WILLAMETTE WEEK'S RESTAURANT GUIDE 1999-2000 Restaurant Listings A B C E F G H I J K L M O P R S T U V W Y Z Abou Karim An ex-boyfriend once told me that he wanted to name our first child Baba Ghanouj. When my mouth met the pulpy dip of garlic and eggplant that would have been our firstborn's namesake, my associations were more romantic than maternal. But unlike boyfriends, Abou Karim is consistent, in both service and cuisine. The food and ambience is more likely to conjure up images of clandestine rendezvous in Lebanese cafes than parental bliss. On a weekday evening, the brick-lined interior rooms and al fresco seating were intimate enough for confessing intriguing escapades over a bottle of bold Moroccan wine. The meal itself achieved a kind of culinary detente between my flesh-free and my carnivorous companions. Though most of the menu is meat-laden, Abou Karim's appetizers are a vegetarian's ecstasy. Crisp falafel were as spicy as my companion's tales of torrid trysts; smooth hummus rivaled the seductive Middle Eastern music; shish kebab was as tasty as juicy gossip and the baklava as sweet as my fantasies of a secret crush. Lure yours here, and get dessert to go. (CT) 221 SW Pine St., 223-5058. Lunch Monday-Thursday, dinner Monday-Saturday. Moderate. Al-Amir Portland has a number of good Middle Eastern restaurants, but Al-Amir remains supreme. Certainly, few restaurants offer the ravishing ambience of Al-Amir, which takes up the bottom floor of the Gothic-Victorian Bishop's House. Still, it's the menu that tempts return visits. For starters, there is the lentil soup with its tang of lemon. Long simmered, the soup is surprisingly delicate. The salad is also worth trying for the house's tahini dressing. Of the staples of Middle Eastern cooking, the tabbouleh strikes the right balance of parsley and mint, while the falafel is lightly browned to perfection, far from the hardened or encrusted lumps served elsewhere. The hummus tahini is good, though a touch more garlic would be welcome. Though carnivores certainly are catered to, Al-Amir's vegan and vegetarian entrees are recommended. The vegetable shish kebab of tomatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, pepper and mushrooms is the best in the city. The mushrooms, especially, are succulent. The warak enab is also a must. Al-Amir's vines have tender grape leaves, stuffed with garbanzo beans, herbs and basmati rice. (Unfortunately, there isn't enough space to sing praises to Al-Amir's rice.) For dessert, try the excellent baklava with a Middle Eastern coffee. Then curl up with the menu and plot your next visit. (SS) 223 SW Stark St., 274-0010. Lunch and dinner daily. Moderate. Alexis For almost 20 years, owner Alexis Bakouros has been serving Portland some of its finest Mediterranean cuisine. Boisterous and familial, Alexis is the type of place that gets your weekend started off right. The atmosphere at this spacious, two-level restaurant livens up an otherwise seedy section of Burnside Street. When you walk through the doors, it's as if you've entered an entirely different city. Greek Isles photos and checkered tablecloths liven up each room. The staff members--especially the bouncy belly dancers who spontaneously appear during dinner--greet their customers warmly. Enticing aromas of spices and baked bread will have you drooling before you're even seated. Thankfully, with three separate dining rooms, it isn't hard to get a table at Alexis. The varied menu is as expansive as the venue. Though the appetizers--such as Kalama-rakia, the not too deep-fried squid--and salads are all large and tasty enough to create a full meal, you'll want to save room for the entrees. Souvlaki lamb, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and moussaka (eggplant casserole) come in massive combination plates, and they're all good places for beginners to start. The meat dishes deserve special mention. Most are grilled and incredibly tender, especially the lamb. Regardless of whether you're a vegetarian or a carnivore, most of the excellent main courses will have you rolling down the street once you're back on Burnside. (DM) 215 W Burnside St., 224-8577. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday. Moderate. Assaggio Portland has recently become so overrun with Italian restaurants that you'd think the Mafia had relocated here. But while there are many perfectly suitable places to gorge yourself on pasta, most lack the defined personality that demands frequent revisits. Luckily, we still have Assaggio, the distinct and reasonably priced eatery that gives you an excuse to drive to Sellwood. "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 special 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 (meat lovers especially shouldn't pass on the penne rigate con pepperoni, savory Italian sausage and pasta covered in rich tomato sauce, red peppers and ricotta cheese). Appetizers can also be sampled three at a time, and each is so delicious that you may have an impossible time choosing (although the smoked-trout mousse and crimini mushrooms are exceptional starters). Assaggio's small dining room mirrors its neighborhood setting and is geared toward the casual or romantic. Definitely expect a wait no matter when you visit; the restaurant takes reservations only for parties of six or more. Still, standing outside with a glass from the extensive wine list and breathing in the garlic wafting from inside makes even the waiting a delightful experience. (DM) 7742 SE 13th Ave., 232-6151. Dinner daily. Closed Sunday. Moderate. Atwater's Perched on the 30th floor of the U.S. Bancorp tower, Atwater's has long enjoyed a unique status as the culinary penthouse of Portland. The challenge is to generate a dining experience that rivals its spectacular views of the city, which attract everyone from pimply promgoers to lovers on that extra-special occasion. Consider it a mission accomplished. Salads erupt with aromatic cheeses and farm-fresh produce, the wine list is extensive enough to be kept at your local library, and steaks and chops ooze with juicy flavor--all to the tune of some of the best live jazz in the city. Keep in mind that vegetarian options are a step down in quality and variety. And though food this good can be found in cozier environments for much less money, no other restaurant in the city offers a more satisfying dining experience on such a grand scale. (BL) 111 SW 5th Ave., 275-3600. Dinner only. Very expensive. Bamboo's Wedged underneath a Walgreen's, this Hunan/Szechuan restaurant follows a simple formula: voluminous, tasty entrees at a reasonable price, and a menu that stretches from hot-and-sour soup to Peking duck. While the appetizers center on pot stickers, the Number One Favorite Chicken--a shredded mountain of poultry in a spicy peanut sauce--is a real find and, with one of the restaurant's many soups, could be a meal unto itself. But that would leave out 144 other entrees. The sesame shrimp is excellent along