Skip to main contentAcadia
1303 NE Fremont St., 249-5001. Lunch Wednesday, dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ Moderate.
The modern melding of country Cajun and refined Creole food into what's become known as "Louisiana cuisine" is served up at this sleek Northeast Fremont bistro. N'awlins folk art and George "Blue Dog" Rodrigue prints are the backdrop for some savory offerings from chef-owner Adam Higgs, who understands that Louisiana food isn't all about heat, but strong, well-balanced spices. New Orleans standards are rendered nicely, including a substantial seafood gumbo, catfish (blackened or fried) and Gulf oysters. The trendy-'tini bar menu nods to New Orleans drinks with a Sazerac and that college-kid staple, the hurricane, but misses authenticity: no Pimm's Cup or Ramos gin fizz? A house-infused jalapeño vodka is nicely rough, though better suited for a Bloody Mary than a martini. Desserts (bread pudding, pecan pie, etc.) are tooth-achingly sweet, but it's the more subtle touches that leave an impression: Higgs' rich roux would make a Cajun maw-maw proud, and the hot sauce on the table is the New Orleans favorite Crystal, not its more vinegary relation, Tabasco. (KA)
Signature dish: The pork chop Toulouse—a double-cut slab, fork-tender and glazed with Steen's cane syrup, served with a savory corn pone.
Standouts: The kitchen's swamp-dark roux—the base of Cajun cooking—could pass muster in Lafayette or Breaux Bridge. Exhibit A: the spoon-coating turtle soup, dashed with sherry.
Regrets: The chef's sure hand with spices falters on some of the rice dishes (bland red beans, jambalaya that's more like Spanish rice). Pass the Crystal, please.
Alba Osteria & Enoteca
6440 SW Capitol Highway, 977-3045. Dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $$$ Expensive.
Stoke up on brain fuel to locate this 46-seat osteria (another name for trattoria) and you'll be rewarded with vibrant Northern Italian food. The restaurant's namesake, the Piedmontese town of Alba, is known for its white truffles, an autumn specialty at the oesteria. Chef Kurt Spak's intimate cuisine off the beaten Portland track (in Hillsdale) includes housemade pastas, carne cruda and a choice of five or six secondi (entrees). Among them: fresh fish, a pork and beef dish, and, when available, pancetta-wrapped sweetbreads with duck livers. Dedication to authentic and ultra-fresh ingredients lifts this white-tablecloth cafe above and beyond commonplace Italian trattorias, of which Portland is chock full. An unhurried Italian vibe and informed service make visits an occasion. (AA)
Signature dishes:Signature dishes: Housemade tajarin pasta with butter and sage; carne cruda all'albese (chopped raw beef with lemon, olive oil and Parmigiano).
Standouts: Polenta fries, agnolotti with varied fillings, grilled lamb chops, housemade sausage, hazelnut polenta pound cake, grappas and spirits.
Regrets: Sometimes runs out of fish and other dishes.
Alberta Street Oyster Bar & Grill
2926 NE Alberta St., 284-9600. Dinner Wednesday-Monday. $$ Moderate.
2926 NE Alberta St., 284-9600. Dinner Wednesday-Monday. $$ Moderate. Calling a restaurant "creative" is usually a backhanded compliment, but I can't think of a better description for the food chef Eric Bechard is turning out in his itsy-bitsy kitchen. The menu often lists as many as 20 dishes (about two-thirds starter size and the rest main courses), each one a focused and often surprising combination of flavors. In late summer Bechard zapped sweet watermelon gazpacho with chili spice and topped it with mellow Dungeness crab and avocado floating on a crisp-fried green tomato raft; what other chefs in town are doing such multi-dimensional thinking—and have the technique to pull it off? With a spunky, well-informed staff and basic-black decor enlivened by a few glowing red light fixtures, Alberta Street strikes just the right tone for its neighborhood. And it's open Sundays and Mondays, when so many other good restaurants are locked up tight. (HY)
Signature dish: Wide selection of raw oysters, or try them panko-breaded and fried.
Standouts: Crispy veal sweetbreads or seared foie gras, accompaniment changes seasonally.
Regrets: Lackluster desserts.
Alexis
215 W Burnside St., 224-8577. Lunch and dinner Monday-Friday. $$ Moderate.
A half-hidden, nearly historic jewel on West Burnside Street serving up simple, traditional Greek taverna food, authentic down to the olive (with a wall-of-fame to prove it). The decor is spare—save for the famous corkscrewy window dressings—the plates are plentiful and the waiters are tall, dark and handsome. Lamb souvlaki is a mouthwatering winner; vegetarian moussaka is stocked with fresh veggies and loaded with cheese. Of the apps, spanakopita and octopus are memorable—be sure to juice it down with a few shots of peppery ouzo (the Greeks' answer to sambuca). Baklava tastes as it should—chewy-crunchy with a hint of spice to balance the sweet. Lots of starches and creams. Come on empty or come with friends (the best way to enjoy this place). (SMB)
Signature dish: Lamb souvlaki, drippingly tender.
