Joey’s List

Places to eat and drink in Portland, Oregon

June 2018

Near Dossier Hotel

• Food carts at SW 9th and Alder

  • 1 block away from the hotel

  • Generally only open for lunch on weekdays; no seating

  • Recent favorite: Bing Mi (savory Chinese crepe thing)

  • Perennial favorite: Nong’s Khao Man Gai (super simple but super satisfying Thai; brick-and-mortar spots in SW and SE, too)

• SW 12th and Alder

  • Tasty n Alder: one in a family of new Portland classics which includes Tasty n Sons, Toro Bravo, Mediterranean Exploration Company, and…

  • Shalom Y’All: across the street from Tasty n Alder, and right next door to…

  • Multnomah Whiskey Library: the place to go if you’re a whiskey nerd, and a guy; its novelty makes up for its pretentiousness (but maybe only once)

  • Kask: tapas and cocktails

  • Bistro Agnes: tapas and cocktails

• Little Bird

  • Part of another family of new Portland classics which includes Le Pigeon and Canard

  • Might pair well with…

• Pépé le Moko: The coolest underground cocktail bar in World War II London

• Departure Lounge: Notable mostly for its rooftop bar in the heart of the city

• Sandwiches

  • Kenny & Zuke’s: Jewish deli known for pastrami, pickles, etc.; I used to work here!

  • Lardo: substantial, meaty

  • Flying Elephants (Fox Tower): just if you need stuff to go

• Sushi: Masu or Bamboo (both excellent, both within a block of each other)

Others on the west side

• Shizuku

  • Chef Naoko will make you some of the best Japanese food outside of Japan

  • Omakase style

  • Bento lunch, or reservation-only dinner

  • The interior space was designed by Kengo Kuma (who recently did an addition to the Portland Japanese Garden)

• Higgins: my parents’ standby spot; the bar side is much more cozy and casual

• Pine Street Market: one of those fancy food court things, with respectable options for ramen, burgers, pizza, Korean, etc.

• Pearl District (10 minute walk north of Dossier Hotel, all clustered together within a couple blocks)

  • Andina (Peruvian)

  • Mediterranean Exploration Company (Mediterranean)

  • Bluehour (Mediterranean)

  • Teardrop Lounge (cocktails)

East Side

• Luce: Tiny, excellent Italian place on E Burnside, good for lunch or dinner

• Broder: Tiny, excellent Swedish place (on SE Clinton or N Interstate), good for breakfast or lunch

• Han Oak

  • Hip new Korean restaurant on NE 24th

  • I still haven’t been but apparently I’ve really talked it up with Allison and John

• Pok Pok + 1

  • Northern Thai; one of the first places that really put Portland on the culinary map

  • But personally, I would just go for the wings

  • And then get your main meal elsewhere on SE Division...

  • At Ava Gene’s (Italian), across the street

  • Or Woodsman Tavern (gentleman lumberjack vibe, where we celebrated John’s 30th birthday), a little further afield

• Rum Club + 1

  • Cool little cocktail bar in SE (drinks lean tropical)

  • Then Le Pigeon or Canard a few blocks northwest, which are from the same family of French-ish restaurants as Little Bird

  • Or Noble Rot (also a few blocks north) for rooftop sunset views of the city

• Secret Society + 1

  • Cool little cocktail bar in NE (Victorian parlour vibe)

  • Then Toro Bravo (Spanish restaurant from the same family of restaurants as Tasty n Alder), next door

  • Or OX (Argentinian)

• Expatriate + 1

  • Cool little cocktail bar in NE (Orientalist scholar vibe)

  • Then Beast (communal tables, prix fixe), across the street

• Mississippi (North Portland)

  • Por Qué No or Verde Cocina (two great Mexican-ish places)

  • Pair with any number of cool little cocktail bars along N Mississippi (Sidecar 11, Moloko, Interurban, etc.)

Honorable Mentions

• Luc Lac (SW)

• Le Happy (NW)

• Bar Mingo (NW)

• St. Jack (NW)

• Paley’s Place (NW)

• Laurelhurst Market (NE)

• Aviary (NE)

• Clarklewis (SE)

• Nostrana (SE)

• Jacqueline (SE)

• Too many others. Come to Portland again!

day trip to the gorge

option A (2 hrs+)

1. Portland to Cape Horn Viewpoint, via WA-14 E (45 min)

2. Cape Horn Viewpoint to Bridge of the Gods, via WA-14 E (20 min)

3. Bridge of the Gods to Multnomah Falls, via I-84 W (20 min)

4. Multnomah Falls to Portland, via I-84 W (45 min)

option b (4 hrs+)

1. Portland to Multnomah Falls, via I-84 E (30 min)

2. Multnomah Falls to Hood River, via I-84 E (30 min)

3. Lunch in Hood River (check Yelp or Google Maps, sorry!)

4. Hood River to Timberline Lodge, via OR-35 S (60 min)

5. Timberline Lodge to Portland, via US-26 W (90 min)