with onions and snow peas in a sweet sauce, and the General Tso's chicken is a good choice. (Only the Peking Duck and lobster dishes crack platinum-card country.) Bamboo's menu is carnivore-heaven, but there is a decently sized vegetarian/vegan selection. For all the dishes, you absolutely must ask your server to have the kitchen boost the heat, for the staff at this otherwise flawless place believes that you, gentle Portlander, can't handle the fire that is synonymous with the provinces of China's interior. Prove them wrong. Only the heartiest of eaters will leave without leftovers to take home. (PD) 103 NW 21st Ave., 241-8122. Lunch and dinner daily. Inexpensive to moderate. Basta's Pasta Basta's was great when it opened in 1994, but lately it has been inconsistent. A recent visit, however, confirmed the rumors that the old favorite is back on track. The waiters are charming, smart and helpful with everything from choosing a reasonable Chianti to keeping the meal running apace. Many things on the menu are delightful, notably a smoked-salmon pasta less heavy and rich than most. But if you're looking for true decadence, order the following meal: Start with insalata mista--sometimes these salads can be bland, but Basta's is a tangy mouthful. Next, have the Braciole di Maiale alla Griglia. All forks at our table gravitated toward this grilled pork chop marinated in milk and fennel seed with an explosive demi-glaze. The accompanying potatoes were perfectly parboiled before roasting, leaving them delicately soft on the inside. For dessert: the chocolate torte. Even if you're full, order it. You must try it. In fact, stop what you're doing right now and go get the torte. Trust us. (PW) 410 NW 21st Ave., 274-1572. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner daily. Moderate to expensive. Give blood if you have to--just get the torte. Berbati For most, Berbati means music to the ears, not the belly, but it happens to be one of the city's swingingest spots for Greek cuisine. The traditional appetizers are outstanding, generous on the garlic and olive oil that are staples of the islands. Start with the horiatiki, the traditional Greek salad of peppers, cucumbers, red onions and ripe tomatoes in olive oil and vinegar. Follow it up with the pikilia plate, an ample sample of garlicky tzatziki, plump, rice-filled dolmades, moist, succulent octopus and the most tender calamari in the city (it's soaked in milk overnight, like it's supposed to be). The spanakopita's a good bet as well--just the right amount of oozy feta, bitter spinach and crispy phyllo. You're in heaven, right? Stay there. The main courses--psari psito (trout), tombo tuna, pan-fried oysters--disappoint. But good Mediterranean cuisine is all about finger food anyway, washed down with a couple hoists of wine or ouzo and a bitter Greek coffee. And if you're lucky enough to have stumbled in on a Thursday, it's Belly-Dancing Night. It's good for the digestion. (BS) 19 SW 2nd Ave., 226-2122. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Moderate. Bernie's Southern Bistro From its Down South-of-France name to its crawfish-out-of-water Northeast Alberta Street location, Bernie's Southern Bistro sustains a playful dissonance between expectation and deliverance. Hearty southern cuisine is given a nouvelle treatment, with results as disconcertingly comforting as a porch bench rocking on unseen gliders. Fried green tomatoes--actually a delicate rose color, but still crisply unripe--rest on a green pepper rouille, and flaky crawfish cakes welcome a creamy, piquant rémoulade. Fresh, high-quality ingredients pay off: the lightly blackened catfish swims in a browned butter sauce with a sauteed okra-and-tomato relish and roasted sweet potato. In Bernie's intimate, dimly lit--OK, dark--dining room, unlikely friendships are formed on the plate; recently, a thirsty house-smoked pork chop was revived and made whole by the rhubarb chutney and bleu-cheese grits. For dessert, try the buttery bread pudding; in its sweet Bourbon sauce, it brings Bernie's taste-mingling to a satisfying resolution. (IG) 2904 NE Alberta St., 282-9864. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Moderate. 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 (even the simple rice pudding served in a parfait glass is extraordinary). Each night there are blackboard specials, and you can count on a specific special to appear on its appointed night. I urge you to make a date with Besaw's on a Wednesday so you can dive into the braised Tuscan chicken, a slow-cooked bird that leaps off the bone, smothered in a comfy, chunky sauce of porcini mushrooms, red wine and tomatoes. Vegetarians are crazy for the grilled-eggplant-and-provolone sandwich, which could go as a cheeseburger for Halloween. The surprise specials are often well-conceived--a recent trek into rare-ahi-tuna land proved to be a wonderful, wise exploration. And as I mentioned previously: Pity the fool who skips the dessert. (CBB) 2301 NW Savier St., 228-2619. Closed Mondays. Moderate. Bijou Cafe This popular downtown cafe's experiment of adding a dinner shift last year was a critical success but a practical failure. The stress and strain of serving an ambitious dinner menu took a toll on the restaurant's equipment and employees, so the crew returned its focus to what it does best: breakfast and lunch. Now in its 20th year, 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, a 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. (SW) 132 SW 3rd Ave., 222-3187. Breakfast and lunch daily. Moderate. 'Bima It's hard to believe now, but when Bima opened a few years ago,the Pearl District was a gritty neighborhood of old brick warehouses, the pot-holed streets often blocked by railroad cars and nearly empty after 5 pm. You could actually park almost anywhere. New housing, more restaurants, and even a Starbucks have brought more life into the area, but a visit to Bima is still a good reason to drop in. Sampling the long list of "small plates" is a great way to eat here, and the tombo tuna-filled fish taco is a good place to begin. Skewers of chicken, beef, squid or portobello mushrooms bring a nice, smoky flavor from the mesquite grill. A roasted-duck quesadilla layers slices of breast meat with roasted poblano chilis and pepper-jack cheese between crispy brown flour tortillas. Bima serves an excellent burger with great fries, and the slow-cooked baby-back ribs are tender and meaty. (JD) 1338 NW Hoyt St., 241-3465. Lunch and dinner. Closed Mondays. Moderate. Blue Tango Bistro and Wine Bar This is the place you want to go after dodging the people, cars and dogs that seem to flood Northwest 23rd Avenue day and night. The Blue Tango is a quiet oasis where you can get a glass of wine and a date-friendly dinner. You'd even feel comfortable sneaking in by yourself and reading a good book while you tasted one of the focused dishes. A good start is the Dungeness crab meat in phyllo. It's elegant, pretty and subtle