Essential eats in Portland

[crochambeau]

I have never had a decent plate of fries from a McMenamins. Seriously, how can you universally fuck up a french fried potato?

When I lived there I'd eat at La Bonita or La Sirenita on Alberta all the time. But, I moved about 12 years ago so cannot weigh in on consistency. Tons of good Mexican & Thai as I recall.

[misterstomach]

La Bonita has gotten way more expensive, caters to the yuppie crowd, and isn't as good anymore. Except they have an exceptional breakfast burrito. La sirenita still rules and is one of my favorite taquerias. More expensive than they were 12 years ago, but still cheap and delicious. Oddly, I find their breakfast burrito almost inedible though. So greasy.

[crustwave]

If I could only eat one meal in Portland I would go to Luce on East Burnside. Exceptional food at moderate prices.

For the best fried pickles anywhere in creation, go to Fire on the Mountain, also on East Burnside. It's a weird grateful dead themed wing joint but their fried pickles are AMAZING. I go there every time I'm in town.

When I lived in Portland I was very fond of Park Kitchen in NW for a fancy meal. They are (were?) more masterful at cooking seafood than any of the other foodie restaurants. Haven't been back since I moved away in 2010 though so I don't know if their kitchen has changed or if they even still exist.

Portland has a strong brunch game and everyone has their own opinions, but my pick would be Broder Cafe on SE Clinton.

Don't miss Nicholas Restaurant on SE Grand, either. It's a real Portland institution and some truly great Lebanese food. They make all their pita bread fresh and their Baba Ghanouj is still the best I've ever had. It's also still quite affordable, although they renovated their interior and jacked the prices up by a buck or two a few years back.

If you end up going to Beast, you should pre-game it or post-game with cocktails across the street at Expatriate. Maybe one of the best cocktail bars anywhere. Generally I feel like >$10 mixed drinks are a rip-off but at Expatriate I feel like they're worth every penny. They have pretty great bar snacks as well.

If you want dim sum go to Wong's King on Division. Go with a group.

I generally agree with the sentiment that voodoo is overblown. But I'm not a sweets/doughnuts person to begin with. If you do end up going, their apple fritter is actually pretty great (and HUGE). Much better than the doughnuts.

For Pho, I would got to Pho Hung on Powell Blvd. Although for other Vietnamese, specifically bun, I recommend Pho Dalat on 39th Ave.

For Mexican on a sunny day, my play of choice is to hit up Los Gorditos on 12th and Division and then take it next door to Apex and eat it on their patio while enjoying some beers.

If you want a taste of what portland was like before portlandia, the following will sum it up nicely:
Beulahland
Holman's
The Handy Slut (aka The Sandy Hut)
Union Jacks (yes, it's a strip club)
The Montage (try a mac and cheese)
Dot's (loaded french fries and lots of unhealthy vegetarian options)
The Jolly Rorger
Potato Champion
Eidelweiss
Junior's (get one of the potato hash dishes)
Zell's (Brunch before it was a thing)
Burgerville (An Oregon classic)
Nicholas Restaurant (mentioned above)
Saburo's Sushi (It's all about quantity!)

Damn I'm getting so nostalgic thinking about these places.

[Faldoe]

What’s open late night? Our flight gets into tonight at 11pm

[raj007]

So we've been living in Portland for a month now.
Deschutes is solid...

Mi Mero Mole on NW 5th Ave is a solid place if you're into MOLE and Mexican dishes.

My current favorite spot: 808 Grind's Cafe (Hawaiian BBQ) on SW Park Way. Excellent Pig, Chicken...Poke bowls...Seriously. I've eaten here 6 times in 4 weeks haha.

[misterstomach]

I know I'm days late, but the best option for late nights are bars usually, though there's some good carts that are near bars that stay open late, particularly on weekends. Enjoy your visit.