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1. Gigantic Brewing Hawthorne
4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503-889-0190, giganticbrewing.com. 3-9 pm Monday-Friday, noon-9 pm Saturday-Sunday.
Gigantic’s third location marks the company’s entry into food service and offers a menu that tracks the founders’ beer-related travels around the world. So far, everything coming out of the kitchen is solid, but the standout is the Flæskesteg, a Danish pork sandwich that is a tribute to those at Copenhagen’s Isted Grill. It comes with a crispy Carlton Farms roast pork loin that is barely contained in a brioche bun and layered with braised red cabbage, remoulade and housemade dill pickles.
2. Scholar PDX
2226 NE Broadway, 503-344-1507, scholarpdx.com. 5-9:30 pm Thursday-Sunday.
A first look at Scholar’s menu reveals that it intends to please anyone who might walk through the door. There are ample libations, with amari prominently featured, both as a standalone and in mixed drinks. For dinner, 12-inch thin-crust pizzas are solid, with dark-baked rims encircling both red- and white-sauced pies. Order one of the predetermined choices, such as plain cheese or pepperoni, or build your own with up to three toppings. Best nonpizza item: Buffalo-style chicken livers with smoked blue cheese over polenta.
3. Grand Fir Brewing
1403 SE Stark St., grandfirbrewing.com. Noon-10 pm Tuesday-Sunday, noon-11 pm Friday-Saturday.
It was only a matter of time before brewer Whitney Burnside and chef Doug Adams went into business together. The husband-and-wife team opened Grand Fir in the former West Coast Grocery Company space in mid-November, and there was a line around the block to get in on the first day (evidence of how highly anticipated this project has been). Adams’ famed smoked meats (braised elk, Calabrian chicken wings) anchor the food menu and pair perfectly with Burnside’s beers.
4. Bag O’ Crab
3255 NE 82nd Ave., 971-716-8888, thebagocrab.com. 3-10 pm Monday-Friday, noon-10 pm Saturday-Sunday.
Looking for a good time? Call Bag O’ Crab. There is no way to feel serious about anything—except, perhaps, demolishing a large bag of Cajun-sauced crustaceans—the moment you step through the doors at this new restaurant, thanks to details like the giant lobster mural and a robot waitress. Keep the fun vibes going by ordering Combo 4: a lobster or Dungeness crab, shrimp, crawfish, clams, corn, potatoes and sausages. Use an order of garlic bread to sop up the spicy, buttery boil.
5. Matt’s BBQ Tacos at Great Notion Brewing
2204 NE Alberta St., #101, 503-548-4491, greatnotion.com. Noon-9 pm Sunday-Thursday, noon-10 pm Friday-Saturday.
One of the city’s most popular smokehouses is now officially in charge of the kitchen at Great Notion’s flagship. Matt’s BBQ Tacos moved into the brewery in early November—a change that will allow Great Notion’s owners to focus on continued expansion. You can expect all of Matt Vicedomini’s greatest hits at the pub, including tender slices of pork belly, chopped brisket, and smoked ground beef served on housemade, lard-infused flour or vegan corn tortillas.