with its ribbon of grilled baby leeks and caviar-dotted lemon butter. An entree not to miss is the seafood stew, cooked Mediterranean style and over-crowded in a good way with shrimp, halibut, mussels and scallops. I once overheard a waitress tell a patron that "the halibut rocks." I have to agree. (ML) 930 NW 23rd Ave., 221-1466. Dinner daily. Closed Mondays. Moderate to expensive. Bombay Cricket Club Fusion is a concept largely ignored by local Indian restaurants. The Cricket Club takes a swing at it, presenting what amounts to two separate menus, one North Indian, the other Middle Eastern. The Indian side of the menu is more adventurous than most, offering such choices as goat korma, a healthy way to enjoy the richness of a spice-laden masala sauce. The chef at the Cricket Club has a light touch with ghee, the clarified butter that is the backbone of North Indian cooking and all too often overwhelms other ingredients. In the saag paneer, a mixture of spinach, cheese and spices, the greens stand up to the sauce, and the color suggests fresh rather than frozen. As for the Middle Eastern fare, cooking lamb in the tandoori oven instead of a broiler seals the moisture and makes for a less greasy meal. Naan takes the place of pita bread, and cumin is in glorious plenitude. The Cricket Club is no Saucebox, but the owners' willingness to try something even slightly different should be applauded. (NJ) 1925 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 231-0740. Dinner daily. Moderate. Bread and Ink Cafe Smack in the middle of the trendy, sometimes freaky, Hawthorne District is a haven of order and sensibility. Bread and Ink Cafe is probably best known for its ample Sunday Yiddish brunch that attracts fans from neighborhoods far and near. Nosh upon smoked fish, blintzes, chopped liver and other delicacies usually not offered in this pigs-in-a-blanket-eating town. The weekday menu changes, often taking advantage of regional ingredients prepared with a steady hand. In the midst of the coolville frenzy, Bread and Ink offers a fresh hit of pure calm. (SW) 3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 239-4756. Open daily. Sunday brunch. Moderate. Bugatti's Ristorante You may have to negotiate a winding stretch of Willamette Drive to reach this unassuming spot, but you'll quickly find that it's the best place in town to fulfill your Sopranos fantasy life. The comfortable, curtainy dining room seems perpetually set at Tuscany dusk, as soft lights play dimly off earth-toned, sponge-painted walls. The menu offers several appealing choices of classic Italian cooking. The pescatore--tiger prawns, garlic and basil in a marinara sauce over linguine--is robust without being overbearing. A chicken breast awash in fontina, capers and a Marsala sauce proves tender and substantial. An insalata mista--with pears, walnuts and Gorgonzola--is easily one of the tastiest salads around. For dessert, definitely try the crème brûlée; it has a caramelized top you could ice skate on and a wickedly sweet heart. The wine list is comprehensive yet concise, featuring several bottles of affordable Italian reds. (MM) 18740 Willamette Drive, West Linn, 636-9555. Dinner daily. Moderate. Cafe Azul In the past year, the cooking at this already outstanding Mexican restaurant has gotten even better. Maybe the rich, pungent sauces have been simmering an extra half-hour, letting the nuts, seeds, dried chilies, tomatillos, bread, fruit and chocolate of the mole become further incorporated and refined. Whatever the cause, dinner here is always memorable, in part because the tastes linger and play out like a haunting song that won't go away. The dark chile guajillo, a rich, vibrant, brick-red sauce, bathes chunks of lamb which have been braising slowly in its earthy and explosive flavors. The chocolate mole smothers a wonderful piece of free-range chicken, and while it never masks the bird, the sauce is so powerful in its own right you'll want to slather it over the terrific handmade corn tortillas. The tacos are legendary, bathed with lime, chile and cilantro and filled with various meats, beans and crumbled white cheese. For those who prefer slightly milder dishes, I recommend the halibut roasted in banana leaves with a smoky cream sauce. Even desserts star: There's always an interesting ice cream, whether fig or prune tequila. An unusual flan clamors for attention--a recent prize came with candied lemon peel, fresh figs and an espresso-and-cream topping. Cafe Azul's kitchen presides with intelligence and savvy, bringing out the hidden glories of an impressive cuisine about which most of us know far too little. (RJP) 112 NW 9th Ave., 525-4422. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Expensive. Caprial's Bistro With an expansion doubling the size of the restaurant, this always-crowded eating house has gone from a pleasant neighborhood place to a serious restaurant. The well-known architect Lee Winn has created a very handsome, cleverly lit space. Though it can get quite noisy, the bustling scene is never obtrusive, for the tables are scattered in such a way as to create little groupings of conversation. There are three areas, each contributing a different feel: small tables and plush tuxedo chairs lining the windows that face the street; a spiffy bar area lit so that bottles glow and play against a fanciful glass wall on one side of the bar; and the large central area with chairs that alternate between comfortable and austere. The room is large, but broken up in a clever and appealing way. 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, however well-prepared individual aspects of a dish may be, there's a disconcerting sense of incongruity. An example of the latter may be a crayfish Napoleon with the crustacean meat surrounded by watercress--a lovely touch--but strangely topped with a slice of Fontina cheese, the entire concoction sitting on a cheddar-cheese cracker that reminds one of nothing so much as a large cheddar goldfish munchie. But a plate of prawns deep-fried in a chickpea batter is lightly done and, perked with a curried onion chutney and a lime-infused yogurt sauce, becomes a nice turn on an otherwise more mundane item. Caprial's thrives on surprising juxtapositions; who would have thought feta cheese would work with a poblano chili and tomatillo sauce, but somehow Greeks and Mexicans make passingly compatible bedfellows, for the combination enlivens an already tasty pancetta-smoked chicken. (The menu bills the dish as "chicken breast," but you get a leg and wing as well; as our waiter explained, "it's an airline breast," the term having more to do with the wing than with meals in the Friendly Skies.) On a recent dinner, a mahi-mahi was beautifully cooked, but the roasted shallot sauce and chanterelle relish threatened to overpower the delicate meat. That's often the way it is at Caprial's--part of a dish is just fine, but something happens to it to take it over the edge. But if you enjoy a mélange