MONTAVILLA

ly housewares section with woks, rice cookers, food storage solutions, and cuteness for the kids. If they don’t have the import you’re looking for, try the more Costco-esque China Food Inc. just across the street!

Favorite Meal

Picking a favorite restaurant in Montavilla is a painful exercise. Do I recommend the perfect tacos at Santa Cruz Taqueria, or give a shout-out to Bai Yok, the excellent Thai cart that literally rose from the ashes where its brick-and-mortar restaurant once stood? The rich and delicately spiced molé at Mixteca? The whitefish dip and tender pork secreto at Lazy Susan? All great choices, but I think the finest night out in Montavilla is at Miyamoto (422 SE 82nd Ave., 503-208-2253, miyamotosushi.com), one of the finest and freshest sushi joints in Portland, with the coolest staff and a decidedly old-school Portland décor (sorta half-finished and loving it). Pro tip: You can order from Roscoe’s elaborate tap list at Miyamoto, and you can also order Miyamoto from the bar. (They’re connected via a series of secret tunnels.) The loaded Chirashi Bowl may be the perfect meal-for-one, while the Jalapeño Ninjas are basically god-level poppers.

Outdoor Adventure

My wife has a daily routine of walking to see the tiny Himalayan chickens on 92nd, and there’s an old Russian graveyard at 90th and Glisan, but come on: The truth is that nature lovers of Montavilla are drawn to the imposing fir trees and impotent reservoirs of that wacky volcano the next neighborhood over, Mount Tabor Get a very excellent coffee (and cookie) at Coquine Market at Belmont and 69th, then ascend its steps for some of the finest city views and nature trails in town.

Watering Hole

There are certainly fancier (Blank Slate), livelier (Thatcher’s) and more iconic (Montavilla Saloon) watering holes in Montavilla. There are no bars that do more with what they’ve got, though, than Growler’s Taproom (803 SE 82nd Ave., 503-254-8277, drinkbeerhereportland.com). A living room-sized (and -styled) curiosity in the back of Henry’s Market on 82nd, Growler’s is what community looks like. Big dumb movies on the patio, open jam sessions and Star Trek Trivia inside (the owner and primary bartender, who lives in the adjacent house, is a dedicated Trekkie), a great Thai food cart connected at the hip. If more bars were this warm and unpretentious, the world (nay, the entire Alpha Quadrant) would be a better place. I’ve never gone there without getting into a long and unexpected conversation. Last time I went, I signed a birthday card for a stranger. CASEY JARMAN.