http://www.oregonlive.com/diner2015/101/#101 Came across this list which seems pretty legit. I have been to a only a few of these restaurants (Laurelhurst, Neustra Cocina, Enat Kitchen) and must say I'm not surprised to see them on this list. I haven't heard of a lot of these restaurants and look forward to trying them out. Its great having so much good food in the area. Two at the top of my to try list are Stammtisch and Kenny & Zuke's. I love German food and like to go to a place in Multnomah village called Otto and Anita's which serves traditional German food. However Otto and Anita's wasn't as good the last time I went, which means the next time I crave authentic German I know where I'm going! Kenny and Zukes has what many claim is the best Reuben in pdx, and I absolutely love a good Reuben. It is probably my favorite sandwich, just don't tell that to the BLT. FWIW my favorite Reuben in the area comes from Rose's.
Stammtisch is definitely worth checking out. It is about a 15 minute walk from my place and I head there quite often. I usually do something traditional, but last time I was there they had a special 32 Oz bone in ribeye with potatoes gratin and Brussels sprouts. My friend and I shared it and it blew my mind. Fucking fantastic.
Nothing pretentious about that list. Portland is a foodie town. I've probably been to 20 of those restaurants and they are all great. Chicken wings at Pok Pok - mmmm!
Pok-pok is another high on my list along with tasty n sons. Mind sharing which ones you've been to? I'd love to hear from anyone who has been to these and would recommend them!
I've been to 11. The one I want to go to the most is probably Lincoln or Beast. I really like the PNW local restaurants like Higgins and what Wildwood used to be like. Any good recos in that style..local fare, good vegetables?
Went to Kenny and zukes tonight. The Reuben was delicious, but I'm not sure it was so good that I feel like I can't satisfy a Reuben craving elsewhere. I'd definitely go back, but the price tag is a bit steep - $35 for 2 Reuben's and 2 sodas, ouch. I knew what I was getting into before hand. The pastrami was top notch and what made it so delicious, which makes me feel like I would have had just as good a meal had I gotten their "222" which is 2 eggs 2 pieces pastrami and 2 latkes. It's a deli, so you can also get slices of their pastrami. However it's a bit expensive too but relative to other products and considering quality it's not that bad - $16/lb.
I went to Kenny and Zukes a while ago. One of the guys, I think Zuke was big on portland food message boards. I liked it as I recall.
Bamboo Sushi - excellent but expensive. But if you ever want an amazing burger they have a kobe beef burger with tempura onion rings on it that might be my favorite burger in PDX. All fish is perfection. Below are most of the places on the list i've eaten. I left a few off because it's been too long for me to give a fair assessment. Accanto - A good neighborhood mid-level restaurant. Always have a good meal but it's never amazing. Sen Yai - a noodle house (Owned by Pok Pok) and it's an inexpensive place to get fresh Thai foods that aren't too greasy. Andina - One of my favorite places in PDX. Beef heat, spicy mango alcoholic beverages, and all sorts of great Peruvian food with tons of flavor. Pretty costly. Roost - get a half of chicken and you will be in heaven. Just a comfortable small neighborhood restaurant. But their lights are often too bright. K & Z - Always good but sometimes over hyped. Ocean City - Only go there for Dim Sum or to buy roast Duck. Those are solid but I did get sick once afterward. It might have been my fault, I was also drinking. Cafe Castagna - Never had a bad bite, comfortable and scrumptious and much cheaper than Castagna. (I have not been to Castagna) Bar Mingo - HAPPY HOUR - its a top notch place for happy hour but I haven't eaten there in a couple years. I need to go back. Biwa - It was so average and over hyped. Food is decent but for the price I want better. It's all about being hip. Tasty N Sons - Simply the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. Hands down, no competition. Bar Avignon - I love it there. The food is great, the wine is great and the bartenders and waitresses are awesome. Bollywood - A really fun place to go with a gang of friends. Good food but a great time. Ringside - Go fuck yourself if you don't know how good one of their NY's can be. Higgins - Solid to great every time over decades. Always good food, service and atmosphere. It get's forgotten because it's been around so long. Apizza Scholls - I've been twice and both times they burnt my pizza. Burn it twice, shame on me. Podnah's Pit - I haven't eaten there but I had their food and it was cock-rocking. Ken's Artisan Pizza - The best Italian style pizza I've had, including in Italy. Firehouse - Awesome. Don't miss it, it's great food and a decent value to boot. Cozy, tasty and very unpretentious. Lincoln - The dude takes his food seriously. Always at the farmers markets making sure his ingredients are the best local fair available. Pok Pok - Wings are great but the rest doesn't warrant their stellar reputation. They are solid, not great (except for the wings) Laurelhurst Market - They overcook my pork chop. Foods usually good but not great. Olympia Provisions - yes. If you like meat, mmmmm Toro Bravo - My favorite restaurant in PDX. Perfect mix of great food, fun atmosphere, comfortable surroundings, small fair, awesome menu. Nostrana - Go with your loved one and share a Radicchio Cesar Salad and a brick oven Pizza, get a couple glasses of wine and have a great night OX - very good, and they make a soup with bone marrow that's awesome. Too expensive though.
Ocean City has the best dim sum in town, and I hear the regular menu is very good....especially if you want to be adventurous. Nostrana is top notch. The food is always great and the pizza is way more consistent than Apizza Scholls. The review was right on about the Insalata Nostrana and the 2.2 lb steak. A great night out with another couple is a couple salads, a pizza or two and everyone shares the steak. Awesome! Somewhat spendy, but it won't break you like some places. It's also fun to sit and eat at the pizza counter, where you can watch the kitchen action and ask the crew questions. P.R.E.A.M., Pizza Maria, Ken's Artisan Pizza and Lovely's Fifty Fifty are all "Top 5" pizza places (Nostrana rounds out that list). My last two visits to Apizza Scholls left me disappointed. It's like they are living on past reputation. And it's run by Pizza Nazis who refuse to allow any tweaks or adjustments to their pizzas. Now THAT is pretentious..... If you have money to spend, Higgins, Bar Avignon and Paley's Place are all guaranteed to hit the mark every time. K & Z's is still decent but I personally think it's gone down hill a bit. Another good place to sit at the counter, watch the action and schmooze with the cooks. I've been to several of the others on the list that were good, but didn't feel they were great enough to write home about. But then, these types of lists can be pretty subjective I can think of numerous places that are very good but didn't make the so called Top 100. Whatever....Portland is a such great food town that lists are pretty irrelevant.
