bars.md

Bars

PROTIP: Bars in Oregon have to serve food as long as they're serving alcohol. As a result, some of them have amazing food.

PROTIP: You can't buy alcohol (other than beer or wine) anywhere else but a state-controlled liquor store. The best one in Portland is in the Pearl, and you can check their stock and prices before you go (restrict your search for stores in the 97209 zipcode)

Southeast

• The Night Light - This was our favorite bar just before we moved to Italy. Right in the heart of the quiet Clinton district (where we were living at the time).
• The Doug Fir Lounge - I hate to use the word swanky again but that's the only way I can describe it. The entire place is built to look like a log cabin. Used to go here all the time. Pretty good bar. The restaurant is open until 3am (or at least was when I lived there) and has some DAMN good gastro pub style food. The halibut fish and chips and burger are insane. Funny enough, I saw the GitHub guys here (including maddox and Tek I think?) after Railsconf 2008.
• Bunk Bar (also called Bunk Sandwiches I think?) - pretty awesome spot, great sandos for lunch.
• Grand Central Restaurant & Bowling Lounge - Think Mission Bowling Club but way bigger.
• The Goodfoot - one of my favorite bars in all of Portland. Rigtht around the corner from Ken's Artisan Pizza. The art on the walls is usually AMAZING. They have Fish Tale Amber on tap which was my fav while I lived up there. There are a few pool tables and there's an electronic/dance club downstairs.
• Dig a Pony - awesome western style bar. Really good drinks, plenty of room to sit usually. They have DJs a few nights a week.
• Backstage - Bar behind the Bagdad theater (which is also AMAZING) off Hawthorne. Super tall ceilings, rooms at multiple levels, pool tables. Pretty good food, tons of beer (most of which they make).
• Greater Trumps - In front of Backstage. Whiskey and Cigar bar.

Southwest

• Kask - behind the restaurant Grüner. Think Bourbon and Branch or 15 Romolo style cocktails. They know their shit here.
• The bar in Portland City Grill - on the 30th floor of what we called "big pink" downtown, this place isn't really the type of crowd we hung out with but the view is worth every minute. Worth at least enjoying one slightly dirty vodka martini while sitting at a window seat. Think financial district piano bar. Busy nights can have some body odor given the body count, but it's worth braving once for the view.
• Living Room Theaters - Comfortable seating, real food, nice ambience, independent movies and general fare play here.

Northwest

• Gilt Club - Tim Burton style charis and theme sorta. Really good drinks. Also has really good food. Pretty sure this place was in the first episode of Portlandia.
• The bar inside Jamison - Great cocktails and selection of liquors.
• Multnomah Whiskey Library - Won some bar award..said some bar owner in San Francisco excitedly to me when I mentioned this place. Apparently it's really popular and for good reason, but I haven't been inside yet. The whole library concept for whiskey is really appealing. I've been past the enterance, which is possibly the most unassuming bar entrance I have seen. If it weren't for the name on the door I would have thought it was a door to a tiny office.

restaurants.md

Restaurants

Dessert

• Pix Patisserie - Just look here. It's in Southeast.
• Salt and Straw - Ice cream. It's in Northeast, off Alberta st. Bourbon Pecan Pie, Peppermint Cocoa, Eggnog Custard, Almond Brittle with salted ganache. That's just a few of the flavors, they usually have specials. This place is completely mobbed any time ice cream is remotely considered a good idea, so go when it's raining, or be prepared to wait in line.

Multiple locations

• Grand Central Bakery - Go here. Don't think. Just do it. My favorite one is down in Sellwood but they all pretty much have the same stuff. Great pastries for the morning (they serve Stumptown coffee) and some of the best sandwitches you'll have in your life for lunch. No joke.
• Stumptown Coffee - There's one at the bottom of the Ace. My fav location is up off SE Division and SE 45th. But the one downton on 3rd street is pretty rad too. Gotta go to one while you're in town. Most restaurants and bars around the city serve their coffee.
• Barista - Overpriced, but very good coffee.

