A ROTATING GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS WE LIKE Navigator: Northwest | Southeast | Northeast | Downtown/Southwest | Suburbs $: up to $15 per person, beverage and tip included $$: $25 and under $$$: $35 and under $$$$: above $35 WW reviewers have visited these establishments recently and can recommend them. The restaurant world is squirrely; please call for reservation information and hours. Northwest BESAW'S CAFE Besaw's is old-school in more ways than one. The cafe was kick-started in 1903 by two French Canadian loggers and quickly became known as the place to get a good square meal. These days, the sunny cafe in Northwest Portland is still a sure bet for a reasonably priced, homey meal. Everything is whipped up by hand, and the desserts are beyond primo. Each night there are blackboard specials, and you can count on a specific special to appear on its appointed night. Eclectic 2301 NW Savier St., 228-2619. $$-$$$ LUCY'S TABLE Seek out Lucy's Table for contemporary cooking with Mediterranean inflections. The dimly lit room, with pretty amber lamps, soft velour curtains and crisp napery, is a warm and slightly formal setting. International 706 NW 21st Ave., 226-6126. $$$ PARAGON Chef Peter Dougherty is handy with the fresh, hot and now ingredients, and the menu has some seasonally rotating aspects. The staff is knowledgeable and accommodating, and the dining room is upscale but comfy. American 605 NW 13th Ave., 833-5060. $$-$$$ PEARL BAKERY Even in the gray of winter, Pearl Bakery seems a sunny place. A diverse selection of breads is always available to take away in Pearl's optimistically blue paper bags, but during lunch you can see the city's best bread in action in one of many excellent sandwiches. Eclectic 102 NW 9th Ave., 827-0910. $ TAPEO Ricardo Segura has brought a little bit of Spain to his storefront restaurant, and the best way to start your exploration may be with an order of tostaditas de boquerones. Homemade bread is thinly sliced, toasted, spread with a tapenade of farga and manzanilla olives and topped with a shiny, marinated anchovy that will forever change your notion of the minuscule, maligned fish. Finish up with the best flan in town. Spanish 2764 NW Thurman St., 226-0409. $$$ Southeast LA CATALANA Strong tastes pervade the dishes at La Catalana, the first among Portland's tapas restaurants. Don't miss specialties like the shellfish-packed paella and the kickass potato pie with aioli--you'll never look at scalloped potatoes the same way again. Save room for the caramelized crema Catalana or the house-made lemon ice cream. Spanish 2821 SE Stark St., 232-0948. $$-$$$ 3 DOORS DOWN CAFE 3 Doors Down is a treasure: a tiny, stylish bistro unassumingly tucked between a strip of shops off ever-frenetic Hawthorne Boulevard. An all-time fave is the penne with vodka sauce, with a slow-simmered gravy of plum tomatoes, cream, chili flakes, vodka and Italian sausage. Space is tight, and the cafe doesn't take reservations, but the staff is one of the friendliest around and will take care of you as quickly as possible. Italian 1429 SE 37th Ave., 236-6886. $$-$$$ CAFE LENA Both the food and the crowd are authentic in this cafe known for open-mike poetry nights. No tired tofu dishes here--Lena serves food fit for a revolutionary. Take the Jean-Paul Angst on challah, for example: an open-faced sandwich of grilled chicken breast with baked brie, Roma tomatoes and basil. Or consider the delicious Vinnie's Pesto Vino, fettuccine with an excellent, subtle pesto and Portland's tastiest sun-dried tomatoes. The servings are generous, so if you're truly a starving artist you can keep it cheap by forgoing the salad and soup. Eclectic 2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 238-7087. $ ASSAGGIO Assaggio means a taste or a sampling, and the entire menu is set up around this gracious concept. The highlight of the entree list is a variety of three pastas, selected daily by the chef. If you're not in the mood for small portions, any of the 16 freshly prepared dishes makes a perfect meal all by itself. Italian 7742 SE 13th Ave., 232-6151. $$ IVY HOUSE For many parents, the thought of dining out with kids is connected with the phrase "happy meal." But Ivy House offers families a very civilized, relaxed alternative to fast-food joints. As the kids play nearby, parents can savor delicious, expertly prepared food from an ambitious menu that changes seasonally. Eclectic 1605 SE Bybee Blvd., 231-9528. $$-$$$ Northeast COUNTY CORK PUBLIC HOUSE Rather than ersatz Irish dishes, this pub offers real flavor along with the Guinness. There's an Irish theme, of course: Bangers and mash combines grilled sausages and garlic mashed potatoes, and a cold plate of Irish cheddar, hard-boiled egg, pickled onions, sliced apple, dill pickles and a wedge of soda bread called the ploughman's platter purports to be a "traditional Irish workman's lunch." But the burgers, fries and clam chowder are just like what owner Jeanie Subotnick used to make when she ran Shakers. Irish 1329 NE Fremont St., 284-4805. $$ LEMONGRASS This Thai restaurant presents all the greatest hits of the region in such a fresh and authentic way, you'll want to search the Web for cheap airfare to Thailand so you can enjoy the complete