My dining out life is on deadline. You will find me wherever I write. In 2022, I am obsessed with Kann (restaurant of the year), Berlu (chef of the year) and all-day Cafe Olli. They join my shortlist, along with the restaurants below. Tying them all together are spots with unique ideas for food, space and community that cannot be easily replicated. No harm.
gado-gado
Hollywood
To blow the minds of visitors or just to entertain mine, this is my place. ish) No other place offers a food parade. This is where grandma-worthy babi kekapu (sweet soy pork) happily resides alongside steak glazed with anchovies, tamarind and raisins, then under charred red onion pickle rings. will be parked. 1801 NE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd.
Scotch Lodge
backman
The whiskey list is large enough for the Library of Congress to number, and the cocktails are imaginative and fantastic. Perhaps it’s smoke-filled in front of your eyes or overflowing with lusciousness (hello, Ubi Race Painkiller Cobbler). His one of Portland’s most playful and inventive restaurants is tucked away here, backed by some very good pasta and his one-of-a-kind soft-shell crab sandwich. 215 SE Ninth Avenue
Sweetie Dee
Humboldt
Come to this indie café for everything: breakfast, homemade bread and jams, farm-fresh salads and scones, squealing roast chicken, and a small market worth browsing. increase. The nostalgia-driven pastry case owns me. But most of the time I come for the sense of community.If the coffee tasted better I might not leave. 5202 N Albina Ave
emigrant
Concordia
Everything here speaks to the depths of my soul. Yes, that includes him two turntables. Then arguably the best cheeseburger in town and arguably the wildest nachos. Not to mention James Beard’s famous onion and butter sandwich, perfectly presented and all backed by a thoughtful cocktail. 5424 NE 30th Avenue
Hanok
Kearns
The only rule here is no expectations or judgments. This Korean home-cooking restaurant experiment by Peter Cho and Sang Yong Park presents a wandering format in magical indoor and outdoor spaces brought to life by charming eccentrics who double as staff. That could mean Korean barbecue or hotpot and caviar seaweed butter potato chips, disco lights and karaoke he machines come out when the last meal is served. Are you in? 511 NE 24th Street