The Resy Hit List: Where In Portland You’ll Want to Eat in Aug. 2024
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in Portland: a monthly-updated (and now expanded!) guide to the restaurants in that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Portland Not to Miss This Month
- Thank God It’s Fridaze: Once a month, head to the courtyard at Division Winemaking Company for one of the summer’s best monthly pop-ups. Sip glass pours made just inside alongside wood-fired pies from Portland favorite Cafe Olli. There’s only one more Fridaze left this summer so keep your eyes on Division Wine Co.’s Instagram for exact dates and details.
- Cooking With Friends: Four times this month, Southeast Portland’s Cafe Rowan chef Spencer Ivankoe will team up with four different friends for a one-night-only, five-course tasting menu. On Aug. 9, Ivankoe will be joined by L’Orange’s Joel Stocks and Libre’s Gabriella Martinez; on Aug. 23, watch him team up with Quaintrelle’s Elijah G. Rivers and Mestizo’s Nan Chaison; and on the 30th, OK Omens’ Justin Woodward. Reserve here.
- Beat the Heat: Head to the basement to catch a break from the heat this month. Delve into the concrete depths for Les Caves, Northeast Alberta’s fantastic wine bar while cocktail fans should look to Scotch Lodge, Voysey or Sousol. Even more enticing, all three cocktail stops are within walking distance from each other, a perfect three-peat for avoiding those blisteringly hot days.
- Keep It (Baja) Fresh: Earlier this summer, a new Ensenada-style fish taco spot opened in Nob Hill. Five days a week, find crunchy, battered Washington sturgeon fish tacos layered with cabbage, pico, onion curtido, and chipotle mayo and Sinaloan wild-caught blue shrimp topped with the same. With few fish taco options in town, you’ll find us at this Nob Hill cart weekly.
New to the Hit List (August 2024)
Bar Loon, The Solo Club, Urdaneta.
1. Kann Southeast Portland
Portland’s arguably most sought-after restaurant proudly focuses on chef Gregory Gourdet’s Haitian heritage. And it’s still worth trying to snag a reservation. The James Beard Award-winning menu is truly best suited for joyous reunion, with groups of four to six (or more in the private dining space!) getting a chance to try a little bit of everything if you’re sharing across the table. Don’t miss the signature dishes — the plaintain brioche and the griyo twice-cooked pork — as well as any number of plates emerging from the wood-fired hearth. We’re partial to the red cabbage with smoked herring and African pepper sauce and a glazed duck breast and leg, lacquered with cane syrup. Add in sides to share, and desserts, and you’ll see why Gourdet is so lauded.
2. ÄNIKS Kerns
A brand new, $215 tasting menu restaurant is taking Oregon’s local flora and fauna to some of its most avant-garde places yet. The ambitious, 16-seat Äniks, from Quaintrelle’s Ryley Eckersley, hopes to give diners a wholly three-dimensional food experience, with not only thought-provoking dishes inspired by custom tarot-esque cards, but numerous drink pairings, from wine to cocktails to kombucha, and musical pairings for each dish. Expect dishes and menus to mimic the ephemerality of Portland’s seasons and ingredients, changing often and never around for long. Where will dinner take you this week? There’s only one way to find out.
3. Jeju Restaurant Central Eastside Portland
Peter Cho and Sun Young Park’s (Han Oak, Toki) latest restaurant is dedicated to upscale Korean barbecue. The menu takes guests through a quartet of banchan, a cold and hot starter — recently a dry-aged Hawaiian kampachi and the signature pan-fried mandu resting in a pool of black vinegar broth — before a hearty ssam spread of wood-fired, whole-animal barbecue. Meats range from bulgogi marinated steak and pork coppa to spicy sausages made in-house and sliced short rib, as well as substantial vegetarian options. After dinner, in true Han Oak family fashion, guests are welcome to try their hand at karaoke.
4. Bar Loon Belmont
The brand new companion to Montavilla’s beloved Bellwether Bar brings that cozy neighborhood bar charm to Southeast Belmont. Settling into the former Sweet Hereafter digs, Bar Loon brightened up the longtime vegan bar with a fresh coat of white paint and a sweet menu that showcases why eating seasonally can be so special. Start with the crispy fried artichokes paired with Calabrian chile mayo before ordering from the long and lovely small plates selection. Grilled broccoli with cherry agrodolce, tomatoes and cucumbers with green goddess, and grilled squash and turnips with herbed fromage blanc pair well with the trio of meat-centric mains.
More info here.
5. The Paper Bridge Central Eastside
It’s not a stretch to say there’s no Vietnamese restaurant in town like this. At Paper Bridge, which opened late last year in the same building as Scotch Lodge, most of the Northern Vietnamese menu book is dedicated to extensive descriptions of each dish. For every item, the restaurant offers a miniature history lesson and glossary entry, often noting the origins, regional significance and geography alongside descriptions of ingredients and cooking techniques. Last month, we spent nearly 10 minutes getting ready to order, as we flipped between the menu and its descriptions, settling on rare-to-Portland dishes like stir-fried morning glory with three types of garlic, a classic bún chả Hanoi, and the addictive, piping hot Hai Phong-style breadsticks with pate. Post dinner, we asked for menus again … to study up for next time.