Standouts: Attentive, knowledgeable service; generous shots of ouzo.
Regrets: The place ain't trendy or glamorous, but it sure is homey.
Caffe Allora
504 NW 9th Ave., 445-4612. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Monday-Saturday. $$ Moderate.
Sometimes you forget how good and satisfying straightforward pasta dishes can be. At the Pearl District's lovely Caffe Allora, the pasta isn't an afterthought to the secondi, it is the main focus of the menu. Plump ravioli drizzled with brown butter and sprinkled with fried sage leaves is ultra-rich, but worth every calorie. Also delicious are firm-to-the-bite gnocchi covered in a simple tomato sauce and a shower of good cheese. Part wine bar, Caffe Allora has a well-chosen list that emphasizes Italian reds. Pair a good bottle with an antipasto misto—a platter brimming with prosciutto, excellent Italian cheeses, olives and bruschettas—for a stylish twist on happy hour. And speaking of stylish, the brick walls, abstract canvases, and concrete floors make for a particularly Pearl-esque dining experience. (MW)
Signature dish: Toothsome gnocchi doused in a delicious tomato sauce.
Standouts: Ravioli, inventive salads, antipasto.
Regrets: Service can be lackluster to the point of being rude.
Al-Amir
223 SW Stark St., 274-0010. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner nightly. $$ Moderate.
223 SW Stark St., 274-0010. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner nightly. $$ Moderate. Talk about world peace. Al-Amir can boast being the only Lebanese restaurant in Portland to be housed in a former Catholic archbishop's residence. The gothic-revival architecture and exposed brick help create an atmosphere that's a little on the classy side. The food is largely traditional Middle Eastern fare, but each dish is surprisingly subtle, complex and full of flavor. The lentil soup is lighter than you'd expect and resonant with lemon. To get a good idea of what Al-Amir is all about, the Lebanese Tour comes with hummus, strangely smoky baba ghanouj, impeccable grape leaves, tabbouleh, falafel and a choice of entree. Only the falafel disappoints for being a bit dry instead of bright green at the center. The restaurant does chicken, lamb and beef equally well, making any of its entrees a fine choice. (IFD)
Signature DISH: The loaded Lebanese Tour would do a Druze (and anyone with a hearty appetite) proud.
Standouts: Macanik—lamb sausage sautéed with green peppers, onions, and tomato sauce.
Regrets: So-so falafel.
Andina
1314 NW Glisan St., 228-9535. Lunch Monday-Saturday, dinner nightly. $$$ Expensive.
The unusual cuisine of Peru in a chic setting. Newly created Peruvian options are eclectic and adventurous; the more traditional cuisine is hearty and robust. Where to begin? Start with small plates, which outshine the entrees by a narrow margin. Conchas a la Parmesana—knock-you-down baked mini scallops with succulent lime butter and Parmesan—is a true original. Of the main courses, the traditional Lomo Saltado (Cascade Natural beef tenders with Peruvian fixin's) lingers longest. Sangria is fresh-fruit sweet, and the pisco sour is divine. There's also a mind-popping wine list, pages long. The chef is stellar, even though it's no longer hottie Emmanuel Piqueras Villaran, and Mama Rodriguez (Andina's inspiration and founder) may even visit your table. It's hard to top Andina, and most folks already know this—get a reservation to avoid a thorough dressing-down from the hostess. (SMB)
Signature DISHES: Lomo Saltado—wok-fried beef with veggies and fried yuca. And yes, a vegetarian option is available.
Standouts: Live jazz or Latin music seven days a week, endless wine list, potent cocktails. And a heavenly semifreddo mousse for dessert.
Regrets: Sniping from a hostess—is that necessary?
Assaggio
7742 SE 13th Ave., 232-6151. Dinner nightly. $$ Moderate.
The Tuscan warmth of this Sellwood hotspot hasn't cooled despite new owners taking over in February '05 (the kitchen still prepares the recipes of the original owners, Sarah and Darryl Joannides). The front room's enoteca, or wine bar, lets several sippers tuck in, and reservations are taken so you'll find a seat more easily than in the old days. A trio of pasta dishes at $13.75 per person is the chef's choice (and a great choice indeed), packed with fresh flavor. In the summer, the penne with organic heirloom cherry tomatoes, arugula, olive oil, Parm and garlic is both simple and beautiful. And a more complex dish, like the wild mushroom risotto, earns its $16 price tag. The Florentine-style steak and a zuppa al forno (seafood stew with grilled bread) make this place feel like the Italy we imagine on the best vacation days. Don't forget the small-plate antipasti like panzanella, Italian salamis and cheeses, and the Caprese when the tomatoes are ripe. (AA)
Signature DISHES: Spaghetti al Limon, housemade fig bread.
