Where to Eat in December: De Noche at La Fondita, G-Love, Jacob & Sons, and More

Oh yes, the Republica restaurant powerhouse group is back with a-n-o-t-h-e-r new concept (the hits don’t stop), though this one borrows a little bit from the early days. De Noche, which will take over La Fondita in the evening hours, is focusing on classic Mexican dishes from across the country, like tostaditas de atun, tetelas mixtecas, an ever-rotating mole, enfrijoladas, and more. Those who remember the young Republica will see shades of familiarity in some of these dishes, which will be offered as a prix fixe, so diners will be able to try a little bit of everything. Those who love to read menus ahead of time won’t find much luck online. Just trust the process and enjoy.

Portland’s “reverse steakhouse” pays reverence to vegetables and sustainability with a menu so focused on its core mission that it’s difficult at times to spot the dishes with meat. Kick off with a handful of perennials, like the crusty avocado, studded in coco-blackspice seed mix, and the fingerling potatoes with creme fraiche dip, basil oil, and trout roe, before diving into “cold goods,” like the tomato crudo marinated in a Vietnamese vinaigrette, and “hot stuff,” where many of the meaty items reside (the charred bavette with new potatoes and chimichurri looks fantastic). A newer addition to the menu is the short skewers section, with fire-kissed pork glazed in yuzu kosho, summer squash in miso Caesar, and bay scallops with preserved citrus. If choosing where to head for the night feels overwhelming, G-Love offers a family style menu of chef favorites, arriving in four courses for the entire table.

OG St. Jack duo chef Aaron Barnett and sommelier Joel Gunderson have reunited once more. The two first launched St. Jack in its original Clinton Street form all the way back in 2010, when the restaurant was known for its cascading waxy candles (still a fixture at the current Northwest location), simply fantastic steak frites, and wine for days. Their new project, Heavenly Creatures, focuses on French-inspired drinking foods with plenty of wine to boot. Find snacks like Camembert “Cheez Whiz” on potato chips, scallops with saffron vinegar, and young yellowtail toast alongside heartier plates like grilled Iberico pork with anchovy and chamomile, and pig trotter and meatball stew simmered in red wine and Cognac. Wine, of course, runs freely here, ranging from a lengthy glass pour list to a robust bottle list, available to enjoy on site with a $15 corkage fee or at home.

Find more info here.

A new takeout and delivery-only Jewish deli is bringing a host of homey favorites to Old Town/Chinatown. Jacob & Sons, from Wise Sons alum Noah Jacob, is focusing on the big hitters, like matzo ball soup, pastrami, pickles, and a handful of classic baked goods, all made in-house. Here, you can build your own spread, just the way you like it, with quarts of various pickles (currently green tomatoes and full/half sours); deli salads like tuna, potato and egg; house smoked meats by-the-pound, including turkey, corned beef, and pastrami; and schmears to spread on your own bagels or their housemade korn rye. Baked goods include potato knishes, bialys dotted with caramelized onions, chocolate babka, and of course, challah, either plain or studded with sesame. A short sandwich menu brings everything together for those on the go.

Find more info here.

The new bar within MLK Boulevard’s longstanding late-night haunt Dig A Pony is bringing a bit of the Big Easy to your night out. The food, from the team behind North Portland’s fantastic high dive Tulip Shop Tavern, focuses on Louisiana classics like po’boys, gumbo, and red beans and rice. The space also doubles as a venue, with music curation from the team behind Lose Yr Mind Fest to keep the night going until the wee hours. Cocktails too, are inspired by New Orleans, with classics like vieux carres, sazeracs and boozy hurricanes. The space plans to reopen the walk-up window, too, for those who want to grab a quick bite.

Find more info here.

