The May Hit List: Ava Gene’s, Dolly Olive, Frybaby, and More

Few restaurants in town have had the same impact on Portland’s dining scene as Ava Gene’s. Dozens of dining projects today are run by staff whose résumés include the hyper-seasonal darling. More recently, it was among the restaurants that faced fallout  during the pandemic over claims of inequity and damaging behavior.

Now, Ava Gene’s is back, with a menu similar to before, a mostly new staff, and plenty of structures and policies to ensure that the alleged problems of the past aren’t repeated. A few of the names helping run the new Ava Gene’s kitchen feel like reunions — Ross Effinger and JoMarie Pitino have returned to the pass, after their eastern Oregon destination pizza shop The Gold Room shuttered last fall — while others — like co-executive chef Amelia Kirk (from NYC’s Estela) — are just starting their journey here. Those familiar with the menu will find many beloved dishes have returned, including the borlotti bean toast, punchy salads, and a half-dozen or so pastas made in-house (though the kale salad is now only available at next door pizzeria Cicoria).

The newest restaurant from the Sesame Collective (Shalom Y’all, Yalla) leaves the usual Eastern Mediterranean flavors behind in favor of something straight out of the Adriatic. Dolly Olive tilts more Italian in nature, kicking off with a duo of housemade focaccia, one studded with garlic and herbs, the other topped with broccolini and Calabrian chile. Much of the rest of the menu follows suit, pulling inspiration from Southern Italy with infusions from Africa and the Middle East. Antipasti run from braised short rib arancini and beet carpaccio to a house Caesar and wild blue prawns. The menu continues with a quartet of pastas, before diving headfirst into big cuts of protein, like the fennel-crusted rib eye for two and a roasted chicken with Calabrian chile tomato sauce.

A South-by-South-Korean cart in the brand-new, small-but-mighty Lil’ America pod (where all seven carts are owned and run exclusively by chefs of color and those who identify as LGBTQIA+) Frybaby is serving mega-crunchy Korean fried chicken four days a week. Here, wings and drummies are dredged in a rice, potato, and tapioca flour batter cut with vodka and makgeolli before a double fry to get the ultimate crunch. Once fried, they’re doused in a number of sauces and dusts, including spicy gochujang, soy garlic, and a snow cheese dust. Alongside the KFC, chef Sunny Hatch is continuing the Southern mashup with sides like bo ssam collard greens, mashed potatoes with curry gravy and kimchi mac ‘n’ cheese. Make sure to get there early, this cart frequently sells out.

Find more info here.

Right next door to Frybaby is Makulit, serving Filipino American fast food, including twists on burgers, chicken nugs, and classic adobo. In place of a beef patty on their Big Bunso burger, Makulit subs in a longanisa patty with pickled papaya relish before the usual cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a Franz bun. Their chicken bites — essentially chicken nuggets — are brined with mustard before another tangle with a tapioca, rice flour, and cornstarch dredge. They’re paired with a garlicky sinamak or can be made sticky with a finadene glaze and served over rice. Those looking for something a little more traditional can opt for the pancit canton with either tofu or chicken, the classic chicken adobo, or lumpia.

Find more info here.

This European-style bistro from a husband-wife team (and alums of Ken’s Artisan Pizza and the sadly closed Bistro Agnes) brings a tinned fish and veggie-friendly menu to Belmont’s restaurant row. The options here are simple and lovely, with lots of vegetable and vegan dishes, tinned fishes, and cheeses to spread on bread, and a natural wine list to pair. Look for smoked mussel rillette toast, sardines with piri piri pepper paired with an assortment of crackers and pickles, and PNW oysters on the half-shell. Elsewhere, shareable and larger plates like a vegan risotto with Rancho Gordo Buckeye beans, deep fried squid with a pink peppercorn mayo, and mussels in a bouillabaisse broth fill out the rest of the meal.

This beloved Argentine grill has had a commanding presence over Portland’s dining scene since it opened a decade ago, thanks to its all-stunners-only menu. There’s the always-fantastic cocktail list (the Dirty Grandma Agnes martini is a must), not to mention a beautiful wine selection — plus, a great outdoor patio for sunny days. The by-land-and-sea menu combines iconic dishes, like the clam chowder with a smoked marrow bone and the tripe and octopus with a fantastic line-up of meats, veg, and fish grilled to perfection on the central cast-iron hearth. Meat options rotate throughout the year, but when the halibut collar is on the menu, don’t forget to order that, too. The final pillar of the menu is the veg-heavy garden section, filled out with impeccable salads, crispy brassicas, and seasonal produce for the makings of a perfect night.

The subterranean sister bar to the most popular restaurant in Portland, Sousòl is the dark and moody twin to the light and bright Kann. The cozy space, highlighted with Caribbean blue tile and plush hot pink velvet banquettes, is inspired by the cuisines of the Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Mexico, and beyond. While the upstairs Kann plays in large, shareable plates and full-size entrees, you’ll want to order a round of Sousòl’s bar bites, like Trini-Chinese chicken wings, accra with fermented pepper remoulade, and the prawn cocktail with Creole cocktail sauce, to make a meal. Maybe even more fun are the drinks, which also feature flavors from the Caribbean canon — in both alcoholic and non-alc versions. Each arrives in beautiful glassware, often with flavored ice and less-known Caribbean spirits.

This brand new coffee-by-day, award-winning-brewery-by-night is keeping Northeast Portland’s Roseway neighborhood well-hydrated. The two concepts recently took over an old gas station together, converting the interior into a royal blue and gray cafe and bar. On one side, Junior’s pours coffee drinks alongside breakfast pastries and bags of coffee. On the other, Upright Brewing’s satellite taproom pours from a long list of their beloved beers, including a trio of real ales — unfiltered and unpasteurized beers that don’t use carbon dioxide to pour. While the space is simple and functional, it’s the heart-of-the-neighborhood location that makes this spot show-worthy.

Find more info here.

One of the greatest beauties of Portland’s food cart scene is how it truly brings new cuisines and shades to the city’s diverse dining scene. New to Portland, Village Kitchen brings Kachin cuisine to Sellwood’s Piknik Park. A group of tribal communities located primarily in northern Myanmar, Kachin cooking pulls influence from India and China, alongside the fresh herbs more commonly found in Southeast Asian cuisine. Here, Awng Htoi alongside business partner Van Phou and life partner Chris Todd, serves family recipes like the village salad, a hot and sour green tea leaf and cabbage salad with onions, garlic, crispy fried beans, and nuts, and the village curry, a turmeric and Sichuan peppercorn-based curry with chicken or pork. With only two other dishes on the menu (for now), it’s easy to get a little taste of everything.

Find more info here.

Yoonique Pho & Grill, from the owners of the Foster-Powell bubble tea shop of the same name, is the latest addition to Portland’s ever-expanding Vietnamese food canon. Here, squished between an H&R Block and a Red Wing shoes in a strip mall off Southeast 119th and Division, the menu packs harder-to-find Vietnamese dishes, like cured sour beef, turmeric grilled salmon, and grilled pork chop broken rice, alongside more popular dishes like caramelized wings, shaken beef, and banh xeo. Those already familiar with Yoonique’s drink options at their bubble tea shop will recognize the abbreviated drink and tea menu meant to pair with the punchy menu.

Find more info here.