The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in Sept. 2024
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in Portland: a monthly-updated (and now expanded!) guide to the restaurants in that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Portland Not to Miss This Month
- Naomi Pomeroy’s Legacy: Naomi Pomeroy’s final project, L’Echelle, opened last month in the former Woodsman Tavern space, in honor of the pivotal chef, whose restaurants defined the city for more than two decades. It will run as a no reservations pop-up serving lighter versions of French bistro food until early next year, when it will convert to full service. Meantime, expect a short and lovely eight-dish chalkboard menu paired with eight wines by the glass, Thursday through Saturday.
- Now Boarding at the New PDX: Visitors and everyone else can now get a taste of Portland as soon as they step off the plane. After five years of construction, the new airport terminal finally opened last month with a host of beloved Portland faves in tow (and still more to come!). Grab a bowl of pasta at Grassa, pizza at Oven & Shaker, a beer at the mezzanine Loyal Legion bar, cocktails at Straightaway, and more, all at street pricing.
- Make New (Brunch) Memories: Mémoire Cà Phê, the long awaited Vietnamese American brunch spot from Matta’s Richard Le, Cà Phê’s Kimberly Dam and Heyday’s Lisa Nguyen, is finally open. Matta brunch fans will feel at home: the breakfast sandwich returns with a milk bread bun, while the McDonald’s Big Breakfast riff will arrive with a pandan waffle. Both are supplied by Nguyen, alongside other baked goods and coffee drinks. More info here.
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Soak up the Last Days of Summer: With school back in session and cool nights already here, there’s only a few weeks left to enjoy of true patio season. Grab a sunny perch at a handful of our favorites: the rooftop deck at Tope, and Bar West’s and Clarklewis’ covered patios, which can outlast the first fall rains.
New to the Hit List (Sept. 2024)
Love Shack, Palomar, Parallel PDX, Deadshot/Plumb, Bar Nina.
1. Kann Southeast Portland
Portland’s arguably most sought-after restaurant proudly focuses on chef Gregory Gourdet’s Haitian heritage. And it’s still worth trying to snag a reservation. The James Beard Award-winning menu is truly best suited for joyous reunion, with groups of four to six (or more in the private dining space!) getting a chance to try a little bit of everything if you’re sharing across the table. Don’t miss the signature dishes — the plaintain brioche and the griyo twice-cooked pork — as well as any number of plates emerging from the wood-fired hearth. We’re partial to the red cabbage with smoked herring and African pepper sauce and a glazed duck breast and leg, lacquered with cane syrup. Add in sides to share, and desserts, and you’ll see why Gourdet is so lauded.
2. The Love Shack Slabtown
How many times have you wished you could try everything off the menu? This cocktail bar from the team behind Northwest Portland’s veggie-forward G-Love, is here to help you achieve that dream. The format here lands somewhere between dim sum and steakhouse-meets-dinner party, with a bingo-like menu card filled with small, group-friendly bites and pint-sized drinks as well as a centerpiece prime rib, served with a sparkler. Guests should expect a brass cart winding its way through the room, stacked with plates of croissant banh mis, oysters, crab rolls, vegan celery root falafel, pickled onion rings, “mini tini”s, High Life, and more. Alongside the mobile offerings, dishes, like that prime rib can be ordered from the kitchen.
3. Bar Nina Alberta Arts
Taking residency in Alberta’s famed subterranean wine bar Les Caves, new Bar Nina will continue the wine bar’s legacy of fantastic wines in a truly singular space. With Golden Cluster winemaker/Les Caves manager Jeff Vejr leaving to focus on his own label – as well as the restaurant he co-owns, L’Orange – Ovum and Big Salt’s Ksenija Kostic House and John House have stepped in to fill the gap with the newly rechristened Bar Nina. Longtime guests will deeply recognize the space: expect similar, delicious-without-the-pomp glass pours, the assemblage of grilled cheeses, and even Les Caves’ lengthy collection of fortified wines, now paired with a larger selection of Ovum’s own bottles. Snacks will get an influx of heartier foods like Spanish sausages and Serbian pepper spreads while the converted patio once home to Les Clos will transform into Big Salt Bar, a summertime pop-up dedicated to the couple’s other wine label.
4. Bar Loon Belmont
The brand new companion to Montavilla’s beloved Bellwether Bar brings that cozy neighborhood bar charm to Southeast Belmont. Settling into the former Sweet Hereafter digs, Bar Loon brightened up the longtime vegan bar with a fresh coat of white paint and a sweet menu that showcases why eating seasonally can be so special. Start with the crispy fried artichokes paired with Calabrian chile mayo before ordering from the long and lovely small plates selection. Grilled broccoli with cherry agrodolce, tomatoes and cucumbers with green goddess, and grilled squash and turnips with herbed fromage blanc pair well with the trio of meat-centric mains.
More info here.