As the website says, it’s Matt’s BBQ but in tacos. Long among the city’s best barbecue joints, and depending on your meat power rankings, the absolute best (for brisket, there is no other), Matt’s BBQ Tacos recently graced the city with a second location. Alongside their Hinterlands cart location, you can now find those nap-inducing tacos, breakfast included, served all day. In the mornings — hey, we’re purists — we’re partial to the chopped brisket, pork belly, and the migas, each served on a housemade flour tortilla. While the brisket keeps it simple with potatoes, cheddar, and eggs, the pork belly earns a dollop of queso along with refried beans. And the “migas (so good)” will be familiar to Texas-style breakfast taco enthusiasts, filled out with tortilla chips, pico de gallo, and guac. For the egg-less tacos, there’s no going wrong here, from the chopped brisket dipped in hot dip with pickled onions and the pulled pork with pibil sauce to the beef taco supreme (“a work of fiction,” Matt’s says) and the G.O.A.T., which doesn’t contain any actual goat but instead a queso-sandwiched flour and corn tortilla wrap with brisket AND pulled pork. Whatever you do, bring at least one friend and try as many as you can.

Find more info here.

As the weather starts to get colder and the nights grow longer by the day, you’ll find us craving cozy, comfort dishes and spaces to while away a few glasses of wine. Enter Mucca, the longtime downtown Italian destination with white tablecloths, brick interior, and traditional menu. The menu follows the classic setup, kicking off with antipasti like a classic steak tartare, seared sea scallops in a Parmigiano fondue, and burrata with 500-day prosciutto di Parma, before the handmade pasta course arrives. Here, that looks like a hearty tagliatelle al cinghiale; a squid ink-infused chitarra ai frutti di mare tossed in a white wine butter sauce; and spaghettoni with spot prawns tossed in a pistachio and bottarga pesto beneath a shower of breadcrumbs. A tight menu of secondi includes all the major meat groups — beef, pork, fish, and duck — and rounds out the savory side of the menu before (of course) diving into the coffee-, chocolate-, and cream-infused desserts.

Longtime St. Johns pasta pop-up Pastificio d’Oro officially became a brick-and-mortar last month. Taking over the Gracie’s Apizza space on Lombard, partner duo Chase Dopson and Maggie Irwin will continue the pop-up’s legacy of all-hand-rolled everything, this time with a focus on Piedmontese cuisine. Those familiar with the pop-up will recognize the format: an antipasti or two, currently 36-month-aged prosciutto crudo and Maggie’s salad filled out with greens, shaved radish, and Parm; a couple of pastas, one, a simple hand-rolled tagliatelle tossed with crispy prosciutto and cultured butter, the other, a winter squash and amaretti-stuffed tortelli, also finished in a cultured butter sauce; a main, rabbit stewed in tomatoes and white wine; and a dessert, right now a northern Italian-style apple cake. Maybe the best part is that’s it (plus some Cafe Olli bread) and that’s all we want. Add a glass of wine, some good company, and you’ve described a perfect (December) night.

No reservations. Find more info here.

This Israeli-inspired restaurant, among the Sesame Collective’s most prestigious headliners, is a widespread favorite, known for tried-and-true Middle Eastern classics like creamy hummus — here arriving with a range of toppings, from green tomatoes and green chickpeas to spicy lamb merguez and cherry tomatoes — light-as-air labneh and crispy falafel, alongside larger plates like lamb carnitas, chicken shawarma, and aleppo-rubbed hanger steak. Veggies get their own royal treatment on the hearth, with heirloom carrots arriving with labneh and pomegranate honey and breakfast star shakshuka royale, filled out with spiced tomatoes and peppers, eggs, and optional feta and merguez additions. Whatever you order, make sure to add an extra pita or three. Downy, warm and made-in-house, their pita is almost impossible to put down.

Former Dame pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar Street Disco is bringing moody green interiors, deceivingly simple plates, and tasty wine and cocktails to FoPo. Kick off with small snacks like the citrus and spice four-olive blend and homemade focaccia crusted in flaky salt before diving into the albacore tuna tartare, served with potato chips, a duo of salads, or the bone marrow with beef tataki. Larger plates include a whole branzino, paired with fermented cherry tomatoes, whole braised lamb neck with yogurt au poivre, and charred Spanish octopus with navy beans and Calabrian chile. Wines by-the-glass roam from Italy and Spain to Slovenia and Austria alongside High Life ponies, cocktails, and vermouth. Look for a late-night menu in the months to come — big for the deep east side when true!