Southeast

• Ken's Artisan Pizza - this was what Maria and I would compare all other napolitana style (wood fire oven) pizza places in the US to. Until we ate at Zero Zero. The gold is in the dough and using fresh ingredients. Ken's is still one of my favorite places to eat in the US. All of the wood inside was reclaimed from an old roller coaster from the 40s or something that was torn down in north portland. Pretty casual and can be pretty loud.
• Le Pigeon - French, tiny and a little on the pricey side. Think rabbit, duck, etc.
• Montage - Think New Orleans with The Cure playing at full volume while the cooks in the kitchen (which you can see from the dining room) sing the lyrics at the top of their lungs while food and fire are flying around everywhere. You HAVE to eat here. The bar in the back is called Le Merde ("The Shit") has Mickeys grenades and is super fun. We usually put our name on the list in front then would walk in the back and hang at the bar until our name is called. Seriously, eat here. Crayfish Etouffee is my fav.
• Yoko's - My fav sushi place on earth (so far). Super tiny. There's a bar next door called The C bar that used to be our old hangout. It's since expanded and has an entire room of pinball machines. You can put your name in at Yoko's then go hang out at the C bar until they call your phone. If you go, GET THE POKI ROLL OMG OMG OMG
• Farm Café - American. Melissa loves the shit out of this place. Solid food, walking distance from a couple of awesome bars (The Doug Fir and Rontoms).
• Biwa - Japanese. Haven't been here but all of my friends in Portland can't stop raving about it. Noodles.
• The Woodsman Tavern - American. Right next door to my fav Stumptown Coffee location in SE. This place is amazing. Great food, great wine list, great cocktails. It's owned by the owner of Sumptown, Duane Sorenson.
• Pok Pok - Street thai. Seriously, just go here. Get the fish sauce chicken wings and the Pok Pok gin and tonic (kaffir lime infused gin). You're fucking welcome. The entire menu is incredible. The drinks are incredible. If you have to wait, there's an awesome bar across the street called Whiskey Soda Lounge that's worth every minute you wait.

Southwest (Downtown)

• Urban Farmer - This is inside The Nines hotel, and it's where the young, well heeled business people go. Ridiculous steak place. The rest of the menu and cocktails are amazing as well. A little nicer but... this is Portland so there's no need to wear a super nice pair of jimmies. Not looking homeless will due just fine.
• Little Bird - the second restaurant from the same owners as a place in Southeast called Le Pigeon. French food, amazing cocktails.
• Veritable Quandary - a little fancier Italian. OMG so good. Best osso buco I've ever had. Pretty small place, great wine list.
• Grüner - I went here for my birthday this year. Pretty amazing German food. There's a bar in back called Kask that is similar to 15 Romolo or Bourbon and Branch. Definitely go to that bar if nothing else.
• Masu Sushi - pretty solid sushi spot if you're craving it and happen to be on the west side. Otherwise I'd HIGHLY suggest going to Yoko's in southeast.
• Clyde Common - attached to the Ace. Only been once for lucnh but damn, it was good.

Northwest (The Pearl District)

• Andina - Peruvian. This is one of my other favorites in the city. It's on the slightly fancier side but again, this is Portland. The food here is god damn amazing, good deal for what you're getting.
• Piazza Italia - This gem is a small, 100% Italian owned restaurant that seems like their entire friends and family circle work at. Everyone there is straight up fresh off the plane from Italy. Maria and I used to LOVE going here to get pasta and cheap red wine while Maria practiced her Italian. It wasn't until we moved to Florence (right after Portland) that we realized just how Italian this place really is. It's like being transported over there, seriously. Nothing fancy, but solid food. Amazing deal.
• Bluehour - French. Omg the cheese tasting menu is ridiculous here. Pretty good wine list, amazing food. Swanky.
• Irving St. Kitchen - American (whatever the fuck that means). Big open space not far from Andina. Incredible food and super helpful staff.
• Jamison - American. Fancier/swanky or whatever. Great bar, incredible food. A little pricier.

Northeast

• Tasty n Sons - Breakfast and Brunch, American. I didn't get a chance to eat here when I was up there last but I've been told by every foodie I know that I HAVE to eat there next time. The menu looks amazing.