A ROTATING GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS WE LIKE Navigator: Northwest | Southeast | Northeast | Downtown/Southwest | Suburbs | Late Night $: up to $15 per person, beverage and tip included $$: $25 and under $$$: $35 and under $$$$: above $35 WW reviewers have visited these establishments recently and can recommend them. The restaurant world is squirrely; please call for reservation information and hours. Northwest LUCY'S TABLE Seek out Lucy's Table for contemporary cooking with Mediterranean inflections. The dimly lit room, with pretty amber lamps, soft velour curtains and crisp napery, is a warm and slightly formal setting. International 706 NW 21st Ave., 226-6126. $$$ 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. $$-$$$ Southeast ASSAGGIO Assaggio means a taste or a sampling, and the entire menu here 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. $$ CAPRIAL'S BISTRO Caprial's food is decidedly eclectic, often with Asian inflections on western cooking. At its best, ingredients come together with startling ingenuity. At its worst--though individual aspects of a dish may be prepared well--there's a disconcerting sense of incongruity. This place thrives on surprising juxtapositions; who would have thought feta cheese would work with a poblano chili and tomatillo sauce? If you enjoy a mélange of tastes, a kind of gastronomic travelogue within a single dish, this is your spot. Longtime fans (and they are legion) still enjoy choosing their wines from the wall of well-selected bottles and paying a very modest corkage fee, a touch that is one of the best reasons for having a meal here. Eclectic 7015 SE Milwaukie Ave., 236-6457. $$-$$$ J&M CAFE Breakfast at J&M is a savory way to wake up. The high-ceilinged, airy interior is as comforting to the nerves as the carefully prepared dishes are to an empty stomach. If you skipped dinner the night before, you can feast on the black-bean-heavy breakfast burrito, the potatoes (a cheesy pile with salsa and sour cream) or J&M's signature platter of bacon and eggs smothered with fontina, cheddar and Parmesan. American 537 SE Ash St., 230-0463. $ PARADOX PALACE CAFE This Southeast Belmont diner sits unassumingly behind an unremarkable storefront, under a sign that says simply "Cafe." Inside, the Paradox is like a living, evolving creature, with a hippie personality and a funky decor that (until recently) changed regularly. But beyond looks, the Paradox's bottom line is that the food is healthy, cheap and plentiful, with nothing on the menu that's more than seven bucks. The menu's dominant focus is veg-head, with things like Tofurky, faux sausages and other meatless standbys. Breakfast features your basic pancakes, eggs and waffles. There's beef and veggie burgers, mac and cheese, and the tempeh reuben for lunch. The short dinner menu includes pasta dishes, Asian noodle medley, burritos and a quesadilla. Vegetarian Cafe 3439 SE Belmont St., 232-2508. $ 3 DOORS DOWN CAFE 3 Doors Down is a treasure: a tiny, stylish bistro unassumingly tucked between a strip of shops off ever-frenetic Hawthorne Boulevard. An all-time fave dish is the penne with vodka sauce, a slow-simmered gravy of plum tomatoes, cream, chili flakes, vodka and Italian sausage. Space is tight, and the cafe doesn't take reservations, but the staff is one of the friendliest around and will take care of you as quickly as possible. Italian 1429 SE 37th Ave., 236-6886. $$ WILD ABANDON Situated between Genoa and Bangkok Kitchen, Wild Abandon borrows from both its Belmont neighbors--and almost every other cuisine--with sometimes spectacular results. The Mussels Tropicale pairs the world's most underrated mollusk with coconut milk, cilantro, lemongrass and lime juice and is worth committing a felony for. The goat-cheese torta, which swims in pesto, sun-dried tomato, roasted garlic and a tarry reduction of balsamic vinegar, would be right at home at Genoa at twice the price. Main courses are less predictably excellent, but the fish tacos and cioppino, a seafood stew, are first-rate. Be sure to check out the new breakfast menu. International 2411 SE Belmont St., 232-4458. $$-$$$ North/Northeast CANNON'S RIB EXPRESS There's barely enough room for three people to stand at the counter in this tiny rib joint, but that doesn't stop a line from forming around dinner time. Smoke pours from the 55-gallon drums out front, and you can taste it in the meaty pork and beef ribs. Southern 3328 NE Killingsworth St., 288-3836. $ CHEZ WHAT? Chez What? is a