8 minute read
private cabanas plaza with
FOOD & DRINK
Editor: Matthew Singer / Contact: msinger@wweek.com
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HOT PLATES
Where to eat outside this week. Portland’s back open for business, baby! Well, not entirely—under Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan, several restrictions remain in place for bars and restaurants in Multnomah County, and many food-related businesses are sticking with takeout and delivery only models for the time being. Still, if you’re looking to feel some passing semblance of normalcy again, while staying safe, several spots are making use of preexisting patios while also taking advantage of the city’s Healthy Businesses program, allowing them to convert parking spaces and sidewalks into outdoor dining areas. Here’s just a few to consider patronizing this week.
Reel M Inn
2430 SE Division St., 503-231-3880, reelminnpdx.com. The fried chicken at this tiny, graffi ti-stained, incongruously nauticalthemed dive is worth fi ghting for, at least until someone fi gures out the mad alchemy that’s allowed this place, of all places, to broast the fi nest birds in the city. And here’s some news that’s sure to make you drop whatever you’re currently eating and place an order right now: They’ve entered the chicken sandwich game, with a hulking beast not even the corporate might of Popeyes can contend with—and you can have it along with a tallboy on one of the picnic tables out front.
Kachka Alfresca
960 SE 11th Ave., 503-235-0059, kachkapdx.com/alfresca. Kachka may just be Portland’s master of the restaurant spino . First came the casual sister restaurant Kachinka. Then Russian grocery Lavka. Now, James Beard-nominated chef Bonnie Morales is weathering Phase 1 with Kachka Alfresca, an open-air dining room located on their second-fl oor parking garage, where diners are served in their own private cabanas. While the menu will include some Kachka favorites, it will expand to include American comfort food such as stu ed potato skins, spinachartichoke dip and molten chocolate cake—all made from scratch, and with a Russian twist. Reservations are open now, and service begins Friday, June 26.
Gado Gado/Oma’s Takeaway
3004 E Burnside St., 503-206-8778, gadogadopdx.com. Half the allure of Thomas and Mariah Pisha-Du y’s James Beard-nominated Indonesian spot Gado Gado is the scattershot nature of both its food and menu. Both are constantly evolving, and their transition to Oma’s Takeaway—a heady parking lot pickup party that recalls its freewheeling early days as a pop-up—shows the duo hasn’t missed a step since the Rona turned the Pisha-Du ys’ industry upside down. The place has not fully reopened, but they have rolled out a temporary patio in its parking lot to enjoy their “Asian stoner food” under the sun for the fi rst time in months. of the fabulous German bar Prost, Stammtisch keeps the neighborhood supplied with crisp German beers and homestyle German cooking. Along with Teutonic brews, Stammtisch features a menu of Germanic cocktails—a complete rarity here, with ingredients like Bärenjäger and Underberg.
G-Love
1615 NW 21st Ave., 971-229-1043, g-lovepdx.com. Portland’s fi rst “reverse steakhouse” puts veggies in the spotlight and relegates meat to sideshow status, which isn’t the novel idea around these parts owner and chef Garrett Benedict seems to think it is—but items like the craveable Ensalata Bomba are delicious enough to justify the restaurant’s existence, regardless of the concept.
Jamaican Homestyle Cuisine
441 N Killingsworth St., 503-289-1423, jamaicanhomestylepdx.com. When Keacean Ransom fi rst opened her food cart in 2014, there wasn’t a single Jamaican spot in Portland. Six years and a brick-and-mortar later, it’s still among the most consistently fl avorful in town—especially the oxtail plate, whose tender meat beautifully caramelizes into its plummy sauce. Ransom was doing takeout and delivery throughout the pandemic, and has now reopened the restaurant’s patio for customers.
Mi Mero Mole
32 NW 5th Ave., 971-266-8575, mmmtacospdx.com. Owner Nick Zukin (an occasional WW contributor) is devoted to very specifi c, regional Mexican food traditions—namely guisados (stewed or stir-fried fi llings), moles and fresh corn tortillas. The menu is slightly more limited than usual right now, but it’s still possible to choose your own adventure by picking a guisado and pairing it with a taco, quesadilla or burrito.
PDX Sliders
1605 SE Bybee Blvd., 971-717-5271; 3111 SE Division St., 503-719-5464; pdxsliders.com. PDX Sliders represents one of those rare moments when Yelp actually gets it right: Users voted it “4th Best Burger in America” in 2016. The competitive advantage at play is the modest price and size of each sandwich, most of which run around $5 for a 3-ounce slider and yield an unheardof amount of fl avor for such a small package. The Division Street location will have sidewalk seating, but it’s worth trudging to Sellwood for use of that location’s open patio.
Flying Fish Company
3004 E Burnside St., 971-806-6747, fl yingfi shportland.com. For a city bisected by a river, Portland has a shocking scarcity of fi sh sandwiches on its restaurant menus. Stop searching and head straight for Flying Fish Company. The 6-ounce fi llet of steelhead is prepped simply and topped with a green confetti of slightly sweet cabbage and earthy kale doused in a piquant marinade of lime, jalapeño, cilantro and Arbequina olive oil. The dressing’s citrus is so bright, it will leave you vibrating like the fi rst sunny, 70-degree day in spring—and now it comes with outdoor seating.