of tastes, a kind of gastronomic travelogue within a single dish, this is your spot. Long-time 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 I've always thought one of the best reasons for having a meal here. (RJP) 7015 SE Milwaukie Ave., 236-6457. Lunch and dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays. Moderate to expensive. Cafe des Amis Ask a waiter at Cafe des Amis if there have been any changes lately to the menu at this solid city eatery and you're likely to get this response: "We never change our menu--our customers would kill us." This is the place to go for a fine meal if you want absolutely no surprises and consistently high-quality presentations. If you decide to stray from the sure-shots such as the smoked mushroom ravioli and Grampa's favorite, the fillet of beef with port garlic sauce, you have other options to explore. A recent visit turned up braised lamb shanks so tender the fork easily separated the meat from the bone and a grilled pork loin with warm and husky cranberry chutney that was like Christmas in summer. This little dining room is so removed from all the brass-ring-grabbing that the neighboring Northwest streets are known for, the time spent here drinking French-press coffee and cracking the lid on the excellent crème brûlée seems like rebellion of the best kind. (CBB) 1987 NW Kearney St., 295-6487. Dinner only. Closed Sundays. Expensive. Caffe Mingo There are no secrets at Caffe Mingo. Crusty loaves stacked in a pyramid wait to be sliced. A large, round, shallow metal tray that looks like an industrial castoff from the turn of the century cradles the tomatoes that will be part of your insalata caprese. Chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano lay heaped together with the hand-held grater used to shred the cheese tableside. If you sit at the counter or the marble-topped communal table, you can look into the kitchen and watch every step of the preparation of your meal. Mingo executive chef Maryjo Cook, with help from Thomas McLaughlin and Sean Conry, turns out robustly flavored food that samples from the wide variety of Italian regional styles. You can't go wrong no matter what you pick from the short menu--mushrooms baked in parchment, Roman-style semolina gnocchi, silky panna cotta. With friendly but no-nonsense service, Mingo ranks as one of Portland's most reliable dinner destinations. (JD) 807 NW 21st Ave., 226-4646. Dinner daily. Moderate. Casablanca Talk about atmosphere. Step inside Casablanca and you find yourself transported through centuries and across continents to the sultry languor of a sultan's palace, complete with embroidered pillows, brass tables, belly dancing and a sumptuous array of gustatory treats. Morocco has long been a cultural crossroads--the Moors, the Spanish, the Portuguese and the French have all left their mark on its history and its cuisine--and the five-course Royal Feast Dinner is probably the best way to explore this exotic heritage. It begins with delicately spiced lentil soup (Moroccan style, with a hint of cumin), followed by a delicious pastilla royale (ground chicken in phyllo dough with a dusting of powdered sugar). You can select your own entree: I was delighted by the chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives, but the baked salmon may be too spicy for some palates. Then comes dessert--homemade baklava--followed by mint tea and a squirt of orange-blossom water (for your hands, dummy). Thursday through Saturday you can also look forward to some outstanding belly dancing. Don't neglect the surprisingly good Moroccan beer, and remember to tip the dancer. (CL) 2221 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 233-4400. Dinner daily. Moderate to expensive. Castagna In my opinion, Castagna is the best new restaurant to open in Portland this year. It has not blazed a culinary trail, nor has it fused two incongruous cuisines, laying claim to some mad moniker like "Ethocube" (for those, say, nostalgic for the foods of Addis Ababa and Havana). Its spare-sounding name invokes but one object: a humble chestnut. And this is exactly what marks Monique Siu's immensely satisfying bistro. From the relatively unadorned interior, with its elegantly simple washed walls, to the plates that are amply filled but never cluttered, Castagna has the clean lines and the clean tastes that place flavor above everything. The cuisine is French and Italian, but with just enough latitude that it avoids both orthodoxy and the ersatz. There's an occasional surprise in the mix of ingredients, but just enough to make you wonder why you hadn't imagined that combination before. Some of these are as traditional as prosciutto di Parma with fresh figs and melon, and some as interesting as scallops sautéed with oyster mushrooms, a kind of gentle gastronomical wit that works. The French love warm frisée sprinkled with walnut oil. Castagna places a hollowed-out Yukon gold potato filled with creamy goat cheese atop the greens and sprinkles them with lardons of pancetta: Burgundy meets California. The main courses sound straightforward, even mundane: grilled tuna with a fennel salad and beans; halibut with basil mayonnaise and sautéed cherry tomatoes; or lamb chops with a salad of onions and parsley. What distinguishes Castagna is the perfectly done cooking, everything turned out au point, or just so. A friend of mine once went to Julia Child's house and later reported that she served merely a lamb chop and green beans, but done so finely they eclipsed anything of the kind he had had. Castagna is similarly exacting, with minimal fuss. A Himalayan pile of shoestring potatoes is so beautifully cooked--crisp and without a tad of oily residue--that I lingered until I had made respectable inroads into the huge mound. These potatoes threaten to eclipse even Paley's peerless fries. Desserts are rewarding, and I was especially pleased to see a cheese plate of chabichou and pecorino served with both figs and tiny Champagne grapes. Castagna is a restaurant to which I'd happily and frequently return, awaiting as well-conceived a meal as you'll find in this town. And I feel that things will just get better and better. (RJP) 1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 231-7373. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Expensive. Caswell When last we left our protagonist, Caswell, it was teetering on the edge of nonexistence. Caswell was a superpopular coffeehouse-cum-bistro when it was edged out of its neighborhoody home at 201 SE 12th Ave. The spunky restaurant reopened as a more upscale stylie cafe on Grand Avenue, but that high-speed raceway has proven less than hospitable to our friend Caswell. Caswell is still holding on as we go to press, and it will take your support to prevent this restaurant from going to the grave. Even though it's not in the most obvious of locations, think of Caswell when you want a quick meal. Think of the pasta: The wild mushroom, with gobs of seasonal fungi sautéed with spinach, hazelnuts and sherry, is awesome. Think of the pizza: The San Daniele, sized just for you and topped with prosciutto, goat cheese, hot oil, figs and fresh mint, is unforgettable. Think of the miscellanea: The Island Witch, a pepper and potato hash empanada, is highly unusual. You'd better think. (CBB) 533 SE Grand Ave., 232-6512. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday. Moderate. Celadon You could easily walk past Celadon's hidden storefront day after day for years and miss it. Its sunken entrance resembles a travel agency more than a top-notch Asian restaurant that commingles the cuisines of Japan and Korea. Upon entering, you could become overwhelmed by the overall sushiness of the place and just stick to Japan's greatest export. Do that and you'll be pleased. The fish here comes from the finest cuts available around these parts, and the special rolls are inventive and gob-stopping (the Celadon roll crams grilled salmon skin, eel, avocado and asparagus together: Cowabunga!). But just ordering sushi is a mistake, because the Korean dishes are superb. The pork ribs are soaked in a spicy marinade that will have you swearing off that brown-sugar slop forever, and the kim chee will grow hair on your lips. This comfortable, charming place is risk-free dining central. (CBB) 1203 NW 23rd Ave., 464-9222. Dinner Tuesday-Sunday. Moderate. Chez Grill This ever-popular spot forgoes the hackneyed Tex-Mex menu for something a little more daring: New Mex-Mex. The fairly outrageous decor--something like Alice in Wonderland as interpreted by Cheech Marin--belies the kitchen's consistently no-nonsense, hefty offerings. The baked avocado appetizer--half an avo stuffed with polenta, toasted hazelnuts, green onion and jack cheese--could easily be the restaurant's trademark starter; the polenta more resembles tiny, silk buttons than the usual rough corn. Entrees here occupy one of two camps: an exotic rendering of a tortilla-wrapped dish or a buff hunk of simply sauced meat--chicken, pork or lamb. The grilled-prawn enchilada comes bulging with proud prawns marinated in an energetic cilantro-and-pesto embrace. A grilled chicken breast is enlivened by a green-chili sauce that keeps your lips humming happily with a light tingle long after the meal. A must here is the house margarita, liquid gold with thick diamonds in the form of muddled lemon and lime wedges. While the abutting bar is usually very crowded, the restaurant's neighborhoody feeling can be sustained in a quieter corner. (MM) 2229 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 239-4002. Dinner daily. Moderate. Clarke's Restaurant A pleasant place in the heart of a downtown Lake Oswego shopping center, Clarke's has been open about a year and serves thoughtfully prepared meals under the eye of Jonathan Clarke, formerly the chef of Toulouse. Clark's creations are generally interesting and executed with considerable flair. Nothing astonishes, but you'll have solidly conceived dishes. The cooking is eclectic, with touches of French and Northwestern, but never orthodox or purist. Some restaurants fail with seafood risotto, but Clarke's version, done richly with shrimp and lobster, is buttery and unctuous, a lovely dish. House-made gravlax is another highly recommended treat--satin-smooth and served with a fine aioli. 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. The French roots from Toulouse are not neglected, either: A bistro dish--a grilled skirt steak--is draped over creamy mashed potatoes and set off by a delicate pinot noir sauce. The German side of France comes in for attention with Alsatian pork chops and braised red cabbage, though it gets an American supplement by being permeated with maple syrup. Although the dining area smacks of a tea room more than an elegant restaurant, Clarke's makes every effort to serve meals with finesse. (RJP) 455 2nd St., Lake Oswego, 636-2667. Lunch Tuesdays-Fridays, dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays. Moderate to expensive. Clay's Smokehouse Grill Between the prevalence of rainy winters and righteous vegetarians, finding good barbecue in Portland can be tougher than fishing in Death Valley. One place to confidently drop a line is Clay's Smokehouse Grill. As the name implies, the vaguely Southwest-decorated Clay's smokes its food right on the premises, using alder wood for the seafood and a hickory-and-mesquite blend for meats, poultry and vegetables. Sample a cold combo platter of catfish, salmon and oysters, or try them hot, either as a sandwich (with dill havarti, onions and red chili tartar sauce) or as a plate (grilled, blackened or broiled). Hardcore carnivores can choose a similar platter of mouth-melting BBQ chicken, chewy spare ribs and the tongue-searing, spicy sausage links. All are drenched in Clay's so-smoky-you-can-almost-taste-the-ash sauce, which balances its pungent toughness with just a touch of the sweet. If you must have a meatless meal, choose a grilled veggie sandwich or corn-and-barley salad with smoked tomato salsa. (JG) Clay's Smokehouse Grill, 2932 SE Division St., 235-4755. Lunch and dinner. Closed Mondays. Moderate. Colosso I bestow upon Colosso the completely unofficial All That Is Good and Spirited in Portland award. How does one win the ATIGSP? Well, if you're Julie Colosso, the plucky owner of the eponymous tapas joint, you take some prime Northeast real estate and paint it gold inside. You get really good artists to hang their stuff in your shop. You serve inspired cocktails, like a Ginger and Jack that has freshly grated ginger root in it. You serve reasonably priced Spanish tapas that are finger lickin' good. You and your staff dress up as superheroes on a Friday night if the whim hits. You offer a DIY joint you can take a date to that bristles with energy, doesn't hoist upon you the usual burger-n-burrito jazz and gives you bubble gum with your bill. You've got cute 'n' sassy waitpeople. You stay open late. You serve several dishes, including the sautéed mushrooms in Madiera and goat cheese crusted with pistachios, walnuts and almonds, that summon the food gods to smile. You've got it. (CBB) 1932 NE Broadway, 288-3333. Dinner daily. Moderate. The Compass World Bistro This popular neighborhood bistro is darling, unpretentious and features one of the most comfy outdoor seating areas in town. The idea here is simple: One part of the menu changes every four months to reflect a geographic focus, and the other part is fixed with the cafe's most popular dishes. Recently the Compass had the Mediterranean on its mind, and diners could choose from sirloin with Turkish 10-spice orange sauce, risotto with roasted lamb, grilled prawns with chickpea cakes and Greek spinach Napoleon. If you prefer to stay close to home, favorites such as the sweet potato pancakes with brie, sautéed pears, apricots and figs are there for you, and the ever-faithful Compass meatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes is always at your service. Desserts here are strong and all made in-house: Don't miss the inspired version of bananas Foster that comes with soaked cake, homemade vanilla ice cream and a butterscotch sauce. This is the place you want to go with a bunch of your friends on your birthday. Be sure to make reservations for weekend dining. (CBB) 4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 231-4840. