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1. Marie's
8727 N Lombard St., 503-283-0494.
When fried-chicken utopia Dub's closed (for the third time) last year, Portland soul-food lovers mourned hard. Three months later, the business is again resurfacing—albeit temporarily, and not in its own spot. For now, through spring, William "Dub" Travis will be acting as chef-in-residence at St. Johns tavern Marie's, serving brisket, ribs and his world-beating fried chicken. Get it while you can.
Related: North Portland Soul Food Destination Dub's Is Resurfacing In St. Johns
2. Bhuna
704 NW 21st Ave., 971-865-2176, bhunarestaurant.com.
Bhuna is a boon to the Portland area's small but vital group of worthwhile Indian restaurants. The former pop-up's emphasis on Kashmiri specialties means adequate meaty choices, the pinnacle of which is rogan josh, which begins with chunks of tender lamb swirling around in a rambunctious, elaborately spiced sauce.
Read the full review: Acclaimed Pop-Up Bhuna Finds a Permanent Home for Its Addictive North Indian Cuisine
3. Little Bird
215 SW 6th Ave., 503-688-5952,
littlebirdbistro.com.
Gabe Rucker's iconic downtown bistro recently rebooted, with a new chef de cuisine in Xan Gilmartin and a revamped menu taking cues from Rucker's more recent venture, Canard, giving traditional, high-class French cuisine a lowbrow American twist. New offerings include a chicken cobb salad dressed with "ranch de Provence" and a sandwich combining a French dip and French onion soup. Whaaa?
Related: Restaurant Guide 2018: Little Bird Bistro
4. Din Tai Fung
Washington Square Mall, 9585 Washington Square Road, dintaifungusa.com.
After Oregon legalized weed, the only good reason to go to Washington was to devour some of the best soup dumplings on the West Coast, courtesy of this world-famous franchise. Well, that's all over now, because we've finally got one of our own, which just opened in the Washington Square Mall. See y'all whenever Vancouver gets an In-N-Out!
5. Bullard
813 SW Alder St., 503-222-1670
Top Chef finalist Doug Adams' long-awaited downtown meat palace was the last big opening of 2018, and it's got everything you'd want from a restaurant named after a town in East Texas: slow-cooked pork rib, smoked pork belly, a big-ass burger and margaritas.