginger adding just the right level of spice. There are plenty of two-tops and picnic tables, and a few umbrellas if the rain starts to pour, so plan to stick around for your meal.
Wine o’ Clock
A customer’s making carbonara tonight, another’s planning a backyard gathering—Telina Rohrer doesn’t skip a beat in guiding folks to the right bottle pairing for their evenings ahead. Rohrer and her husband, Kunnecke, are the owners of Mom & Pop Wine Shop (6908 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-913-4929, momandpopwineshop.com), a slim, elegant space filled with a carefully curated selection of bottles, wrapped around the walls in order from light to dark. With every visit, the two restaurant-industry veterans are kind with their time and attention, offering extensive background on each bottle in the shop and often championing local makers. Lately, Mom & Pop has been doing bi-weekly Friday night tastings for $10, and the room fills up with neighborhood dwellers, smiling and sipping. And for the kiddos tagging along, try to find all the hidden toy dinosaurs throughout the space. Last thing, but certainly not least: For local Rosewayers, Mom & Pop offers wine delivery—that’s wine brought right to you. Keep that info in your back pocket.