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday, brunch Saturday-Sunday. Moderate to expensive. Couvron What can you say? Not much, after being mirthfully drugged into a stupor by an evening of near-narcotic French dining at Couvron. Since opening two intimate and elegant rooms in the spring of 1995, chef Anthony Demes and manager Maura Jarach already have established a 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 menu's poetry announces the astonishing sights soon to arrive by the hand of a helpful waiter: "Pan-seared organic Argentine beef tenderloin with sautéed organic spinach, chiffonade potato cake, wild-gathered mushrooms and a veal-and-red-wine reduction sauce." Don't worry if you don't know what the hell that means; it doesn't matter--every dish here is an event worth experiencing. The ever-evolving menu recently featured a duck, lamb and venison dish as well as three elaborate fish concoctions. (MM) 1126 SW 18th Ave., 225-1844. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Very expensive. Esparza's Tex-Mex Cafe I come from San Diego, where the Mexican food is so good that people snicker at the whole idea of Tex-Mex. But a visit to this Portland favorite changed my mind about that. It serves up food that can't be found anywhere else, maybe because Joe Esparza's invention rules the roost. With its eclectic, almost nutty, menu (including smoked meats and ostrich, for example), Esparza's measures up to the best of down-home Mexican food. The Hank Williams Tamales are tasty and excellent--homemade masa wrapped around smoked beef brisket. But check the specials board for new creations. Strangely inspired, too, is the sideshow decor of this always-crowded Southeast landmark: tile counters, leatherette stools and scores of ceiling-hung marionettes, including the mythical jackalope and a diamondback rattler. (PD) 2725 SE Ankeny St., 234-7909. Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Moderate. Esplanade For a number of years, the dining room at the RiverPlace Hotel has seemed tired; the cooking was generally ambitious, but it lacked excitement, and the crowds stayed away in droves. Based on several recent meals, I sense that Pascal Sauton, one of the few French chefs in Portland, is beginning to turn things around, and that is excellent news. Sauton brings world-class apprentice experience from Lasserre in Paris, and his recent stint at Brasserie Montmartre probably encouraged him to aim higher. Esplanade's menu now has focus, interest and some stunning new dishes. A small casserole of chanterelles and shallots is bubbly and delectable; the surprise is a beautifully poached egg resting atop that gushes golden gore into the stew (a very French touch). It comes with a round of toast laden with chevre. For lighter tastes, a thinly sliced heirloom tomato is beautifully dressed, served with Pierre Kolish's aged tomme cheese from Juniper Grove, and mounded with sweet, crunchy roasted beets, as fresh as anything you'll find at the farmers market. Cote de Boeuf is a ribeye but behaves almost like thickly sliced roast prime ribs, sliced and served with a rich sauce of Madeira and demi-glace. It's a gorgeous serving of beef, and the green onion whipped potatoes are of cumulus lightness: one of the best beef dishes in the city. My only complaint was that the halibut cheeks in a fennel risotto tasted slightly over the hill, though the rice was cooked perfectly--slightly soupy but never sticky. A bombe of bittersweet chocolate with white chocolate crème anglaise was an ambrosial conclusion to the meal. The room is still handsome, in an aged-dowager sort of way, and the view of the Marina beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows is still inspiring. With new art on the sponge-painted walls, it's a serene setting. The flowers throughout the room, however, were in a state of terminal wilt. Let's hope the new regime in the kitchen will inspire a general facelift, and that the crowds will return to create a buzz, turning a solemn experience into one of joy. (RJP) 1510 SW Harbor Way, RiverPlace Hotel, 295-6166. Open daily. No lunch Saturday. Expensive. Fiddleheads The menu here runs north and south through the Western hemisphere, from Brazil to the Native American settlements of Canada. Complemented by the handsome Native American artifacts adorning the walls and the restaurant's earthy tones of green, brown and terra cotta, the dishes represent a range of cultures and styles of cooking. At their best they creatively blend such traditional ingredients as quinoa, local berries, nettles, wild rice, buffalo, corn, appaloosa beans, epazoté, masa and Ute grill bread. This may strike some as an odd assortment, but Fernando Divina knows what he is doing--he has been honored with an invitation to cook at the James Beard House, the mecca for American chefs. The menu announces that the kitchen is committed to natural, wholesome and ecologically balanced cooking, but such principles do not mean "bland" or "boring." On the contrary, Fiddleheads is less anthropological than you might think. It delivers great flavors, as in a braised buffalo stew with roasted tomatoes, chilies and a rich stock--a perfect cool-weather dish. The restaurant serves a fixed-price vegetarian menu that might feature wild mushroom rissoto with chunks of corn. It is big on dumplings, chowders, stews and cobblers, dishes that the original settlers made staples of in early Northwest cuisine. The space is quite glamorous, but it often feels a bit empty even when it's not. For some folks, this means they can talk comfortably without disturbance. (RJP) 6716 SE Milwaukie Ave., 233-1547. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sunday. Moderate to expensive. Fishtales This small and often lively fish emporium legitimately claims that its seafare arrives fresh from Spain, even species at home in our waters. This leap to authenticity allows Fishtales to offer preparations not usually seen in Portland, and generally the kitchen does very well by its imported ingredients. Sometimes there's a bit of a strain for complex assemblages, but most often the plates look pretty and the recipes are straightforward, in a Mediterranean way. While you wait, be sure to nibble on various quick-fried appetizers (tapas, really), including anchovies and smeltlike creatures called "gobies." I find the lobster bisque lustrous, and I'm a fan as well of the pan-seared red mullet. If you're feeling extravagant, order the crustacean platter, a picturesque architecture of numerous kinds of shellfish--be sure to ask that it be bubbling hot. Other seldom-seen fish show up, like hake, a delicate codlike fish done here in a parsley and wine sauce, or sea bass topped with browned potato and surrounded by braised leeks. There's a seriousness at Fishtales, a regard for presentation and an interesting matching of complementary flavors. And it is nice to see yet another fine place in Sellwood, to go along with Assaggio, Caprial's and Fiddleheads. (RJP) 1621 SE Bybee Blvd., 239-5796. Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. Expensive. Fratelli That an Italian restaurant could open and serve food completely different from all of the other Italian restaurants in Portland is testament to the regional diversity of the boot-shaped peninsula. Fratelli takes good advantage of that diversity with a shifting menu that focuses on the various parts of what has been a single country only since Gari-baldi's invasion of Sicily led to unification in 1861. A recent menu listed foods from Italy's islands with dishes like Sardinian carta da musica (literally "musical paper"), a crispy flatbread here topped with ricotta, prosciutto, arugula and pine nuts, and a Sicilian lamb shank stewed with Marsala and cinnamon. A separate "classics" menu lists recurring favorites such as the crespelle filled with roasted vegetables. Shockingly reasonable prices, knowledgeable servers and a pleasant, high-ceilinged space only add to the appeal. (JD) 1230 NW Hoyt St., 241-8800. Dinner only. Closed Monday. Moderate. Fusion I'm always suspicious of restaurants that carry cuisines as their name; they usually deliver heavy on the pretense and nothing else. But Fusion is a completely different place, a first-time entrant in our Top 100--it was newly opened last year--and a pretenseless find. The atmosphere is wide-open here: The space actually doubles as a decent vintage-furniture shop. But the menu beckons the most with old standbys like New York steak to red curry mussels to an amazing mesquite grilled salmon, marinated in soy, ginger and wasabi. There's a wide range of simple, low-cost sandwiches as well. As a cuisine, fusion is typically fraught with bold flavors that sometimes complement each other and sometimes don't--your basic culinary crime. But at this Division Street outpost of world cuisine with its formica tables, leopard-skin cushions and old-style flatware, there is no law-breaking going on, especially if you follow the guidance of the intelligent, helpful waitstaff. (PD) 4100 SE Division St., 233-6950. Lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday, brunch and lunch Sunday. Moderate. Gino's A quintessential neighborhood place, but more than that--in fact Gino's is a wonderful spot for a casual but well-executed Italian meal, serving most dishes with gravy (red sauce). You can hardly go wrong, whether you order the mussels and/or clams doused with mouth-filling tomato chunks and a sublime broth, or the hearty Grandma Jean's Pasta, a meaty stew ladled over the fettuccini--a dish right out of la cucina da Nònna. One of Gino's many virtues is that in the spring pasta comes with beautifully fresh new vegetables, such as fava beans; when the season subsides, they disappear from the menu like the first daffodils of March. Another virtue is the presence of excellent Italian reds in half-bottles, a rare occurrence. I'm a proselytizer for the pork chop enlivened with a touch of raspberry vinegar, and for the huge, pungent bowl of seafood. A large number of dishes are outsized here: Be moderate when ordering the bracing Caesar salad--a small one can easily humble two Rabelaisian eaters. In all, Gino's is a welcoming, old-fashioned sort of place, even to its smart but decidedly casual waitstaff. With its richly polished antique bar, period lighting, and full house of serious eaters, you're bound to have a good time. (RJP) 8051 SE 13th Ave., 233-4613. Dinner daily, lunch on Saturdays. Moderate. Hall Street Grill A blandly named eatery in Beaverton may give you pause, but the Hall Street Grill is a player. Inside a dining room of ski-lodge capaciousness, a range of interesting dishes is served by a very agreeable staff. Menu hits include mesquite-grilled pork chops in a maple sauce, Hawaiian swordfish with vermouth lemon butter and artichoke tartar, and portobello mushroom ravioli. An appetizer plate adorned with roasted garlic, stiff cambozola cheese and crisp crostini is made memorable by a large dollop of tomato chutney. A recent special featured pumped-up grilled Tiger prawns, idling beside a cooling, green patch of guacamole and chipotle aioli. It may be located in an unlikely spot, but this is an inventive restaurant drawing skillfully from a broad palate. Its ample wine list complements a full bar. (MM) 3375 SW Hall Blvd., Beaverton, 641-6161. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner daily. Expensive. Harborside Restaurant Situated in the corner of the RiverPlace walkway, this upscale branch of the McCormick and Schmick's restaurant chain is better appreciated for its scenic location than for its food. The three-tiered dining room offers a wonderful view of boats gliding down the Willamette River and people strolling along the harbor. If you have the patience and the weather cooperates, wait for a patio seat, as the indoors can get noisy at times (don't let them seat you at the top level unless you want to feel like part of the kitchen crew). The seafood cuisine is geared toward fish lovers, with halibut, cod, trout and, of course, salmon featured most nights. If you dig shellfish, try the seafood combo, a substantial mixture of fresh scallops, prawns and crab legs sautéed in an addictive white-wine sauce. The appetizers are hit and miss, and definitely a bit on the small side considering what you pay, so stick to a cup of clam chowder for starters. If you're feeling energized after a leisurely meal, the crowded Pilsner Room adjoins the restaurant and serves any drink you can dream up. Drinking microbrews and laughing at yuppies smoking cigars isn't too bad an ending to any evening. (DM) 0309 SW Montgomery St., 220-1865. Lunch and dinner daily. Expensive. The Heathman Restaurant On a bright Saturday afternoon in September, I sat in the awakening Heathman dining room and imagined quite effectively that I was traveling in the 1920s in Europe--the south of France, actually. The airy room filled with modernist flourishes--vast planes of glass, leather chairs with the texture of the underside of a horse's hoof--and executive chef Philippe Boulot's impossibly fresh menu conspired to transport me. It is a phenomenon of illusion few restaurants in Portland are capable of. At the time of my visit--just before the change of the seasonal menu--Boulot's elegant dishes included a halibut confit with baby artichokes, shiitake mushrooms and olive relish, and a barbecued rack of lamb. The weekend brunch menu offered a tough choice: a tender veal sandwich or poached eggs with crab cakes. Happily, I was able to taste both, and I am pleased to report that the Heathman's crab cake is the best I've had. If there is one detraction from a meal here, it is this: While touting itself as the place where "cuisine takes center stage," the Heathman's service can occasionally be left waiting in the wings. Some might find that aspect brilliantly Euro as well. (MM) 1001 SW Broadway, 790-7752. Open daily. Expensive. 