Cheap Eats 2006

[March 29th, 2006] That sounds well...so...cheap. As if the amazing food outlets we visit are ordinary, paltry and just a tad bit tacky. But they're anything but. When WW says "cheap eats," all we're talking about is price. Not quality. Not originality. And, most of all, not taste (we never shirk on taste). No matter what anybody tells you, you don't have to bust out 50 bucks to have a good meal in Portland (psst...that secret needs to get out).

A lot of times, all a good meal requires is a fiver—or even less—and a willingness to explore unfamiliar cuisine or the far culinary edges of our fair city.

Now, some of the restaurants you'll find on the following pages are places you may already frequent, or at least have heard about from your friends and neighbors. That's what cheap eating is all about—community gathering spots that take the pressure off of what to stuff in your face on a daily basis.

Think of it as "word of mouth."

Hopefully you'll also discover some new hot spots, as we did when we ventured to Pok Pok, a totally killer Northern Thai food joint that runs out of a mini-storefront on Southeast Division Street. Or Northeast Portland's truly wonderful Cafe Wonder (a late-night munchers' hangout). And for the really, really, really cheap, nothing beats the wheeled walk-ups Tim DuRoche writes about in his world tour of food carts, or the places cheapster Laura Parisi checked out in an effort to outdo $40 a Day celeb Rachael Ray. And speaking of celeb chefs, you're also going to find out what people who cook for a living like to eat when they're not working at their upscale eateries.

Plus, you'll find over 150 inexpensive eating establishments we love. They're organized alphabetically, with two easy-to-digest indexes in which we break down your favorite joints by neighborhood and type of cuisine. For those places that refuse to accept plastic or paper, we've indicated a "cash only" policy in the listings.

Now, if you don't find your favorite place to eat, there might be a few reasons.

1.Each fall we come out with another guide focusing on Portland's more upscale dining establishments. It might be in there.

2.To be considered worthy of a Cheap Eat, breakfast and lunch should cost $10 or less (dinner around $15) or the place serves huge portions at hard-to-believe prices (think pizza and sushi).

3.We may never have heard of the place. If so, we want to know about it. Call us. Drop us a line. Whatever you do, TELL US!

Let's eat!

Byron Beck

Special Sections Editor