12 Hot New Places to Eat and Drink in Portland, Oregon

By Food & Wine
Updated June 16, 2016
Photo © Eva Kolenko
In this famously locavorish city, the newest restaurants are using prime Oregon ingredients in global dishes (paella) as well as reinvented American classics (stinging nettle dumplings).—Benjamin Tepler
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Ataula

Photo © Cristina Baez

Chef Jose Chesa, who trained at Michelin-starred spots like l’Arpège in Paris, prepares specialties from his native Catalonia, and makes the best paella in the city, caramelized around the edges and piled high with local seafood. 1818 NW 23rd Pl.; ataulapdx.com.

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Boxer Ramen

Photo courtesy of Boxer Ramen

Purists beware: This bold, tonkotsu-style soup place makes unorthodox ramen—for instance, with Calabrian chiles and Parmesan—and snacks like okonomiyaki Tater Tots dusted with bonito. 1025 SW Stark St.; boxerramen.com.

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Castagna

Photo © Susan Seubert

Chef Justin Woodward uses smoked-beef powders, oyster emulsions, botanicals that are grown in a sidewalk garden and other unusual ingredients for his brilliant modern tasting menus. 1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd.; castagnarestaurant.com.

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Davenport

Photo courtesy of Davenport

Kevin Gibson mastered the art of Northwest cooking using little more than a hot plate when he was chef at Evoe. Now, inside a full-fledged restaurant, he creates simple, clean-flavored dishes like stinging nettle dumplings in chicken broth. 2215 E. Burnside St.; davenportpdx.com.

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Sweedeedee

Photo courtesy of Sweedeedee

In Portland, a.k.a. Brunchlandia, Sweedeedee produces fantastic sweets like a salted honey pie made with honey from beekeepers within 100 miles, and sandwiches like BLBs (bacon, lettuce and beet) on cornmeal-molasses bread. 5202 N. Albina Ave.; sweedeedee.com.

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Trifecta Tavern & Bakery

Photo © Alan Weiner Photography

At Ken Forkish’s new spot, the house bread with fresh churned butter may be the best course, followed closely by the pimento double cheeseburger. 726 SE Sixth Ave.; trifectapdx.com.

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Kachka

Photo courtesy of Kachka

This Russian bar is devoted to cold zakuski (drink-friendly snacks) and plenty of vodka—including local bottlings. Chef Bonnie Morales offers the Full Ruskie Experience: a spread of all the zakuski, including Herring Under a Fur Coat (essentially a Soviet seven-layer dip) and Slavic charcuterie. 720 SE Grand Ave.; kachkapdx.com.

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Angel Face

Photo © Eva Kolenko

There’s no drink menu at this new bar: Give the bartenders a few adjectives, and they’ll do the rest. Angel Face also serves Francophile food like steak tartare and bowls of eggs en meurette (with the option of oysters). 14 NE 28th Ave.; angelfaceportland.com.

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Little T American Baker

Photo © Brian Walker Lee

One of Portland’s greatest bakeries now has a location across the street from Powell’s Books, and new sandwiches like roasted asparagus with romesco sauce. 1022 W. Burnside St.; littletbaker.com.

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Måurice

Photo © Michael Paulus

By day, veteran baker Kristen D. Murray serves things like duck confit quiche. At night, Måurice becomes Portland’s top dessert bar, with apéritifs and sweets like black-pepper cheesecake. 921 SW Oak St.; mauricepdx.com.

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The Sugar Cube

Photo © Eva Kolenko

The city’s best bakery cart is now a brick-and-mortar place where Kir Jensen makes retro-inspired desserts like carrot cake with brown-butter cream cheese and coffee mallow pie. 3039 NE Alberta St.; thesugarcubepdx.com.

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Roman Candle Baking Co.

Photo © Eva Kolenko

Anyone who loves pizza needs to check out Roman Candle Baking Co., sister spot to Ava Gene's, for chef Joshua McFadden's wood-fired bianca. 3377 SE Division St.; romancandlebaking.com.

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