5. The Paper Bridge Central Eastside
It’s not a stretch to say there’s no Vietnamese restaurant in town like this. At Paper Bridge, which opened late last year in the same building as Scotch Lodge, most of the Northern Vietnamese menu book is dedicated to extensive descriptions of each dish. For every item, the restaurant offers a miniature history lesson and glossary entry, often noting the origins, regional significance and geography alongside descriptions of ingredients and cooking techniques. Last month, we spent nearly 10 minutes getting ready to order, as we flipped between the menu and its descriptions, settling on rare-to-Portland dishes like stir-fried morning glory with three types of garlic, a classic bún chả Hanoi, and the addictive, piping hot Hai Phong-style breadsticks with pate. Post dinner, we asked for menus again … to study up for next time.
6. No Saint Vernon
Since it opened a little more than a year ago, No Saint has emerged as one of the best new pizza restaurants in the city. Find a handful of simple antipasti: think housemade focaccia and olives alongside composed plates like a fall burrata with blueberry mostarda and mortadella. Salads highlight seasonal bounty; a recent radish and apple salad showcased a highwire act of bitterness and sweetness. And of course, the pizzas, with a wonderfully chewy, fire-kissed crust supporting a cast of toppings you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Don’t miss the quince and pepperoni, the Portland version of a Hawaiian; or the a pear and sausage, which brings the best of a pear salad and sausage pie together.
7. Xiao Ye Hollywood
This “first generation American” restaurant from partners Jolyn Chen and Louis Lin (Rose’s Luxury in D.C., Felix in L.A.) was one of the city’s most anticipated restaurant openings last year. The short-but-sweet, dinner party-esque menu boasts five sections, each offering two to three multinational dishes. Plates kick off with mini madeleines with whipped butter and jalapeño powder and butter-basted chicken hearts, then weave between “cold,” “warm,” and “bigger stuff,” and land at “sweets.” A radicchio and winter citrus salad with cashew yogurt and vegan XO balances out headliner dishes like the rigatoni all’amatriciana, the half fried chicken with S&B curry jus, or Japanese sweet potato with miso butter and celeriac slaw.
8. Deadshot with food by Plumb Restaurant East Portland
One of the city’s best cocktail bars has been not-so-secretly hiding a fantastic French bistro pop-up back in the kitchen. To pair with Adam Robinson’s creative and globally inspired – and frequently mind-bogglingly smart – cocktails, find Plumb Restaurant, which has been plating an impressively short yet complete menu since its residency began. Expect well-balanced salads, and one of the city’s few steak tartares – a great one at that – before more classic large plates, like a punchy steak frites paired with a sauce verte, a grilled pork chop with roasted oyster mushrooms and sauce meunière and a classic bar burger dressed up with Gruyère and aioli.
9. Ox Restaurant Eliot
This beloved Argentine grill has had a commanding presence over Portland’s dining scene since it opened a decade ago, thanks to its all-stunners-only menu. Now it is back after months of rebuilding from a kitchen fire. Any night here should start with something from the always fantastic cocktail list (the Dirty Grandma Agnes martini is a mainstay) or a glass from the wine list before delving into the menu. Numerous iconic dishes have earned their keep over the years, like the clam chowder with smoked marrow bone and the tripe and octopus, that should be part of your order. Meat options rotate throughout the year, but when the halibut collar is on, it should be on everyone’s table, dietary restrictions aside.
10. The Solo Club Northwest District
After a two-year hiatus, Solo Club is back, under new ownership and a noted Latin American and Caribbean vibe. Long considered the waiting area for next door Besaw’s, it has new look and feel, and has traded amaro-forward drinks for a little more tropical party. Food, while still managed by Besaw’s chef, leans heavily into pintxos and small plates, with crispy calamari, fried plantains with avocado salsa and house nachos. Cocktails range from classics with a twist — a bourbon-mezcal old-fashioned tops the menu — to house originals, like the banana leaf martini.
11. Feral Vernon
Four days a week, plant-based Feral is plating up hyper-seasonal dishes unlike any other restaurant in town. On a visit, you might try the cannellini carbonara toast, studded with smoked tofu lardons; the peanut butter & jelly cabbage, brined and blackened over coals, brightened with dekopon mandarin jelly; or the lion’s mane cordon bleu, paired with smoked pimenton parsnip and pommes puree; it is easy to forget as each new arrival hits the table that everything is vegan. Head here to experience the most of each season.
12. Mestizo Richmond
This gluten- and soy-free Latin American restaurant has been a popular spot for fish, vegan dishes, fun cocktails and happy hour since it opened at the end of 2019. More than four years later, the restaurant remains a bright spot along Division’s restaurant row, with its bright and crunchy tapas, like fried oysters with fresno chile jam and vegan mushroom empanadas with pickliz and mojo aioli; a duet of ceviche, both vegan-friendly and not; and fish and meat-heavy entrees like adobo branzino, carne asada tostones, and arroz con pollo.
