Ella Bakh and her son and co-owner, Nico, opened this bright space to share the food of their native Tbilisi. The restaurant’s menu features comforting Georgian favorites like khachapuri adjaruli, a boat-shaped bread with fresh cheese, and khinkali, plump Georgian dumplings filled with beef and pork or mushrooms. Any visit should include both, as well as a few fresh salads and a small clay pot of a creamy bean stew called lobio. Dediko’s excellent wine list includes some Georgian wines made in the classic style, fermented in underground ceramic pots called kvevri. Miniature versions of these wine pots are scattered throughout Dediko, giving a traditional Georgian flair to this modern space.

This upscale barbecue spot serves bona fide Central Texas barbecue based on family recipes from co-owner Bryan Rodgers. “Meat butter” best describes the velvety texture of Smokin’ Oak’s tender brisket; other standouts include pulled pork, chicken, sausage, and pork spare ribs, smoked until the inside is tender and the outside is pleasingly crisp. All of the above go great with traditional sides like mac and cheese, collard greens, and cornbread as well as smoky whiskey-based cocktails from the well-stocked bar. The owners recently opened a food truck at the Cartside Food Carts on North Williams Avenue in Portland featuring their stellar smoked meats like brisket and sausage available a la carte or in a sandwich along with sides like pinto beans, slaw, and brisket macaroni and cheese.

This intimate hideaway tucked from the traffic of Main Street offers a rotating seasonal cocktail list and a well-executed slate of pub fare. Dishes range from seasonal salads and the vegan roasted oyster mushroom sandwich with grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper, and hummus to the hedonistic Grocery burger, a third-of-a-pound Cascade Natural beef patty with bacon jam, sweet onions, garlic mayo, and American cheese on a potato bun.

Tim and Melissa McCusker, of Feast 316 in downtown Camas, opened their updated speakeasy in the heart of downtown Vancouver at the tail end of the pandemic. The menu includes smaller bites like harissa-roasted cauliflower, as well as duck fat fries with Manchego and a duck-fennel-peppercorn gravy; follow them with a decadent coffee coriander-crusted ribeye with pistachio chimichurri and romesco. The Sedgwick also offers a daily yakitori menu and rotating desserts like guava creme brûlée.

Battle Ground-based 3 Howls Distillery opened Vancouver’s first all-plant-based restaurant in Uptown Village in April 2024. Standouts include A Big Ol’ Cinnamon Roll on its all-day breakfast menu, starters like fried cauliflower bites in buffalo, maple sesame, or Backbeat Bourbon barbecue sauce, and a Buddha Bowl with quinoa brown rice, roasted vegetables, and maple sesame cauliflower so colorful and delicious it transforms a grain bowl into something sexy. Stellar cocktails featuring 3 Howls spirits and a lovely list of mocktails flow from the bar in this sprawling gothic chic Victorian with a spacious outdoor patio and an upstairs filled with intimate alcoves for private conversation.

The Thirsty Sasquatch feels like a summer camp-like retreat for adults. Fake-grass-covered walls, neon signs, and large murals of Sasquatch fill the indoor and outdoor spaces. At the Thirsty Sasquatch, bartenders shake and stir drinks like La Granja — with mezcal, black currant, blackberry, cinnamon, and citrus — as well as a variety of Negronis and mocktails. The pizza parlor side of the business, called the Hungry Sasquatch, serves enormous slices of New York-style pizzas like the Fungus with a seasonal mushroom blend, roasted garlic, and onion. In between the pizza parlor and bar sits an arcade with pinball machines and classic video games. Minors can dine at the Hungry Sasquatch and play in the arcade until 10 p.m.

Chef Miguel Sosa’s inspiration for his eclectic menu at this downtown spot stems from his French training, the Mexican culinary influence of his mother and grandmother, a passion for locally sourced produce, and an insatiable curiosity. The rotating menu at this intimate space ranges from Spanish octopus a la plancha with harissa and avocado mousse to a duck breast with a chocolate and morita pepper mole. Chef Sosa sources produce from local farms like Red Truck Farm, Flat Tack Farm, and Wobbly Cart Farm. Other menu items come from Mayer’s Custom Meats in Ridgefield and PNW Wild Mushrooms. Reservations are available through Resy.

La Bottega has offered a rotating menu of antipasti like roasted tomato bruschetta, fresh salads, and Italian entrees like wild boar ragu since 2006. Sandwiches such as grilled portobello with roasted peppers, eggplant, arugula, and horseradish aioli make this a popular lunch spot. In addition to Italian classics served in a cozy space, La Bottega boasts an extensive deli counter, wine cellar, take-and-bake meals, and imported pantry items for easy at-home dining.