Standouts: Petto di Pollo (chicken breast with prosciutto, drizzled with truffle oil and layered over creamy polenta), white chocolate semifreddo.
Regrets: Spendy wine by the glass—$9.50 is the routine, and even half-glasses can be $9—though bottles $50 or more are half-price on Tuesdays.
Autentica
5507 NE 30th Ave., 287-7555. Lunch Tuesday-Friday, brunch Saturday-Sunday, dinner Sunday-Tuesday. $$ Moderate.
Autentica doesn't have burritos. No chips and salsa, nor shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes and refried beans. What you will find are piquant sauces; rich, flavorful meat that falls off the bone; and homemade tortillas. The decor is classy and subdued with an open kitchen you barely notice, knowledgeable servers who don't seem like they're only waiting for their next smoke break, and framed historical photos on the walls. The queso Oaxaca con chorizo is worthy of an Octavio Paz poem. Autentica offers four types of seafood cocktails, cactus and cojito cheese salad, and a wealth of appetizers, but it's their reasonably priced, filling-and-then-some platos fuertes (large plates) that are worth the trip. The pork tenderloin melts in your mouth, the deep pumpkin-seed rumble of the green mole sauce sublimated by the sharp notes of fresh cilantro and raw onion. The cocido de res, slow-cooked beef short ribs with tomatoes, chipotle peppers, plantains and carrots, is complex in a way that Americanized Mexican food just isn't. And the mango sorbet is to die for. (IFD)
Signature dish: Pork tenderloin in a punchy green mole sauce.
Standouts: Mexican food without the Chihuahua.
Regrets: The margaritas are sometimes light on tequila.
Bar Pastiche
3731 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 236-4760. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$ Moderate.
Do you prefer hors d'oeuvres to dinner? Are you nostalgic for that summer in Europe? Does deciding on an entree give you commitment anxiety? John Taboada of Navarre and Cheryl Wakerhauser of Pix have joined forces to solve your issues with a slew of French- and Spanish-inspired tapas: Barbecued bunny on toast, pudding-like hot chocolate with churros and microscopic marzipan masterpieces from Pix Pâtisserie accompany weirder choices like kale-lox-cream-cheese rolls. Items like bacon-wrapped dates and Manchego-quince skewers emphasize complementary flavor pairings. Glass cases show off the goods, which are also portrayed in colorful, Wayne Thiebaud-esque paintings on the shoebox-sized restaurant's wall. The hip but personable servers keep an eye on you without being overbearing, and petite prices make it easy to sample anything that strikes your fancy. Stop in for fortification on your next bar hop—it's open until 2 am on weekends. Sure beats chicken strips and nachos. (SC)
Signature dish: A rotating selection of tortillas, from chorizo-potato to carrot-kale.
Standouts: Classic Spanish papas bravas pack an addictive combo of spice, vinegar and crustiness.
Regrets: Heartier eaters may lose patience—and dough—racking up plate after tiny plate.
Bastas Trattoria
410 NW 21st Ave., 274-1572. Dinner nightly. $$ Moderate.
It may not have the best food or the nicest room in town, but Bastas has won a loyal following by serving up romantic Italian for couples on a budget. Tiny tables nestled in the corners of several velvet-draped, red-and-brown dining rooms make Bastas a perfect date spot. Skip the mediocre pasta and order extra appetizers: Cozze in Padella—a pile of mussels sautéed with saffron and cream—could be an entree on its own; grilled calamari are good enough to convert the staunchest squid-o-phobe. Choose meat or fish for the entrees—the wild boar and hanger steak are consistently excellent—and don't miss the thoughtfully crafted desserts. (BW)
SIGNATURE DISH: The terrifying Ciupin, packed with fresh shellfish and topped with an enormous prawn that watches in horror as you devour its kin.
STANDOUTS: Generous portions turn even bad dates into satisfying meals; the comfy bar makes waiting a breeze.
REGRETS: Lunch at Bastas reveals cracked floors, dirty walls and worn furniture. It's better by night.