13. Urdaneta Alberta Arts District
A longstanding pinxto and tapas bar along Northeast Alberta, Urdaneta has become known for its creative take on Iberian cuisine. The menu starts off with a host of pintxos, like the long-running gilda (now in its 2.0 version), here arriving as a spherified olive with Cantabrian anchovy and boqueron and a Spanish goat cheese-stuffed flor de calabaza with grilled zucchini and truffle honey, before diving into two rounds of tapas. The smaller primeros include txakoli-marinated hiramasa crudo and and tortellitas de camarones, while larger segundos dishes carry a bit more heft, like the grilled Spanish octopus with chorizo XO sauce and the Iberico pork steak with grilled little gems.
14. Cafe Olli MLK Boulevard
This airy, all-day cafe not only boasts some of the best pizza in town, but one of the best brunches and some of the best baked goods. (And lunch? And bread?). During the day, the simple, seasonal menu veers toward both sweet and savory things served with or on toast. There’s a fantastic breakfast sandwich on a housemade milk bun and a whipped ricotta toast that could also double as a decadent, but not overly sweet, dessert. At night, the menu keeps its simple mantra, trading out toast and eggs for pizza, pasta, vegetables, snacks, and protein-rich mains. The absolute can’t-miss pizza stunner is a simple one: the pomodoro pie with added stracciatella (+$4) and a side of Calabrian chile honey.
No reservations.
15. Quaintrelle Southeast Portland
Taking up residence in Southeast Clinton’s former Burrasca space, Quaintrelle has continued its fine-dining flair in a space that feels much more like home. The menu here spans a range of options and levels of commitment, from a la carte dishes to tasting menus in seven- and 10-course iterations. Dishes, regardless of menu choice, all remain ever-changing but always seasonal and gorgeous. Menus typically start with some form of oyster, often delivered on a bed of shells mimicking tidepools, before winding through a luxurious caviar course, salads, meats, and fish, all set with local produce. Cocktails, too, remain as ephemeral as the changing seasons, built out with fresh fruits, herbs, and savory elements.
16. Little Bitter Bar Buckman
Housed within Portland’s new Hotel Grand Stark, Little Bitter Bar is the hotel restaurant’s casual Amalfi Coast cousin. Inside the warm and sunny dining room, sip Italian amari as a flight with soda, in cocktails, or in the more than half a dozen spritz options while snacking through an all Italian food menu. Happy hour with a Strega-Lambrusco spritz — or the $1 martini that can be ordered with a steak — margherita pizza, fried olives, and the insalata verde is a great start to any night of the week, and runs from 4 to 6 p.m. daily.
17. Kachka Goat Blocks
Still arguably the most talked-about Russian restaurant in America, Kachka has remained a shining star in Portland’s dining scene since it opened 10 years ago. The menu – broken into four sections — showcases dressed up versions of classic dishes from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia. It has, gratefully, changed little since its first days. You’ll still find the ombre-like Herring “Under a Fur Coat,” the mayo-laced Russian “salad;” boards boasting caviar and roe, pickles, house-cured meats, and breads; phenomenal pelmeni; and the iconic cozy clay-pot rabbit. Now wonderfully expanded: the restaurant’s phenomenal house-infused vodkas.
Call 503-235-0059 for more info.
18. Palomar Ladd's Addition
Take a trip to this Cuban-inspired cocktail bar-by-way-of-Miami to enjoy the last days of summer. Find a long menu of rum-based, Caribbean classics like daiquiris, piña coladas, and punches, alongside signature drinks spanning from matcha flips and Negronis to swizzles and sours. Food starts small, with handheld, fried favorites like croquetas and mojo-braised chicken wings before expanding out into large plates, like flank steak with salsa roja and jackfruit ropa vieja. Make sure to snag a seat on the rooftop patio while the good weather lasts.
19. Parallel PDX Kerns
A new wine bar in town is focused on putting the wine first. Parallel PDX, from husband-wife duo Joey (Roman Candle, Olympia Provisions) and Stacey Gibson (Park Avenue Wines), is building their small plates and boards menu around its dozen or so affordable wines-by-the-glass, sherries and cocktails, not the other way around. Glass pours range from local and Loire Valley sparklings to Spanish Mencia blends and Portuguese Touriga Nacional, while food keeps things fairly simple and straightforward. Expect a quartet of finger foods like smoked onion dip and hush puppies with honey butter, a trio of boards (cheese, meats and tinned fish) and a short menu of plates with optional pairings, including a house Caesar with Worcestershire-cured egg yolk, seafood cannelloni and Spanish chorizo with crispy potatoes.
20. St. Jack Slabtown
This longtime Portland French bistro remains a citywide favorite, thanks to its straightforward menu, excellent attention to culinary detail, and a fantastic beverage list. Start with the butter lettuce salad, one of the city’s most recognizable salads (it’s Portland, there are a few!), layered with avocado, sliced radish, and croutons, tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette and a dusting of fine herbs, before diving into chicken liver mousse, beef tartare, and maybe a foie gras terrine. From there, the menu stays on the bistro track, with a classic and wonderful steak frites — one of the few in town — moules marinère, and duck l’orange. We love grabbing a seat along the bar near the iconic melted wax candles that have been a constant since the restaurant’s early days in Southeast more than a decade ago.