This ode to makgeolli in Hazel Dell offers a complete menu of Korean classics like gyeranjjim (steamed egg), gogi jeon (batter fried beef pancake), and haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) served with Korean spirits like makgeolli and soju. Larger dishes include soondubu (soft tofu stew), bulgogi, bibimbap, and meat-laden hot pots. Dishes are generously portioned and served family style preceded by a rotating list of freshly prepared banchan like bright red strips of pickled radish, marinated cucumbers, and macaroni salad. Two low Korean tables are available for those interested in a more traditional dining experience.

This popular downtown farmers market is now open year-round, offering the perfect place to pick up locally grown vegetables, artisan goods, and some of the best food in Vancouver. Standouts include dan bing and fan tuan from Taiwanese food stall Small Eats, chicken tocino and lumpia from Kali’s Kantina, spicy ahi poke from Husubis’ Poke Shop, and Detroit pizza from Pi Square. Pi Square’s owner Sally Huynh hails from Houston and occasionally collaborates with barbecue purveyors for interesting Houston meets Detroit mash-ups like smoked barbecue chicken, peach bacon jam, and Alabama white sauce arranged on top of the classic Motown spongy crust with crispy edges.

Amaro’s Table and Gustav’s owner Genaro Amaro opened this lovely brunch spot in honor of his grandmother Cecilia. Cecilia feels like a passion project compared to Amaro’s other businesses, with its elegant chandeliers and decadent daytime fare. Sweet things like the made-to-order Dutch babies and tres leches French toast are juxtaposed with savory shrimp and grits and chilaquiles. Cocktails include individual mimosas as well as a carafe of fresh-pressed orange juice and a bottle of Poema Cava called the Party. As the sun goes down, the lights are lowered and the space transitions to dinner service with updated classics like spinach artichoke dip, and filet Oscar. Elegant cocktails, mocktails, and sumptuous desserts such as a skillet chocolate chip cookie and a light, tangy passion fruit pot de creme round out the menu.

The Hernandez family opened this Mexico City-inspired restaurant several years ago after running a food cart in Portland. Here they serve favorites from their home town like huaraches, tlacoyo, and the Alambre, a platter of grilled Mexican sausage, carne asada, bell peppers, onions, and ham topped with melted cheese and served with warm corn tortillas. The family imported a special tortilla maker to churn out their machetes — a 10 inch long quesadilla filled with things like mushrooms, cheese, huitlacoche, squash blossoms, and grilled or stewed meats. Following the trends of Mexico City, they recently added birria tacos and birria ramen to their menu.

Tucked in a strip mall off Mill Plain Boulevard, The Chef Thai Cuisine serves elegantly plated and carefully prepared Thai dishes in a small, understated dining room. The specials menu is filled with dishes hard to find in Portland’s Thai restaurants, let alone Vancouver’s — treasures like a savory crepe filled with mussels (hoi tod), rolled rice noodles in a five-spice pork broth (kuay jab), and steamed squid bathed in lime juice, bird eye chiles, and garlic (pla muk neung manao).

Pho Vi Van, found in an unassuming space in an East Vancouver strip mall, consistently serves a wide range of fragrant pho. Pho Vi Van’s vegetarian pho comes with a rich and complex broth filled with rice noodles, puffy fried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and a rainbow of crisp vegetables. Other highlights include a spicy bún bò Huế — thick swirls of rice noodles and tender meat in a luscious broth — and a comforting egg noodle soup with plump pork wontons.

La Sorrentina Pizzeria — which Portland Monthly food critic Karen Brooks praised for its Neapolitan pizzas at the Hazel Dell food truck — opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant in a strip mall off 164th Avenue in the midst of the pandemic. Owner and chef Daisuke Matsumoto bakes fire-roasted red sauce pizzas like the classic Margherita, as well as white sauce pies like the Terra Mia with eggplant Parmesan, sausage, mozzarella, pesto, and basil on traditional or gluten-free crusts. The specials menu varies based on chef Matsumoto’s whims. Past offerings range from black truffle and wild porcini mushrooms served with freshly made tagliatelle to delizia al limone, a lemon pastry with fresh whipped cream from Sorrento, Italy, where chef Matsumoto trained with celebrated international chef Biagio Longo. Chef Longo regularly visits from Italy and teaches cooking classes at the restaurant.

This family-run and owned east Vancouver spot offers brunch items like vegan migas made with Otra Vez’s own tortilla strips, cooked with Just Egg and layered with pico de Gallo, jalapeño, avocado, creamy black beans, and cilantro. For something truly original, the fluffy elote pancakes, studded with sweet corn, arrive topped with whipped queso cream, caramelized banana, and pecans, served with a panela sauce. Expect a wait on weekends, but weekdays are typically quiet.