Bernie's Southern Bistro
2904 NE Alberta St., 282-9864. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $$ Moderate.
This isn't the place for calorie-counting scolds. But for the rest of us wanting to indulge our guiltiest eating pleasures without going broke, this 8-year-old bistro offers a great option on the street that's ground zero for gentrification in Northeast. The aroma of deep-fry welcomes diners into a cozy restaurant lit warmly by candles that play off burnt-orange walls adorned with paintings. If you've never strayed south of the culinary Mason-Dixon line, play it safe and start with a sampling of Bernie's appetizer list, which pays homage to the uniquely Southern practice of frying everything from green tomatoes to dill pickles. Cool night? Try the jambalaya, a satisfying rice dish that offers a nice bite with its blend of andouille sausage, gulf prawns and chicken. And don't waddle out the door without wolfing down some homemade cobbler for dessert. (HS)
Signature dish: You can't get more down-home than Bernie's buttermilk fried chicken and garlic mashed potatoes.
Standouts: Melt-in-your mouth tasty crawfish cakes and suitably doughy hush puppies (that's a cornmeal fritter), stellar patio seating in the summer.
Regrets: The spinach cakes are the one uninspired starter.
BeWon
1203 NW 23rd Ave., 464-9222. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner nightly. $$ Moderate.
Who would have ever thought that the finest, freshest Korean cuisine in town could be found in a corner basement buried under a pharmacy on Northwest 23rd Avenue? The mega-sized menu (offering over 40 traditional dishes) goes way beyond DIY barbecue with light, delectable appetizers like the fat, smoky japchae noodles and hobak-juk, a perfectly smooth rice-and-pumpkin porridge with the power to change lives. The heaping entrees don't always stand up to the first course, but the nine tiny side dishes keep things fresh and varied. Can't choose? The seven-course prix fixe menu (an excellent deal with or without the thoughtful wine pairings) allows newcomers to try a fine array of the best BeWon has to offer. (BW)
Signature dish: Gu-jeol-pan, a pile of tiny crepes with eight different fillings.
Standouts: Ample wine list includes Korean imports; friendly, efficient servers with knowledge aplenty.
Regrets: Food this good should be served above-ground.
Bluehour
250 NW 13th Ave., 226-3394 Lunch Monday-Friday, brunch Saturday and Sunday, dinner nightly. Happy hour 4:30-6:30 nightly. $$$ Expensive.
Silk sheets, Dubai, boob jobs. Some things just scream big-money luxury. But Bluehour whispers. Restaurateur Bruce Carey's French-Italian showstopper (Pearl District setting; cascading mile-high curtains; attractive, butt-comfy chairs) has been the P-town HQ of the seen-and-be-seen, from Sean Penn to local rock urchin Storm Large, since it opened in 2000. Sure, here you can feast on the triumvirate of culinary bling: foie gras, fresh Pacific oysters and American sturgeon caviar. But the sleek room's secret is that chef/co-owner Kenny Giambalvo and his staffers give everyday ingredients, from pasta to proteins, the superstar treatment, too. Recently, a shocking magenta-, lime- and cream-striped roasted beet and goat cheese terrine (dressed with 18-year-old balsamic, of course) made an eyecatching, tongue-pleasing starter while pillow-light gnocchi paired with black truffles and gooey Val d'Aosta fontina battled perfectly pan-roasted white bass and just-grilled Oregon lamb for stomach supremacy. Don't let the sumptuous setting fool you—the big-city dining room might be a special-occasion destination, but the stellar bar menu (sharable pizzas, enviable burgers) can make Bluehour a daily, less expensive addiction. And dishes like groan-worthy malted waffles topped with mascarpone and blueberry compote or salty-perfect eggs Norwegian (cured salmon and hollandaise, baby) make for a perfect sunny morning-after pit stop, too. (KNC)
Signature Dish: Seasonal pastas and just-baked pain levain, the same hard-crusted sourdough loaves that were served at Carey's long-gone local spot Zefiro.
Standouts: The stunning artisan cheese course comes with 12 choices and major handholding from fromagiere Amanda DeMann; affable servers who treat you like a red-carpet vet, even when you're an area rug.
Regrets: That beautiful Bluehour burger, tart with pickled veggies and sharp cheddar served with Kenny's miraculous fries, is banned from the dining-room menu. We know because we watched a grade-schooler at supper with her dad get turned down for one recently. We admire standards, but come on, give the kid a burger. This is still Portland.