6. No Saint Vernon
Since it opened a little more than a year ago, No Saint has emerged as one of the best new pizza restaurants in the city. Find a handful of simple antipasti: think housemade focaccia and olives alongside composed plates like a fall burrata with blueberry mostarda and mortadella. Salads highlight seasonal bounty; a recent radish and apple salad showcased a highwire act of bitterness and sweetness. And of course, the pizzas, with a wonderfully chewy, fire-kissed crust supporting a cast of toppings you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Don’t miss the quince and pepperoni, the Portland version of a Hawaiian; or the a pear and sausage, which brings the best of a pear salad and sausage pie together.
7. Xiao Ye Hollywood
This “first generation American” restaurant from partners Jolyn Chen and Louis Lin (Rose’s Luxury in D.C., Felix in L.A.) was one of the city’s most anticipated restaurant openings last year. The short-but-sweet, dinner party-esque menu boasts five sections, each offering two to three multinational dishes. Plates kick off with mini madeleines with whipped butter and jalapeño powder and butter-basted chicken hearts, then weave between “cold,” “warm,” and “bigger stuff,” and land at “sweets.” A radicchio and winter citrus salad with cashew yogurt and vegan XO balances out headliner dishes like the rigatoni all’amatriciana, the half fried chicken with S&B curry jus, or Japanese sweet potato with miso butter and celeriac slaw.
8. L’Orange SE Portland, Hosford-Abernethy, Ladd's Addition
L’Orange, the winery restaurant from Joel Stocks (Holdfast) and winemaker Jeff Vejr (Holdfast, Les Caves), is one of those born-beloved Portland spots you forget has only been around for a short while. The western Mediterranean plays heavy inspiration here, with much of the menu frolicking between seasonal salads, composed small plates, and larger entrees, often incorporating some form of seafood, like mussels and clams with roasted fennel and smoked and roasted sturgeon with oil-cured black olive. Wines will be a particular draw here as well, with bottles representing southern France through the Italian Riviera.
9. Ox Restaurant Eliot
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. After several months of rebuilding from a kitchen fire, the restaurant has finally reopened, and we couldn’t be happier. Any night here should start with something from the always fantastic cocktail list (the Dirty Grandma Agnes martini is a mainstay) or a glass from the beautiful wine list before delving into the by-land-and-sea menu. As a citywide stalwart, numerous iconic dishes have earned their keep over the years, like the clam chowder with smoked marrow bone and the tripe and octopus, that should be part of your order. Meat options rotate throughout the year, but when the halibut collar is on, it should be on everyone’s table, dietary restrictions aside.
10. The Solo Club Northwest District
After a two-year hiatus, Solo Club is back, under new ownership and a noted Latin American and Caribbean vibe. Long considered the waiting area for next door Besaw’s, it has new look and feel, and has traded amaro-forward drinks for a little more tropical party. Food, while still managed by Besaw’s chef, leans heavily into pintxos and small plates, with crispy calamari, fried plantains with avocado salsa and house nachos. Cocktails range from classics with a twist — a bourbon-mezcal old-fashioned tops the menu — to house originals, like the banana leaf martini.
11. Feral Vernon
Four days a week, plant-based Feral is plating up hyper-seasonal dishes unlike any other restaurant in town. On a visit, you might try the cannellini carbonara toast, studded with smoked tofu lardons; the peanut butter & jelly cabbage, brined and blackened over coals, brightened with dekopon mandarin jelly; or the lion’s mane cordon bleu, paired with smoked pimenton parsnip and pommes puree; it is easy to forget as each new arrival hits the table that everything is vegan. Head here to experience the most of each season.
12. Mestizo Richmond
This gluten- and soy-free Latin American restaurant has been a popular spot for fish, vegan dishes, fun cocktails and happy hour since it opened at the end of 2019. More than four years later, the restaurant remains a bright spot along Division’s restaurant row, with its bright and crunchy tapas, like fried oysters with fresno chile jam and vegan mushroom empanadas with pickliz and mojo aioli; a duet of ceviche, both vegan-friendly and not; and fish and meat-heavy entrees like adobo branzino, carne asada tostones, and arroz con pollo.
13. Urdaneta Alberta Arts District
A longstanding pinxto and tapas bar along Northeast Alberta, Urdaneta has become known for its creative take on Iberian cuisine. The menu starts off with a host of pintxos, like the long-running gilda (now in its 2.0 version), here arriving as a spherified olive with Cantabrian anchovy and boqueron and a Spanish goat cheese-stuffed flor de calabaza with grilled zucchini and truffle honey, before diving into two rounds of tapas. The smaller primeros options look like txakoli-marinated hiramasa crudo, hand-carved jamon Iberico, and tortellitas de camarones, while larger segundos dishes carry a bit more heft, like the grilled Spanish octopus with chorizo XO sauce and the Iberico pork steak with grilled little gems.