quirky place to load up on cheap eats with friends. Breakfasts lean heavily on hearty egg-and-potato combos; a standout is Gigi's eggs, which come scrambled with red onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, dried tomatoes, feta and scallions. Lunch and dinner choices are equally filling. Burgers, both beef and veggie, can be enhanced by the gnarly mix of grilled onions, garlic, mushroom, peppers and jalapeños. Save room for dessert, a changing menu of candy-bar-based concoctions. American 2203 NE Alberta St., 281-1717. $ Downtown/Southwest BIJOU CAFE The Bijou continues its commitment to using organic and local ingredients in its hearty fare, which leans toward healthy. Breakfast specialties include a roast-beef or snapper hash, tofu scramble and whole-wheat quesadillas with a spicy pumpkin-seed, tomatillo and roasted-pepper spread. The Bijou's cheery decor and friendly staff make it an excellent choice for relaxed, non-power dining. American 132 SW 3rd Ave., 222-3187. $$ COUVRON Since opening in 1995, chef Anthony Demes and manager Maura Jarach already have established a French restaurant worthy of a growing number of local and national awards. Demes regularly outdoes himself with vertical, rococo creations Jean-Paul Gaultier would admire. The service is impeccable, and every dish here is an event worth experiencing. French 1126 SW 18th Ave., 225-1844. $$$$ HOUSE OF ASIA More than its snazzy decor, House of Asia is distinguished by a dining-room kitchen: an open, stainless-steel fortress in which the native Cambodian chefs can showcase their flair. Knives chop-chop with an even, rhythmic beat just steps away from the tables; flames--controlled and otherwise--jump 6 feet into the towering oven vents; meats are evenly sauteed with that quick flick-o'-the-wrist exclusive to well-trained cooks. It's pretty sophisticated for a walk-in mini-mall joint, and the food, which covers many regions of Asia, is also surprisingly refined. Asian 7113 SW Macadam Ave. (inside Zupan's Macadam Village), 452-5002. $$ JAKE'S FAMOUS CRAWFISH For more than a century, Jake's has attracted crowds with a remarkably simple approach: well-produced, uncomplicated seafood served by a friendly, knowledgeable staff. The Southwest Portland fixture remains especially appealing in a town that can, at times, become a little fusion-happy. Make sure to try a broad plate of the restaurant's still-famous crawfish--your server will certainly show you how to eat them. Seafood 401 SW 12th Ave., 226-1419. $$$-$$$$ ORITALIA This San Francisco outpost is an opulent purveyor of fusion food (Oriental + Italian, get it?), a testimony to the ingenuity of a chef's unbridled imagination. When things come together nicely, as they often do here, the tastes are explosive and marvelous. The sake-steamed bass is loaded with flavor, the portobello mushrooms provide just a hint of depth, and the Chinese black-bean sauce lends a heady and salty touch to the mild fish. Even more wonderful is the plate of rare ahi slices, grounded in a heady mustard sauce, accompanied by a lotus leaf open like an offering on perfumed jasmine rice. Fusion 750 SW Alder St. (in the Westin Hotel), 295-0680. $$-$$$ Suburbs CLARKE'S RESTAURANT Chef Jonathan Clarke's cooking is eclectic, with touches of French and Northwestern. Generally the fish dishes are the best items on the list: The sea bass is perfectly underdone, and its tenderness plays against the crunch of accompanying vegetables. Although the dining area seems more like a tea room than an elegant restaurant, Clarke's makes every effort to serve meals with finesse. French/Northwestern 455 2nd St., Lake Oswego, 636-2667. $$-$$$   Late Night EMPIRE ROOM Feeling like a glass of wine, a light snack and maybe a little romance? The Empire Room has it all. With its mood lighting, candle-lit tables and slow jazz, this place has enough sexiness to make Barry White scream. From the raised platform at the front of the restaurant, guests can gaze upon the streets of the trendy Hawthorne district as they tip back $4 glasses of Borsoa. The menu is limited, tending toward classic wine partners such as a cheese and fruit plate or a pork truffle and cognac pâté, both healthy in size and under $10. Try not to miss the amazing dessert works that are brought down the street daily from JaCiva's. A slice of 7th Heaven Torte and glass of Smith Woodhouse Port will cap your night off right. Wine Bar 4260 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 231-9225. Dinner Monday-Saturday. $-$$