Tasty n Alder
If you like comfort food, Tasty n Alder should be at the top of your list! In fact, they do a mix of New American and Asian Fusion food very well, so be prepared to have your taste buds knocked out of the park!
Some highlights include the Eggy Bread Pudding, which is actually a creamy savory dish that will surprise you, and their amazing Korean Fried Chicken. We also really went gaga over their Burrata Watermelon Salad and their Radicchio Salad.
Salt and Straw
A Portland favorite, there were always long lines out the door and happy faces inside to greet you. Some flavors that we loved were Fennel, Meyer Lemon Buttermilk, Olive Oil, and Goat Cheese Habanero. They always have new seasonal flavors so be sure to check them out!
Random Order Pies
We loved the quiche here since it had such a nice egg and herb flavor to it. They also had a great banana cream pie that we couldn't stop eating.
random-order-pie
Bollywood Theater
If you're looking for some fantastic Indian food, this is the place.
Starting off with Pav Bhaji, they've taken a common Indian street food dish and elevated it to perfection. Make sure to mix some of the onions and hot relish with the veggie mixture on top of the perfectly buttered rolls.
The Kati Roll is like an Indian burrito but with a paratha wrap. There is egg, pickled onion, and green chutney which pairs perfectly with the bold flavors.
The roasted beets were also one of our favorites since they were cooked in coconut milk and curry leaves.
If they also happen to have one of their specials like the Tomato Chaat, definitely get that!
Le Pigeon
Fois Gras Profiteroles
Hat Yai
After living in Thailand in a year, I really learned to love their style of street food. Hat Yai exemplifies the kind of food I was eating there on a daily basis.
I'd recommend the the Fried Chicken set which comes with roti and a Malay based dipping curry.
The Soy Braised Short Rib and Southern Thai Ground Pork are also recommended.
Papa G's
Even if you're not vegan or vegetarian, Papa G's will convert you to a green loving eating machine! Everything here is so delicious and bursting with flavor! So much care and love is given to all the ingredients and I promise you'll feel so good afterwards!
Some highlights included the Collard Wrap, the Indian Curry plate, and the sunflower "cheese".
The Waffle Window
A cute place with a walk up window (thus the name Waffle Window) - this eatery is a heavy hitter with it's perfectly cooked chicken and waffles. We loved the Fried Chicken with white pepper gravy! So good!!
HYPED PLACES WE DID NOT LIKE:
Pine State Biscuit - Lines, lines, lines and a lot of hype. We were expecting to be blown away by this place but in the end it was super disappointing. The biscuits were dry, uninspiring, and not buttery. The fried chicken on top was rubbery and dry. Overall, the only saving grace was the sausage gravy to add moisture to everything.
Screen Door - Another huge disappointment with a place that had a lot of lines and a super long wait. Being from the south, I have some kind of idea what good southern food should taste like.. and this was not it. The fried chicken and biscuits were dry and flavorless. The grits had no flavor and no buttery taste to them. If you can't do grits right, you can't call yourself a soul food restaurant. :)