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. In an age of pseudo-European yuppie dining when people PRETEND to enjoy the food, the service and the uncomfortably skinny chair, Henry Ford's is a breath of fresh and meaty air. Architecturally beautiful, the restaurant's atmosphere isn't "retro"--it's historic and mysterious. There is the gorgeous windowed bar (from which you MUST order a drink, preferably a hard-liquor concoction), a magnificent foaming fountain, flocked red wallpaper and comfortable seating. Friendly, efficient, old-school waiters run the dining room. The food is classic fare, served with real class. It also happens to be delicious. The appetizers, which include prawn cocktail, crab and escargot, are scrumptious delights, and dinner, naturally, is a meat lover's dream. Steak is recommended--porterhouse or New York strip--but the fresh fish and the savory 20-ounce lobster tail are also options. 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? (KM) 9589 SW Barbur Boulevard, 245-2434. Open daily for dinner. Moderate-expensive. Higgins There is a growing movement among restaurateurs to support sustainability--that is, to use local produce and providers to keep the chain of face-to-face commerce alive. No one works this concept more than owner-chef Greg Higgins. In addition to his leadership role at Higgins the restaurant, Higgins the man inspires the community by leading discussions on salmon preservation and interacting with local growers. The restaurant's ever-changing menu reads like a road map of the region--Oregon bay shrimp snuggle up to Walla-Walla sweet onions, which live a few doors down from home-grown hazelnuts. You can often see one of the cooks from the restaurant heading over to the downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays with a huge basket under his arm to get locally grown goodies. This provincialism works at the downtown restaurant, where even the garnish is gobble-worthy. But the Northwest-centric approach doesn't make for small-town cuisine: A recent appetizer of spiced pork and chilies stuffed in grape leaves took the concept of Mediterranean cuisine and fused it with the homespun taste of the roasted-beet salad that accompanied it. And the waitstaff here is top-notch. Want to order a few starters and share an entree? No problem. In fact, it will most likely arrive separated on two different plates--the servers even divvied up duck for us once, and that's no easy feat. While the dining room seems to have a split personality (one half is touched by blond wood and light, the other is more clubby and dark), the feel is comfortably upscale. Higgins (the restaurant and the man) is all that's right and good about our restaurant community. (CBB) 1239 SW Broadway, 222-9070. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner daily. Expensive. Hiro Sushi Down the hill from the LDS Temple in Lake Oswego sits another temple of purity, Hiro Sushi. It's your basic bento box with slatted blond wood, a slice of Tokyo in the colorless 'burbs, and it is one of the best sushi bars going. You won't find any trendy offerings here like Philadelphia or Spider rolls. Customers tend to be Japanese-Americans or other intelligent Americans who don't require pandering. The seafood is extra fresh, and the attention to preparation is artistic and obsessive. Although Hiro's offers a limited dinner menu of tempura, chicken and steak, if you aren't here for the sushi, then get your head examined. There's not a bum offering from the sushi bar; the unagi, especially, is not overcooked and oversauced as it is at most places. The spicy tuna roll lives up to its name, and Hiro's Special--diced tuna, fake crab and avocado--is a treat. For the ultimate in sushi, however, try uni (that's raw sea urchin) with a raw quail egg. Your best bet, though, is to join the regulars in ordering from the specials board or working with the sushi chefs to concoct your own rolls. Word to the wise: Hiro's is only open for three hours at lunch and three hours at dinner, and making reservations is essential Thursday through Saturday. (PD) 6334 SW Meadows Road, Lake Oswego, 684-7521. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday. Moderate. Hokkaido Located along a stretch of Northeast Sandy Boulevard that is crowded with Southeast Asian restaurants, this simply appointed place serves the Japanese equivalent of meat and potatoes: sushi, sashimi, noodles, teriyaki and tempura. There is nothing dubious, however, about either the quality of the food or its price. Skip the usual pot-sticker appetizer fare and try the grilled squid or the braised burdock root. The sushi is uniformly fine but not overwhelming, except for a very assertive albacore tuna, which is excellent. Ask your server which fish is best and you will be rewarded. Although frequent visitors opt for a spider roll (soft-shell crab and cucumber), the off-the-menu Hokkaido roll (unagi, cucumber and salmon) is great. All the udon noodle dishes deliver value beyond their moderate price. If you have breath mints handy, try the garlic noodles, topped with salmon and shrimp that is thankfully not broiled into tastelessness. Save room for the tempura ice cream: It rules. Hokkaido is child-friendly, and your young ones will be mesmerized by the koi pond near the front door. (PD) 6744 NE Sandy Blvd., 288-3731. Open daily. Moderate. Hudson's Bar & Grill Getting to Hudson's involves a harrowing drive through the Vancouver Mall, a sprawling monument to mediocrity choked with big-box retailers and insipid restaurant chains. What a delight, then, to discover this gastronomic diamond in the suburban roughage. Located in the mammoth, rustic Heathman Lodge, Hudson's Bar & Grill offers a dramatic setting, a sophisticated menu and sterling service. The décor includes a wooden canoe suspended over the fireplace and, above the bar, a giant oil painting entitled "Salmon and Turkey"--you could spend the whole evening debating its interpretations. The menu includes delights such as the sweet-potato ravioli with bourbon-pecan butter; hearts of romaine with lemon-garlic vinaigrette and a vegetable lasagna with charred-tomato sauce. The grilled tuna was a little disappointing, but this was more than offset by the discovery of the excellent house cabernet, blended especially for Hudson's by the Canoe Ridge vineyard. Brunch, jazz, koi pond--this oasis in the cultural wilderness is well worth the drive. (CL) 7801 NE Greenwood Drive, Vancouver, Wash., (360) 816-6100. Open daily. Moderate to expensive.   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published October 13, 1999