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1. Mi Cava & Cocina
9722 SE Washington St., 971-383-1779, micavaandcocina.com. 11 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday, 11 am-11 pm Friday-Saturday.
A newish restaurant near what’s left of Mall 205 is trying something bold: operate as the only upscale Mexican seafood and steakhouse in a sea of chain eateries. Mi Cava & Cocina offers diners a major upgrade from the area’s corporate-heavy fare. The housemade sauces and fish dishes shine, like the market-price pescado zarandeado, which arrives sizzling on a board after being crisped on an open flame. Enjoy it in between sips of a mango, tamarind, watermelon and cucumber margarita.
2. 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.
3. 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. The crispy Carlton Farms roast pork loin is barely contained in its brioche bun and comes layered in braised red cabbage, remoulade and housemade dill pickles.
4. 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.
5. Nodoguro
623 NE 23rd Ave., nodoguropdx.com. 6:30 pm single seating Thursday-Sunday.
It only seats 13, costs $250 before drinks, and is a tough reservation to snag, but the fan pool for Ryan and Elena Roadhouse’s incomparable meals is deep and enthusiastic. Nodoguro should be anchored at its latest location for at least three years. Yes, there will be uni, caviar, Dungeness crab and several varieties of pristine fish flown in from Japan. But the artistry in presentation, the restraint evident on every plate, is at least equal to the luxury of the ingredients.
