The October Hit List: Canard, Chuckie Pie’s, Verdigris, the Bakery at Bar King, and More

Make the most of the last sunny, warm days of the year at Backyard Social, North Killingsworth’s casual outdoor bar. With a short menu of backyard barbecue classics like hickory-smoked chicken, burgers and sandwiches, paired with riffs on classic cocktails, Jell-O shots, wine and beer, it’s the perfect place to have a drink and socially distance with friends. 

Dining status: Takeout and dine-in available. 

Shortly after Bar King, the former Mikkeller pop-up restaurant, took over Trifecta in Southeast Portland, the restaurant opened its new bakery, helmed by Chez Panisse and Rose Cafe alum Katherine Benvenuti. The bakery offers a range of sweet and savory baked goods, as well as breads, from Thursday to Sunday. Enjoy miso walnut brioche sticky buns, gruyere and togarashi brioche, brown butter rice cake with buckwheat honey ganache, vegetable croque-monsieur, cookies, matcha almond pound cake, and more — at home or on the patio. Email special orders to thebakery@barkingpdx.com.  

Dining status: Takeout and dine-in available.

Canard, the nextdoor, sister restaurant to James Beard Award-winning chef Gabriel Rucker’s Le Pigeon, has been the place to be since the day it opened. The all-day diner-meets-French bistro, feels comfortable enough to stay all day (though we don’t recommend that during COVID). Celebrate the day with the $120 new seafood tower, decked out with a dozen oysters, the must-order oeufs & mayonnaise, Dungeness crab spring rolls and more. As lunch and dinner hours roll around, find more sides and salads, as well as the other must dish on the menu: the pint-sized steam burgers, Canard’s upscale riff on White Castle sliders. Supremely pleasing wines from wine director Andy Fortgang, in addition to cocktails and beers, can be ordered by the glass or bottle all day.

Dining status: Takeout, delivery and dine-in available.

Co-owner Lisa Shaw has been tossing Neapolitan-style pizza at her husband’s eponymous Lake Oswego pizza joint since 2013. Shaw, who studied with the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, and her partner Chuck Shaw-Ryan, make individual, New York-meets-Napoletana-style pizzas topped with fresh mozzarella, meatballs, house bolognese and more. Chuckie Pies is open in the mornings as well, serving Italian coffee and other small bites.

Dining status: Dine-in available. Order online  for pickup or delivery.

Opened in 1996, this always-packed (in pre-COVID times) Italian restaurant has long been a neighborhood stalwart, with a menu full of dishes straight from Nonna’s kitchen. Find classics like Grandma Jean’s ragu over penne, sausage on soft polenta, caesar salads for four, pasta alla vodka and local ribeye paired with garlic mash and seasonal veggies. Bottles of red, white and rosé are available to take home, though cocktails from the old-school bar will have to be enjoyed on the patio only. 

Dining status: Takeout and dine-in available, with reservations suggested. Call 503-233-4613 or order online for takeout.

While the team behind downtown’s Tex-Mex-inspired Bullard — chef Doug Adams and co-owner Jen Quist, along with their staff — take a brief siesta to recoup, recharge and spend time with their families, their casual sister restaurant is still open. Serving Adams’ beloved fried chicken, burgers (by the one or as a family pack), fried chicken sandwiches, salads, cornbread and more, Holler is the best of backyard barbecues in takeout form. 

Dining status: Walk-up or order online for takeout and delivery.

Kimura Toast Bar, the shokupan-centric sister restaurant to Kayo’s Ramen Bar on North Williams, opened this summer with an extensive all-on-toast menu. Modeled after the kissaten, the Japanese-style tea room and coffee shops, it features co-owner Kayoko Kaye’s shokupan, which she has been baking for 30 years, and whose recipe underwent more than 70 iterations to get the perfect, wispy chew. Expect a wide range of toppings from a toast-based play on the kissaten classic curry rice with beef curry, and cheese and pizza toast, to dessert-inspired toppings and infused butters, including matcha, yuzu and bacon-white cheddar.

Dining status: Takeout and delivery available; order online.

Take a trip to Miami at Southeast Division’s Cuban-inspired bar Palomar. The newly tightened menu makes finding favorites even easier, from rum-based classics like daiquiris (both shaken and blended) and piña coladas, to more timeless cocktails. A short menu of Cuban-inspired dishes, like jackfruit ropa vieja tacos, pollo criollo, and a frita cubana, round out the snacks. Seating both at the rooftop and in the downstairs bar available.

Dining status: Dine-in available via reservation.

With Covid precautions finally nailed down, downtown’s The Hoxton Hotel has reopened its restaurants. At the very top lies Tope, the hotel’s Mexican-inspired rooftop bar, with sweeping views of the city and plenty of social distancing space to boot. The bar opens at 3 p.m. daily with a menu of chips and dips, tacos, and larger plates. A Tequila, mezcal and rum-heavy cocktail list keeps pairings easy, alongside easy-drinking beers, wines by the glass and an easy, QR-code ordering system to reduce interactions.

Dining status: Dine-in available via reservation.

Mix and match your way through contemporary French restaurant Verdigris’ greatest hits with their three-course, prix-fixe menus for $33/person. Options include smoked ham and white bean cassoulet, shrimp bisque, beef Bourguignon, local berry cobbler and more, which can be enjoyed at home or al fresco while the weather holds on their patio. 

Dining status: Dining in via reservation; for takeout and delivery, call 503-477-8106.