BUZZ LIST Where to drink outside this week.
Prost!
4237 N Mississippi Ave., 503-954-2674, prostportland.com. In a city fi lled with amazing beer bars, Prost stands out for its steadfast dedication to German food and beer— not to mention its back patio is now home to maybe the city’s best food cart pod. All beers here are imported from Germany and served in the style of glass called for by German tradition. The sta is knowledgeable and happy to guide your order from the unique and delicious menu.
Revolution Hall
1300 SE Stark St., 971-808-5094, revolutionhall.com. The sound board remains o at Revolution Hall, but the Buckman concert venue is opening its roof deck to reservations for anyone who wants to qua a few cocktails while taking in arguably the best view the eastside has to o er. Afraid of heights? The complex’s ground-level patio is also reopening.
Botanist
1300 NW Lovejoy St., 971-533-8064, botanisthouse.com. At this sleek subterranean gin bar— which is reopening its rooftop patio during Phase 1—veteran mixologist Robbie Wilson spreads the joys of juniper berries to bargoers west of the Willamette. For those who know little of the details that distinguish one type of gin from another, the list of about a dozen $13 cocktails serves as a safe point of entry. As basic as it is, the Botanist G&T should be the go-to for anyone who’s familiar with the timeless pleasure of a simple gin drink.
PUBLIC
The Lot at Scout Beer
5029 SE Division St., 503-764-9855. Looking for a breezy place to enjoy the weather with a beer and paper bowl of heinously addictive Tru e Treasure Tots ($7) from Dog House PDX? There may not be any better
BRIAN BURK
Southeast Portland hangout.
Migration Brewing
2828 NE Glisan St., 503-206-5221, migrationbrewing.com. In the Before Times, Migration Brewing’s converted radiator garage pub was a reliable place to fi nd neighbors congregating after work, watching the basketball game or reminiscing about family vacations. And even in Phase 1, a pint and a massive plate of nachos remain a great idea, especially in the summer when you can bask on the sun-drenched front patio. Beers range from sweet and tart—like the seasonal Son of a Peach, a delicate aged fruit beer—to rich and hazy.
Bible Club
6716 SE 16th Ave., 971-279-2198, bibleclubpdx.com. Enter a time machine to the Prohibition era where the drinks artfully pack a punch and the period décor is strictly, sumptuously on theme. Drinks like the Su ragette (pisco, ginger syrup, lavender bitters, sparkling wine; $13) are served in antique glassware with a Gatsbian garnish, accompanied by a reliable lineup of upscale bar fare like bruschetta, a smoked pork plate and a mean charcuterie board with burrata cheese ($18). Its back patio will be open Fridays.
Interurban
4057 N Mississippi Ave., 503-284-6669, interurbanpdx.com. Complete with big-game trophies and carefully curated bookshelves just out of reach, this tavern in the heart of Mississippi is charming and warm in spite of its somewhat forced rustic décor. The patio, however, is the real gold nugget here, with two fi re pits and a cozy, lush enclosure.
SAGE BROWN BIBLE CLUB FACEBOOK
Oui! Wine Bar + Restaurant
2425 SE 35th Place, 503-208-2061, sewinecollective.com/oui-wine-barrestaurant. Not content to limit itself to a working winery, Southeast Wine Collective has an adjoining wine bar with some of the city’s best wine bar food (those deviled eggs!) and a clever wine list featuring dozens of options made right down the hall.
Bantam Tavern
922 NW 21st Ave., 503-274-9032, bantamtavern.com. A quaint corner bar can be easily overlooked in chic Northwest Portland, which is why this is one of the best places to grab a beer by the likes of de Garde or Upright from one of the eight well-curated taps and some fancifi ed pub grub before joining the well-clad crowds elsewhere. Of course, with seating extended to the adjoining parking lot, it’s now a lot easier to fi nd, so plan accordingly.
Level Beer
5211 NE 148th Ave., 503-714-1222, levelbeer.com. Sometimes the perfect afternoon means hunkering down with a book and a beer in the corner of a quiet bar. But if you’re looking for a scene more like perpetual summer camp, then head to this 2-acre plot in the industrial hinterlands of Northeast Portland and plop down amid the families on the greenhouse-style patio. Level’s founders also have children, which pushed them to produce beers with an alcohol content that won’t leave your head spinning, like
the crisp, 4.5% ABV Grisetta Stone.
Bit House Saloon
727 SE Grand Ave., 503-954-3913, bithousesaloon.com. Housed in a 100-year-old brick building, Bit House Saloon defi nes itself by checking all the boxes of a comprehensive list of bar staples: cheap happy-hour wells, creative craft cocktails, a robust draft list, wines by the glass and bottle, whiskey bar-level whiskey selection, tequila, sherry, summer slushies, winter toddies, even gluten-free bar snacks—and, most importantly right now, an underrated back patio.