experience. Unlike many of the quick-fix Thai joints around town, Lemongrass' menu features a small, focused group of traditional dishes that are prepared individually to order. You may be sitting in a comfy converted house in Northeast Portland, but you're as close to Bangkok as one meal can take you. Thai 1705 NE Couch St., 231-5780. $$-$$$ LA SIRENITA It's hard to resist the tacos and burritos at this neighborhood taqueria--you can't eat this well this cheaply at very many places. But splurge once in a while on some of the seafood dishes (the restaurant's name does mean "The Little Mermaid," after all). One of the best items on the entire menu is the Seven Seas Soup, a spicy concoction of fish and shellfish. Mexican 2817 NE Alberta St., 335-8283. $ ROSE'S Long ago, before there was Northwest cuisine, Portland's favorite casual eateries were--believe it or not--Jewish delis. Of the great delis from that time, only Rose's is still around, and it's been exiled from Northwest Portland to a fading suburban strip mall, but it still serves those thick sandwiches and old-school pastries. The menu's been expanded and goyed up; avoid such deli heresies as taco chicken salad and lasagna. Stick with the basic sandwiches, all served on dark rye with a kosher pickle, or try a Reuben. Deli 12329 NE Glisan St., 254-6545. $-$$ Downtown/Southwest COUVRON Opened in 1995 by chef Anthony Demes and manager Maura Jarach, Couvron has already established itself as a French restaurant worthy of a growing number of local and national awards. Demes regularly outdoes himself with vertical, rococo creations Jean-Paul Gaultier would admire. The service is impeccable, and every dish here is an event worth experiencing. French 1126 SW 18th Ave., 225-1844. $$$$ GOOD DOG/BAD DOG Hot dogs are still the king. Your proof? This downtown doghouse is almost always full of lunchtime revelers seeking its quirky atmosphere and true-blue bratwurst, kielbasa, British bangers, sweet Italians, hot Italians and an even hotter Magma dog. Sausages 708 SW Alder St., 222-3410. $ MALLORY HOTEL DINING ROOM Generous portions and affordable prices are only one reason to check out this venerable institution. While it probably won't satisfy so-called "gourmets," the food is pretty damn good. Steaks, chops and chicken dominate, but local seafood is available, too, and when razor clams are in season the Mallory's version--lightly breaded and fried--is as good as any. Breakfast time may be the most crowded, especially on weekends, when the city's established families descend from the adjacent hills to partake of fluffy German pancakes, respectable blintzes and less traditional fare such as grilled polenta with tomato sauce and poached eggs. American 729 SW 15th Ave., 223-6311. $$$ PORTLAND STEAK AND CHOPHOUSE The tony decor, intimate booths, low lighting and hyper-attentive service make this the kind of place where power brokers and expense-account people can get comfy. Even better, the food is outstanding and unapologetically retro. Whether it's porterhouse, New York, sirloin, chicken, veal or fish, the portions are large and of fine quality. American 121 SW 3rd Ave., 223-6200. $$$ Suburbs CLARKE'S RESTAURANT Chef Jonathan Clarke's cooking is eclectic, with touches of French and Northwestern. Generally the fish dishes are the best items on the list: The sea bass is perfectly underdone, and its tenderness plays against the crunch of accompanying vegetables. Although the dining area seems more of a tea room than an elegant restaurant, Clarke's makes every effort to serve meals with finesse. French/Northwestern 455 2nd St., Lake Oswego, 636-2667. $$-$$$ GERALDI'S In a city crammed with so-called sandwich shops that serve thin slivers of so-so cold-cuts on lame-ass buns, Geraldi's is a stunning oasis. The hulking hot and cold sandwiches are served on the most superb lowbrow rolls in town--crusty and cantankerous on the outside, pillowy and inviting on the inside. Italian Beaverton Mall, 3205 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., 643-7200; 10000 SW Canyon Road, Beaverton, 297-2590; 2118 NW Glisan St., 224-7919; 6175 SW Lombard Ave., Beaverton, 643-8377; 518 SW 4th Ave., 224-1865. $ HENRY FORD'S RESTAURANT Henry Ford's is a Portland institution that has been around since the '50s and, thankfully, hasn't changed a bit. Architecturally beautiful, the restaurant isn't "retro"--it's historic and mysterious. Friendly, efficient, old-school waiters run the dining room serving classic fare such as prawn cocktail, crab, escargot and porterhouse or New York strip. Dinner comes with biscuits, green salad and baked potato. And where else can you get a side dish of cooked carrots glazed in brown sugar? Old School 9589 SW Barbur Blvd., 245-2434. $$$-$$$$ SYUN IZAKAYA This remarkably sophisticated yet friendly spot brims with authenticity, from the more than 50 varieties of sake to the fiercely unusual dishes, including the best tempura in the region and disks of pâté of monkfish liver. A dinner here will provide you a liberal education in Japanese mores and tastes--not something you'd expect from a drive across the fields of Washington County. Japanese 209 NE Lincoln St., Hillsboro, 640-3131. $$$   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published April 26, 2000