The June Hit List: Artigiano, Takibi, Principe Maya, Meals 4 Heels, and More

Longtime Division pasta cart Artigiano, known for its seasonal, al fresco osteria and dedication to authentic Italian recipes, has reopened for its 12th season last month. This summer, stop by for special, weekend-only, multi-course dinners by reservation only. Dinners will be $75 per person, with an optional wine pairing for an additional $35. Each meal, which will slowly tour across Italy throughout the summer, from Piemonte to Sardegna, will be set up as a traditional, family-style Italian dinner, complete with antipasti, primi, secondi, and contorni. Explore menus for the entire summer’s dinner reservations here, and book a table.

After sitting dormant for more than four years, the fires at the former home of longtime and beloved Pacific Northwest restaurant Wildwood were finally rekindled in late 2018 by the 40-seat Bar West. Then, husband-wife team Lucian Prellwitz (Beast) and Morgan Deeks (Ned Ludd) ran the kitchen, with Palomar alum Brandon Josie wrangling the bar. After temporarily closing last fall, the Northwest Portland bar reopened this past spring with an expansive patio in the tree-lined parking lot. Though some bar seating comes weatherproofed with a wooden roof, much of the seating is open air, thus best enjoyed on sunny days. 

During the early days of the pandemic, Northeast Killing wine bar Dame transitioned into one of the most perfect models: an online natural wine store that offered free delivery (within reason) and pickup. More than a year later, the bottle shop continues to go strong, with a rotating selection of a-little-too-easy-to-splurge selection of affordable and downright fun rosé and orange wines, plus mid-priced whites, reds, and actually splurge-worthy Champagnes and high-end reds.

A short food menu is also available to pair, with dishes like cauliflower and green garlic soup, Caesar salads, a duo of simple pastas, halibut with Totten Inlet mussels and of course, a signature burger.

Two years ago, Nikeisah Newton was driving late-night grain bowls and salads to Portland area strip clubs to feed sex workers who didn’t have access to healthier meals at 2 a.m. Her delivery service Meals 4 Heels, which mostly operated through Instagram DMs, has exploded over the past year, with Newton’s mostly vegan grain bowls and salads feeding protestors, people experiencing homelessness, and at community-led events.

Since May, however, Meals 4 Heels has also had a place of its own: inside the Redd’s Powerhouse Cafe space, along Southeast Salmon. Now, diners can sample Newton’s creations five days a week, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays — including the G.T.P. (Gettin’ That Paper), filled out with tom kha-roasted cauliflower, sweet potato noodles, truffled tomatoes, toasted coconut, vegetable furikake and a trio of herbs; and the Money Bag, layered with Ethiopian-spiced mushrooms, housemade vegan and gluten-free cornbread chow chow, and topped with red pepper sauce on braised collard greens.

One night a week for two hours, fine-dining darling Berlu will leave behind its takeout tasting menu and its daytime Vietnamese baked goods, in place of bánh tráng nướng, a crispy rice paper cracker with toppings, often referred to as Vietnamese pizza; a rotating selection of chef Vince Nguyen’s favorite street foods; and chè, the refreshing dessert soup/pudding/beverage, here made with pandan-flavored mung-bean jellies, basil seed, and Groundwork Organics strawberries in a coconut-milk dressing with crushed ice.

Unlike the other menu offerings, the Night Market menu is only available from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays, for walk-ups only. So don’t delay.

Having joined the Portland Mercado’s colorful fleet of food carts in March, Principe Maya offers a range of less-common Yucatecan dishes. Alongside the more familiar salbutes and panuchos, here served with achiote-marinated chicken, relleno negro (the inky black turkey and beef meatball stew), and cochinita pibil, diners can find brazo di reina, a boiled egg and ground pumpkin seed-stuffed corn dough, topped with tomato sauce; polcan, pan-fried masa balls stuffed with beans, espazote, and ground pumpkin seed; poc chuc, sliced, grilled pork loin served with refried beans, cabbage; and much more. Seating here has always been outdoors and covered, perfect for dining through any weather or season. 

The Pearl District’s Tuscan spot Gallo Nero has been steadily churning out updated versions of Italian classics throughout the pandemic. After transitioning their entire menu over to take-out and delivery, Gallo Nero is back with indoor and outdoor dining on the heated, covered patio. Dishes here have reliably stayed the same, with light, refreshing antipasti and salads, a quintet of bruschette, pastas, protein-centric mains and of course, a long list of every dessert you might want, from tiramisu and gelato to caffe corretto and torta della nonna. 

This downtown hand-pulled noodle haven is a must for anyone in search of mala- and five spice-tinged Chinese-style noodles. An unassuming yellow cart, across from Southwest Washington’s Killer Burger, Stretch the Noodle offers a short menu of stir-fried noodles and noodle soups, often stretched and cut to order by chef Xuemei Simard, along with jianbing. Find noodles tucked under chile oil-slicked beef noodle soup, whose simmered bone broth holds tender-braised beef in stasis; chao mian with chicken or tofu and vegetables, tossed in a spice mala sauce; and pan-fried pork dumplings, finished with a crispy, lacy crust. Noodles, of course, are best eaten swiftly — so make sure to bring a friend or come hungry. 

Nestled inside the brand new U.S. headquarters of Japanese outdoors brand Snow Peak, Takibi is a “celebration of Japan, the changing seasons, and the bonds built while gathering by the fire.”

Quite so: With food run by Submarine Hospitality (the team behind Ava Gene’s, Tusk and more) and drinks from famed mixologist Jim Meehan, the spacious, wood-lined patio just off Northwest 23rd Avenue is about to become this summer’s hottest spot. Executive chef Alex Kim brings dishes like fried Hama Hama oysters, karaage, flame-kissed hamachi teriyaki, kalbi short ribs, sashimi, hot pot, noodles and more, while Meehan’s seasoned hands pair Japanese and Oregon spirits and Japanese ingredients like yuzu and nori into timeless cocktails, alongside an all-Pacific Northwest beer and wine list, plus Japanese sake. 

This pioneering craft cocktail bar is finally open again for those ready to head back indoors. Working with a team of medical professionals, Teardrop owner and bartender Daniel Shoemaker created the safest environment they could, built out with Plexiglas around the entire bar, a completely overhauled HVAC, and highly restrictive air filtration systems. The attention to detail, and roughly 13 years’ worth of regulars, have given Shoemaker the support to navigate the pandemic with its robust and seemingly all-inclusive cocktail list intact. Thirty cocktails deep — ranging from “deep & dark” to “bright & crisp” — there’s literally something for everyone here.