Le Bouchon
517 NW 14th Ave., 248-2193. Lunch Tuesday-Friday, dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $$ Moderate.
Every city needs a restaurant where diners can order up big bowls of mussels, good, affordable bottles of wine and mounds of chocolate mousse, imagining all the while that they're sitting in a neighborhood bistro in the heart of Paris. Le Bouchon is Portland's wormhole to the Left Bank. With French posters, mismatched plates, French-speaking staff and a (slightly boring) beige-on-beige décor scheme, the atmosphere is très Gallic. Whether you're tucked cozily into the banquettes on a rainy night or taking in the sun at the outdoor tables, Le Bouchon is the perfect place to dig into those aforementioned dreamy mussels, swimming in a briny, onion-and-herb infused liquid. Follow that with a succulent plate of duck confit, rich and tender without a touch of gaminess. Bonuses include a wine selection chosen to enhance the authentic French menu and a bill that you somehow expect to be higher based on how satisfied you are. (MW)
Signature dishes: French onion soup and chocolate mousse.
Standouts: Ooh-la-la—that French ambience (and the mussels!)
Regrets: Could be a bit more vegetarian-friendly, but that's not very French, is it?
Brazil Grill
1201 SW 12th Ave., 222-0002. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner nightly. $$$ Expensive.
Remember when you were a kid, and your parents asked where you wanted to eat for your birthday, and you said Benihana because it was so cool to see the chef whip the knives and flip the food? Today's tykes and a good number of tourists evidently get the same thrill at Brazil Grill, where the fare is churrasco, or traditional Brazilian barbecue. And if the room is more corporate commissary than São Paolo, so much the better to showcase the friendly young "gauchos" wielding swords of bacon-wrapped filet, lamb with white wine and mint, and itty-bitty chicken hearts—all nicely salty, lightly smoky and so rich you'll want to consume more than your pound of flesh for the $28.95 set price. You probably won't be able to, and they don't give doggie bags, so graze lightly at the salad bar, skip the tasteless complimentary polenta fries, and stick with what's on the skewers: linguiça sausage, fist-size prawns and that glistening grilled pineapple. (NR)
Signature dish: All-you-can-eat churrasco, a.k.a., Brazilian method of cooking meats over an open flame .
Standouts: Picanha (tri-tip tenderloin), cute gauchos flourishing meat-studded swords.
Regrets: Corporate dining aesthetic, no doggie bags.
Callaloo
1639 NW Glisan, 517-8220. Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. $$-$$$ Moderate-Expensive.
There are no trade winds in the Pearl, but if you duck into Callaloo you'll spot lazily spinning fans, straw beach umbrellas and rum drinks on almost every table. Callaloo's culinary efforts are sometimes deeply satisfying, sometimes overingenious and overzealous, but its best dishes are the simplest: conch fritters—like hush puppies, but sweeter and lighter; palomilla, a Cuban grilled hanger steak marinated in a dark-red chili sauce, served with yuca (cassava tuber) fries; Caribbean ratatouille, a delicious mix of mangoes, tomatoes and yuca. But an order of scallops is typical of what can go wrong when too many items pile up on the plate. Redemption comes in the form of a creamy passion-fruit pie, or a rainbow of sorbet with kiwi, prickly pear and rum, each scoop an homage to the sugar cane that sweetens the region. (RJP)
Signature dish: The smoked jerk pork—deeply browned with demi-glace, then shredded for tenderness: pure Caribbean comfort food.
Standouts: Dig into the skewers of chicken and plantain.
Regrets: Tuna tartare is mushy, missing the defining fresh taste of sashimi-grade raw fish.
Capitol Coffee House and Bistro
Capitol Coffee House and Bistro
6446 SW Capitol Highway, 297-1455. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday, brunch Saturday-Sunday. $$ Moderate.
Capitol Coffee House is like a superhero. By day, it's a mild-mannered coffeehouse serving various well-made espresso drinks to its Southwest neighbors. But at night, the restaurant breaks out its "and Bistro" tag and goes to town on a small, well-thought-out menu of French- and Latin-influenced seasonal favorites. And, like a superhero, Capitol Coffee House and Bistro has a secret power, one you might not expect from a modestly priced neighborhood joint—it has an awesome cheese menu with generous servings of fromage from all over the globe. A cozy, slightly funky decor with dark woods and stained glass (the restaurant is nestled into an old train station) makes for a nice atmosphere which to enjoy a refreshing beet salad with a dynamite housemade grape-must vinaigrette, seasonal ravioli stuffed with interesting ingredients or a hearty burger au poivre. (MW)
Signature dish: The rich and creamy coquilles St. Jacques au gratin is a favorite, as are the Latin-influenced sandwiches at lunch.
Standouts: A cheese tray in the suburbs!
Regrets: Cooking can be uneven.
