Not every meal has to be an $80 10-course tasting menu of salt-cured pigeon feathers and honeyed wasps. Nor does it have to be a $6, 2-pound burrito made infamous because an enterprising chef replaced the tortilla with chicharrones. Here are some of Portland's nicest bistro-style sit-down places, perfect for a midweek date where you won't struggle too hard to find a table (sorry, Coquine). We promise you won't leave out of pocket or feeling like you're going to die on the toilet.
The Brooklyn House Restaurant
3131 SE 12th Ave., 503-236-6761, brooklynhouserestaurant.com.
Dinner Wednesday-Saturday, brunch and dinner Sunday.
Once the Berlin Inn, Brooklyn House hasn't changed a ton of the aesthetic—but this is a hidden wonder of pan-Euro fare. The intensely farm-sourced goods range from seared alfredo to braised rabbit and pork confit. A little bit of everything. Just like Mama used to make. $$.
Biwa
215 SE 9th Ave.
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Whether you want to nibble on skewers and sashimi or say screw it and get the omakase, Biwa is the inner eastside's go-to for upscale Japanese fare on a midscale budget.
Burrasca
2032 SE Clinton St.
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Paolo Camai's Florentine fare and imported bottles of Italian table wine will have you looking up flights on the way home.
Old Salt Marketplace
5027 NE 42nd Ave.
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Ben Meyer's temple of whole-animal butchery and rustic, hearth-grilled classics was our second-favorite restaurant of 2014.
Radar
3951 N Mississippi Ave.
Run by a husband and wife, Radar is an intimate oasis in the otherwise bustling Mississippi bar district.
Roost
1403 SE Belmont St.
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Roost serves classic American fare and very affordable drinks, set off with some boulder-sized desserts for those wishing to indulge.
Willamette Week