The April Hit List: Verdigris, Montelupo, Tope, Raij PDX, and More

As one of the pioneering sustainable sushi restaurants, Bamboo Sushi has come to be known across Portland for their guilt-free hand rolls, nigiri, sashimi, and bar snacks. Start with a line-up of TikTok-inspired crispy rice rolls, topped with spicy tuna, albacore and avocado, before diving into daily hand-roll specials and poke. Those avoiding raw fish can also find robust menu options, from a trio of wagyu burgers to fried cauliflower and chicken. Traditionalists will also find options, with nearly a dozen classic rolls for when the mood strikes.

Dining status: Takeout available.

A cocktail and bar-food haven turned cocktail and Tex-Mex hang just got a major revamp. The kitchen at the Southeast Grand Avenue spot is now helmed by chef Carlo Lamagna and the team from Magna, bringing a heavy Filipino influence to both the food and drink menu.

To pair with boozy halo-halo-inspired cocktails, Tequila-laced mangonadas, and pandan and galangal-infused spirits, Lamagna and the Wild Rice Boys, as Lamagna calls his kitchen crew, are frying up crunchy pork-and-mushroom lumpia, housemade sweet-garlic longipan with grilled cilantro chimichurri, waffle fries loaded with crab fat gravy and fried garlic, and perfect snacking sinigang shrimp chips, puffed in-house with tamarind and chili powder. To get the most out of the menu, roll in with the pod, grab a table on the sunny back patio and order one of everything.

Dining status: Indoor/outdoor dining and takeout available. More info here or call 503-954-3913 to place an order. 

After a winter hiatus, G-Love is back with its vegetable-heavy, shareable, small-plate menu. Dishes look similar to its pre-winter break, with that crusty avocado studded in coco-blackspice seed mix; fingerling potatoes with trout roe; and the sunchoke gratin, layered with Gruyère, Parmesan, truffle oil and crispy bits. Larger and “cold goods” include charred cabbage tossed in Japanese vinaigrette, with crispy shallot and garlic; a “chirashi” bowl, here topped with shiitake mushroom, squash and a Thai egg plus optional ahi tuna (+$5); charred hanger steak with new potatoes and yogurt-caper whip; and everyone’s favorite, fried chicken, here gluten-free and served with avocado ranch dressing. Set dinner options are also available — a dinner for two with a choice of entree and the date-night version, which adds a bottle of wine to pair. 

Dining status: Takeout and delivery available

Dollar oysters are back. Alongside Verdigris’ three-course, choose-your-own adventure dinners for $40/person and à la carte dining, dine-in guests can also enjoy a sliver of the Before Times with $1 oysters. With Verdigris currently taking up residence at sister restaurant Daisy Bar, there’s expanded patio seating and open-air tables to enjoy Netarts Bay oysters on the half-shell. Those settling in for dinner can also choose from a range of contemporary French classics, like French onion soup, cassoulet, coq au vin, steak frites and chocolate soufflé cake.

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

After a buzzy, mid-pandemic opening, 28th Avenue’s Montelupo Italian Market has settled into its corner digs with fresh pastas, soups, salads and desserts available for takeout and delivery; cook-at-home meals, cocktails to go, a mini, Italian-centric wine shop, pantry items like cheese, tomato and rices; and luxury basics to glitz up your home cooking.

Let’s talk pastas. Those familiar with owner Adam Berger’s former 28th Avenue Italian restaurant Table will see some familiar dishes here. There’s a cozy bucatini all’amatriciana simmered with pancetta and garlic; squid-ink chitarra bolstered with mussels and clams; and Berger’s classic tajarin tossed in truffle butter and served beneath a blizzard of parm. The team, along with adjacent restaurant Epif across the street, have also built out a shared outdoor dining space to enjoy takeout and cocktails as the weather warms up.

Dining status: Outdoor dining and takeout and delivery available.

A Puerto Rican BBQ-by-way-of Philadephia cart, Papi Sal’s  is among the 13 carts that joined the lineup at Southeast 82nd’s new pod CORE. Here, John Hatch melds his Puerto Rican roots with his Philadelphia upbringing, landing with a quartet of excellent sandwiches options alongside a handful of sides. The Jawn, Hatch’s lecon sandwich, leads the way with a double brined (both wet and dry), 12-hour cherry-smoked pulled pork layered with sharp provolone, sofrito mayo, a crunchy slaw, crispy chicharron and Puerto Rican long hots for a kick. A vegan version, subbing smoked Bridgetown oyster mushrooms, semolina onion rings and vegan cheez whiz, is also available. Elsewhere on the short menu, there’s a hot fried chicken sandwich, paired with lacto pickles and slaw, coconut-poached cod served with sweet Puerto Rican fry bread, and plantain-dusted fries. 

Dining status: Outdoor dining, takeout and delivery available

This pop-up is housed within Northeast Prescott’s Tiny Moreso, a gluten-free and almost entirely vegan dessert and light eats restaurant, and helmed by Dominique Rodriguez and Jorge Rico. Together, the duo creates pretty plated, 100% gluten-free and mostly vegan menus using the best of what the PNW has to offer — all available by pre-order a couple times per month. Previous menus have included vegan French onion dip with crudites, a brassicas salad with popped sorghum and maitake croutons, vegan artichoke soup, sweet potato gnocchi with broccoli rabe in a walnut soubise, plus Rawdacious vegan and gluten-free desserts to finish. Dishes sell out so make sure to check their Instagram for their next menu drop to get a leg up on ordering.

Dining status: Takeout available

This bayside seafood restaurant overlooking the water might be the perfect spot for your next trip to the coast. The menu, as you might hope for a restaurant on the ocean, is seafood-heavy, with fried calamari, chorizo butter-infused steamer clams, oysters on the half shell pulled right from the adjacent bay, fish and chips, seafood stew and more. For landlubbers out there, The Schooner offers a short selection of burgers (including a Beyond vegan option) and pizzas. Those continuing down or up the coast can also snag a bag of shuck-em-your-self Netarts Bay oysters to pair with mignonette, cocktail sauce and lemon. Beer, wine and cocktails to-go are available for takeout, too. 

Dining status: On-site dining and takeout available. Call 503-815-9900 to order.

After months of being closed, Old Town/Chinatown’s beloved rooftop bar is back. The freshly unveiled menu includes a range of tacos (don’t miss the fried summer squash) and Tope’s take on quest dip, plus cocktails, at this airy, Mexico City-inspired bar overlooking the river and Portland’s east side. For now, it’s be walk-ins only and delivery starting in early April. Hours will be short to begin, from Thursday to Sunday and 5 to 11 p.m., and we’re eagerly checking the website for more info as it comes.

Dining status: Indoor dining and delivery available.

Yalla, the Mediterranean smokehouse born out of the Toro Bravo restaurant group implosion, has been pushing out great mezze, mains and more from Multnomah Village since last summer. Built around ingredients from around the Black Sea, the veggie-heavy menu brings dishes like roasted cauliflower with almond romesco, hummus with burnt beef ends, yellow falafel, Bulgarian kebabs and braised beef and olive bucatini under one roof. An extensive beer, wine and cocktail menu, as well as a growing pantry staple selection are also available.

Dining status: Takeout and delivery available.