Caprial's Bistro
7015 SE Milwaukie Ave., 236-6457. Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $$$ Expensive.
A Southeast Portland institution and nowadays a brand with its own cooking show, cooking classes and cookbooks, Caprial's still hits the mark with Northwest-style dishes accented with just enough Asian flavor to add interest. A hot-and-sour sweet corn soup with poached cod and cilantro expresses this Pacific Rim sensibility. To reap more of the same style, try the sesame-encrusted ahi—seared, sliced and served with avocado, cucumber and wasabi dressing—or lettuce wraps that tuck in chicken, bean sprouts and peanuts, chili dipping-sauce nearby. If you want your Northwest straight, you'll find it in the fresh, pan-roasted fish du jour served with a potato and green garlic rosti, or risotto cake. Or try the sturdy pork-loin chop dressed with Walla Walla onion jam. Menus change with the month. (AA)
Signature dishes: Sesame-encrusted ahi; wilted spinach salad with warm seasonal vinaigrette and Oregon chevre.
Standouts: Wine at retail prices, clams steamed in coconut milk with ginger and kaffir lime, braised duck with a crispy seared breast, lunchtime's Westmoreland Reuben, served open-face.
Regrets: The only way to catch a glimpse of owner/chef/CEO Caprial Pence is to buy one of her prominently displayed books.
Carafe
200 SW Market St., 248-0004. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday. $$-$$$ Moderate-Expensive.
There's so much to love about Pascal Sauton and Julie Hunter's cozy French bistro that it's impossible to point out any one thing that makes it so popular. Is it the heated patio? The prime location (even though it's in an urban strip mall) next to Keller Auditorium? The casual, tin-ceilinged dining room? The painstakingly sourced local ingredients? Or is it the kitchen's remarkable mastery of every course, from bread-and-cheese appetizers (cervelle de canut, a slice of shallot-seasoned fromage blanc on walnut bread) and simple seasonal salads accented with crab and warm bacon vinaigrette to a intensely flavorful duck leg confit with gooseberries? Maybe. But Carafe's biggest draw for many is the generous $20 prix fixe dinner menu that lets even college students eat like kings. (BW)
Signature dish: Assiette de cochon, a selection of five house-made "pork goodies," pickles and mustard that shows off Sauton's charcuterie chops.
Standouts: Where else can you buy this quality of wine by the quarter-liter?
Regrets: Good luck getting a seat before a show at the Keller.
Carlyle
1632 NW Thurman St., 595-1782. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday. $$$ Expensive.
Carlyle is the kind of place to meet an illicit lover. The ambience screams romance: low-lit mahogany walls, intimate square footage and a remote location under the Fremont Bridge give Carlyle an advantage in the excitement category. Same goes for the food. The French-American menu offers truly unique twists on traditional dishes: maple-soaked pork belly with a chiffonade of romaine, brioche, and tomato jam turns the BLT into a Francophile's version of pulled pork. The unexpected pairings are a delight, right down to the bowl of mini Swedish fish for grabs on the otherwise sophisticated bar. Add to that the exceptionally attentive service—as in a waiter who apologizes in advance for the restaurant's loudness—and you've got a marvelous dining experience. (LS)
Signature dish:Signature dish: The Alaskan halibut—a buttery, salty fish swimming in a bouillabaisse sauce that ends up tasting like a decadent seafood gumbo.
standouts: Carlyle's pure romance—soft lighting, wood paneling and warm, sophisticated decor.
Regrets: The waiter was right—it is almost unbearably loud.
Castagna
Castagna
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 231-9959. Dinner Wednesday-Saturday. $$$ Expensive.
Chic and minimalist, Castagna's dining room is a handsome blank frame for food that manages to be both traditional and subtly innovative. One might be tempted to make a meal of the starters: a housemade pork-and-pistachio pâté, delicate pasta purses stuffed with duck and porcini, or the "trio" of carrot confetti, roasted beets and a sort of pommes frites made of mashed garbanzos. Entrées are more sedate and hearty, but no less tasty: Familiar sautéed salmon tastes new again in its sumac crust, and the only fault of the pan-seared lamb chops crusted with Parmesan was the skimpy portion. Servers are knowledgeable about everything from preparations to the provenance of the ingredients. The crowd is a blend of the well-heeled and the hip, a demographic mix reflected in the menu; Castagna can be as spendy as you can afford, but there's also a three-course prix-fixe for $28. (KA)
Signature dish: Fresh seafood and lamb shine in nearly any preparation.
Standouts: A terrine of fresh squid, baked au gratin with fideus pasta and scallions, is typical of Castagna's imagination.
Regrets: Lovely picture windows frame a particularly unlovely block of Southeast Hawthorne; you can time your meal by the No. 14 passing every 15 minutes.
Café Castagna
1758 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 231-9959. Dinner nightly. $$ Moderate.
