New on Resy: Bullard, Pok Pok, Rosa Rosa

A highly anticipated restaurant more than two years in the making, Bullard comes courtesy of chef Doug Adams of Top Chef fame. Named after the chef’s Southern hometown, this meat-focused eatery is heavy on the Texas roots (read: a roaring hearth and wood-fired smoker), with a defining Portland twist that incorporates the best local and seasonal ingredients. Feast on the chef’s notorious fried chicken sandwich and other smoked delights, all within an easygoing steakhouse setting.

Beloved Thai spot Pok Pok continues to gather long lines of devoted locals and soon-to-be addicted first-timers alike—and with cause: Andy Ricker’s take on Thai street food is just as tasty and fun as when it first opened. You’re here for sticky-sweet Vietnamese fish sauce wings, fiery papaya salad, and catfish marinated and fried in turmeric.

Named after chef Vitaly Paley’s grandmother, Rosa Rosa is a sleek bistro that deals in comforting fare from the Caucasus mountains to the Mediterranean sea. Brunch calls for eggs fra diavolo, potato latkes, and ricotta doughnut holes, while the all-day menu boasts Italian pasta, Turkish lamb meatballs, and Georgian-pressed chicken. Count on cocktails and wines that hail from Italy, France, Corsica, and Oregon.

Russian chef Vitaly Paley ignited the Portland food scene back in 1995 when he opened this cozy Nob Hill destination. Paley’s Place Bistro & Bar championed farm-to-table before it was de rigueur, highlighting the bounty of the Pacific Northwest through a French and Russian lens. That means duck rillette pelmeni, braised red cabbage, escargot bordelaise, and a must-have charcuterie board.

Portland’s favorite sustainable and artisanal sushi chain is back at it with a new locale in Lake Oswego. At Bamboo Sushi, succumb to rolls, sashimi, and shareable plates (think silken tofu, foraged seaweed, steamed buns, and grilled oysters) within a warm, reclaimed wood setting. Pro-tip: you won’t regret making a Resy during happy hour (M-F: 4:30-6pm).

Steeped in the rich history of French cuisine, Bistro Agnes doles out the kind of food you’d find in any well-versed Parisian brasserie: onion soup gratinée (cheesy à souhait), beef tenderloin tartare (served with perfectly crisp potato chips), and duck confit cassoulet (decadent and refined). Dishes are best enjoyed alongside the beautiful selection of Cognac, Armagnac, and absinthe. Best yet, this charming bistro is helmed by James Beard Award-winning chefs, husband-and-wife team Greg and Gabrielle Denton, of Ox notoriety.

With its bungalow vibes and wallpapered flamingos, Delores reads more as a tropical destination than a Polish one. Yet Top Chef alum B.J. Smith’s Buckman restaurant is a deep and electric love letter to his European homeland and the woman who embodied it all—his mother. Food for the soul includes potato truffle pierogis (served in a pool of caviar beurre blanc), braised beef short ribs in borscht, spätzle dusted with gruyère, and roasted chicken with warm pumpernickel bread.

Everything gets a lick of the flame at Erizo, Portland’s latest seafood destination. Chef Jacob Harth is deeply committed to sustainable sourcing, preparing a stunning 20-course tasting that plucks invasive species (look for the purple sea urchin with flint corn) and abundant unsung heroes from the Pacific Coast: sea snails, seaweed, and rock crabs are featured on the stellar menu.

Modern Mexican cuisine gets the spotlight at Xico, where chef Kelly Towner takes cues from the female cocineras tradicionales (traditional cooks) of Oaxaca, the Yucatán, Baja, and beyond. The colorful Richmond restaurant uses locally-sourced produce to enliven fiery salsas, sublime moles, and rich sauces for its handmade tortillas. Don’t miss out on the otherworldly habanero-caramel drinking chocolate, and some of the best mezcal varieties in Portland. ¡Salud!

This discreet basement bar—too discreet for a proper name—serves inventive cocktails with plates that playfully pay tribute to its Chinatown surroundings (General Tso yams, anyone?). Located in the underbelly of the über-cool Hoxton hotel, 2NW5 gives night owls a proper haunt to spend the night away.

Billed as a gathering place for merry misfits and mavericks, Yakuza Izakaya deals in Japanese small plates– de facto bar snacks. Outfitted in vibrant painted murals and handsome woods, this izakaya proffers sashimi and plates to share (except for the excellent yakuza burger—you’ll want that just for yourself), and one stellar drinking list of both tried-and-true and unorthodox concoctions.

In a moody tavern-like setting that drips with charm, homey Italian cuisine takes center stage. Nonna—Italian for “grandmother”—brings the New York-style Italian classics and Portland’s tantalizing mixology culture into one space, cooking up plump meatballs, saucy pasta (you can’t go wrong with cacio e pepe), and hearty cioppino. Drink-wise, expect cocktails and wines, and house-made ‘cellos.

Nestled in a beautiful old-fashioned firehouse in the Dekum Triangle, neighborhood favorite Firehouse puts its wood-fired grill and pizza oven to use. You’re in for flame-kissed pies, fried cauliflower, and oven-roasted rainbow trout, with a side of true warmth and hospitality.