14. Cafe Olli MLK Boulevard
This airy, all-day cafe not only boasts some of the best pizza in town, but one of the best brunches and some of the best baked goods. (And lunch? And bread?). During the day, the simple, seasonal menu veers toward both sweet and savory things served with or on toast. There’s a fantastic breakfast sandwich on a housemade milk bun and a whipped ricotta toast that could also double as a decadent, but not overly sweet, dessert. At night, the menu keeps its simple mantra, trading out toast and eggs for pizza, pasta, vegetables, snacks, and protein-rich mains. The absolute can’t-miss pizza stunner is a simple one: the pomodoro pie with added stracciatella (+$4) and a side of Calabrian chile honey.
No reservations.
15. Quaintrelle Southeast Portland
Taking up residence in Southeast Clinton’s former Burrasca space, Quaintrelle has continued its fine-dining flair in a space that feels much more like home. The menu here spans a range of options and levels of commitment, from a la carte dishes to tasting menus in seven- and 10-course iterations. Dishes, regardless of menu choice, all remain ever-changing but always seasonal and gorgeous. Menus typically start with some form of oyster, often delivered on a bed of shells mimicking tidepools, before winding through a luxurious caviar course, salads, meats, and fish, all set with local produce. Cocktails, too, remain as ephemeral as the changing seasons, built out with fresh fruits, herbs, and savory elements.
16. Little Bitter Bar Buckman
Housed within Portland’s new Hotel Grand Stark, Little Bitter Bar is the hotel restaurant’s casual Amalfi Coast cousin. Inside the warm and sunny dining room, sip Italian amari as a flight with soda, in cocktails, or in the more than half a dozen spritz options while snacking through an all Italian food menu. Happy hour with a Strega-Lambrusco spritz — or the $1 martini that can be ordered with a steak — margherita pizza, fried olives, and the insalata verde is a great start to any night of the week, and runs from 4 to 6 p.m. daily.
17. Kachka Goat Blocks
Still arguably the most talked-about Russian restaurant in America, Kachka has remained a shining star in Portland’s dining scene since it opened 10 years ago. The menu – broken into four sections — showcases dressed up versions of classic dishes from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia. It has, gratefully, changed little since its first days. You’ll still find the ombre-like Herring “Under a Fur Coat,” the mayo-laced Russian “salad;” boards boasting caviar and roe, pickles, house-cured meats, and breads; phenomenal pelmeni; and the iconic cozy clay-pot rabbit. Now wonderfully expanded: the restaurant’s phenomenal house-infused vodkas.
Call 503-235-0059 for more info.
18. De Noche at La Fondita Park Blocks
This nighttime concept, which took over the daylight La Fondita along the NW Park Blocks, focuses on beautiful, nostalgic Mexican dishes from across the country. Guests will find, as at many of the Republica & Co. restaurants, an ever-shifting menu, metamorphosing between a daily mole, tetelas mixtecas, memelas Veracuzanas, quesadillas Oaxaquenas, and tacos Yucatecos that elegantly incorporate seasonal produce. The entire menu can be experienced as a prix fixe, or you can order a la carte. Next door, Bar Comala shakes up beautiful cocktails alongside an unrivaled selection of mezcal sourced from across Mexico.
19. Grana Pizza Napoletana Kerns
Former farmers market pop-up Grana Pizza has retired their dual portable Ooni ovens for a brick-and-mortar space. These days, find bubbly, charred pies topped with everything from the classic margherita to black truffle specials. Grana’s other claim to fame? Their entry into Portland’s burgeoning portafoglio and panuzzo market. These folded pizzas and “pizza dough sandwiches,” whose mortadella-stuffed pockets have been popping up across town, are the perfect amalgamation of sandwich, calzone and pizza. Grana’s range from mortadella (natch) to diavola, spiked with Calabrian chiles.
20. St. Jack Slabtown
This longtime Portland French bistro remains a citywide favorite, thanks to its straightforward menu, excellent attention to culinary detail, and a fantastic beverage list. Start with the butter lettuce salad, one of the city’s most recognizable salads (it’s Portland, there are a few!), layered with avocado, sliced radish, and croutons, tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette and a dusting of fine herbs, before diving into chicken liver mousse, beef tartare, and maybe a foie gras terrine. From there, the menu stays on the bistro track, with a classic and wonderful steak frites — one of the few in town — moules marinère, and duck l’orange. We love grabbing a seat along the bar near the iconic melted wax candles that have been a constant since the restaurant’s early days in Southeast more than a decade ago.