Castagna's next-door cousin, in a handsome Ladd's Addition flatiron building, proves that bistro food can be surprising without resorting to gimmickry. Try the feta-dashed Gulf prawns or a carpaccio plate of bresaola with apple-celery salad. Lamb kebabs over almond-scented couscous are a home run, as is the sautéed salmon, with its rustic sauce, gribiche. Service is solid (the server who ignored a barely touched appetizer congealing at the table throughout the meal was an exception), the West Elm-ish room simple (if a bit noisy), the wine list reasonable and the customers uniformly happy. With food like this, who needs flash? (KA)
Signature dish: It's about the meat: a grilled flatiron steak, lamb and one of the most rightly famed bistro burgers in town.
Standouts: Best-in-show desserts include a delicate almond cake with huckleberry sauce, and a Portland-perfect nectarine-blueberry cobbler.
Regrets: Fried risotto balls stuffed with fontina, intriguing on the menu, were as bland as hushpuppies.
Ciao Vito
2203 NE Alberta St., 282-5522. Dinner nightly. $$-$$$ Moderate-Expensive.
A gem in the rough, CV (founded by Zefiro, Higgins and Caffe Mingo vet Vito DiLullo) is a defiantly upscale, luxurious presence on Northeast's laid-back (and still funky) Alberta Street. Italian food and Northwest seasonal-fresh ingredients are done simply but with elegance, and an often rough dispatch gives the place a satisfying neighborhood vibe, recalling the best little mamone hang-spots of Mott Street in NYC of yore. A healthy expanse of antipasti della casa goes far, subtly padding the gustatory path for things like Vito's now-legendary razor clams and (a good wet, early fall permitting) pastas with Northwest-harvested mushrooms, seafood or fresh fish. (TD)
Signature dish: A surprisingly resilient (nearly crag-like on first impression) polenta, wedded to an earthy sugo of pork laced with porcinis and a bite of peppers.
Standouts: Waiting for a table is soothed by a well-thought-out, robust wine selection, fruit-mad cocktails, homespun pickles (rivaling Higgins') and the vivid presence of the maestro himself, Chef Vito.
Regrets: Service can be brusque or "say what?" at times, but so can Northeast Alberta Street.
clarklewis
clarklewis
1001 SE Water Ave., 235-2294. Lunch Tuesday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday. $$-$$$$ Moderate-Very Expensive.
The abrupt departure of impresario Michael Hebb from clarklewis last spring got plenty of attention, but time has proven that the most important member of the team is still there: chef Morgan Brownlow. If anybody's going to write an obit for this restaurant, it won't be because of the food. The menu reads like a shopping list, but the chef's got the technique and the vision to make a combo of, say, shrimp, Basque peppers, garlic, capers and smoky paprika into the tapa of your dreams. I'm inclined to forgive Brownlow his tics, such as sprinkling fennel pollen around like fairy dust, as long as he continues to get bright ideas like saucing housemade tagliarini with Dungeness crab, leek cream, sweet white corn kernels and opal basil or topping tomato bruschetta with a fresh farm egg. Servers are professional and well-informed; the next step will be when management lives up to the serious cooking by replacing the awful chairs, tamping down the cacophonous noise and illuminating the murky gloom. At least lunch is back on the menu. (HY)
Signature dish: Anything involving grilled meat is guaranteed delicious.
Standouts: Splendid housemade pastas, and interesting starter salads that change with the seasons.
Regrets: At these prices you're charging extra for bread?
Daily Cafe (Northwest)
902 NW 13th Ave., 242-1916. Breakfast and lunch Monday-Saturday, dinner Wednesday-Saturday, brunch Sunday. $$ Moderate.
With its blond wood, bright colors and concrete walls, the Northwest industrial outpost of the Daily Cafe hits the spot when you're in a contemporary, arty mood. The menu, too, is up-to-the minute, with its emphasis on seasonality and freshness. Best of all, the Daily's innovative food and mod atmosphere can be had for relatively modest prices. Brunch is a prix fixe affair that may sound expensive at first, but for $12.95 lucky diners get a choice of appetizers (like rich baked French toast or a small bowl of the highly touted granola) plus an entree (cornmeal-crusted trout or a very special BLT with an egg make for hearty starts to an active Sunday) and a basket of house-baked pastries that will send you into sheer ecstasy. But the Daily isn't just for brunch. It's a destination lunch spot for glamorous-but-hungry Pearlites: a nice spot for an intimate dinner and, with its organic eggs and breakfast paninis, the perfect eye-opening breakfast joint. (MW)
Signature dishes: Panini at breakfast and lunch are why the neighbors are so loyal to the Daily.
Standouts: House-baked scones (that are free with your brunch!)
Regrets: Bland soup and ho-hum home fries could use a bit more spice.
DF
1139 NW 11th Ave., 243-4222 Dinner Tuesday-Sunday. $$-$$$ Moderate-Expensive.
The rich, Pearl District sister (or bésame mucho'd second cousin) of Northeast 28th Avenue stalwart Taqueria Nueve, DF (dae-eff-ay—for distrito federal, the district that embraces Mexico City's core) may be one of the best reasons to head to the beyond-the-trolley-track outskirts of the Pearl District. As at Billy Schumaker's Nueve, at DF you'll need to suspend your belief that Mexican food means platters of beans, burritos and chips emulsified by orange cheese. Instead, realign your Baedeker with earthshattering delights like the zesty, tender octopus ceviche, the pescado ahumado (smoked-fish tacos—a fantastic value, and a good bet for younger eaters), or the vibrant tesmole with oxtails. Be forewarned that DF is on the louder, more uptown end of the q-spectrum from Nueve—there's none of the signature warmth and humility of its Eastside kin. At times food can take a backseat to the environs of tonied-up Eurodance charts and oh-so-top-shelf clientele—which is a shame; DF's bravado of rich moles and delectable, lime-tipsy seafood deserves center stage. (TD)
Signature dish: Tesmole with oxtails.
Standouts: Pescado ahumado.
Regrets: Sometimes feels more disco than fine dining.
Echo
2225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 460-3246. Dinner nightly. Brunch Saturday-Sunday. $$ Moderate.
Although we adore Echo's loft-like space (a former prostitutes' den on MLK), we wish it weren't so, well, all alone: With such a remote locale, it's hard to remember it even exists. It's a shame, since Echo is finally hitting its stride. Already notorious for vintage drink recipes like the taste-bud-tickling marionberry rickey, Echo's repertoire of Cajun-Franco-Oregonian cuisine—fresh, local bistro grub with a bit of NOLA inspiration—has been honed to a tee. The pan-seared sirloin with creamy polenta, for example, has been on the menu since Echo's inception and is consistently excellent. Now with a full-service breakfast menu, it's safe to say Echo's here to stay. That is, if you can find it. (LS)
Signature dish: The pan-seared sirloin, rubbed with espresso and ancho chili. It takes a strong palate, but it's worth every bite.
standouts: The vintage drink menu includes such film-noir favorites as the Dark and Stormy and the Singapore Sling.
Regrets: The fish tacos, according to the staff, are sometimes "disappointingly small."
Eleni's Estiatorio [listbody][/event]7713 SE 13th Ave., 230-2165. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $$ Moderate. [/listbody]The delicate-but-assertive spices of Greek cookery are familiar to most in a limited variety of dishes, but Eleni's, a romantic bistro in Sellwood, goes far beyond the gyros-and-grape leaves formula into serious Cretan cuisine. Tired of hummus? Try the skordalia, a garlic-packed potato-walnut spread, or gigantes, mild beans jazzed up with chili and feta. Entrees include moschari, a sirloin in spiced tomato sauce, like a gourmet Swiss steak, and various preparations of spaghettini and orzo, but the knockout is a dish that bridges Portland and Athens: a nutty-rich bowl of fresh wild mushrooms over orzo, sautéed with thyme and topped with a gentle feta. Our table was split over the merits of a sugary poached pear in whipped cream and chocolate sauce, but not Eleni's unique baklava, a crumbly, dry version pungent with cloves and oranges and topped with housemade stewed fruit—a sensual ending for two. Stuck on the Westside? Visit Eleni's other outpost,
Eleni's Philoxenia (112 NW 9th Ave., 227-2158). (KA)
Signature dish: Any of the 26 orektika (appetizers)—an array of Greek tapas that can be combined in infinite ways to make a meal, or ordered en masse on a $20 mezza-style platter.
Standouts: Eleni's brash, intense salads—studded with herbs, beets, broccolini and a zingy dressing—make other restaurants' spring-mix plates look and taste like iceberg.
Regrets: Oddly, stuffed grape leaves—that staple of Greek kitchens—were underspiced and underwhelming, the only dish left sitting on the table.
Farm Cafe
10 SE 7th Ave., 736-3276. Dinner nightly. $$ Moderate.
Remember the first time you tried to make a fancy meal for your family? How difficult it was to get everything just right? Well, Farm Cafe replicates that experience. Pleasant staffers mean well here, but often find themselves on shaky legs, wandering away mid-question, forgetting the basics (like utensils) and mangling pronunciations. Luckily, the food is playfully inspired and unpretentiously tasty. Salads feature the best of the harvest, like plump marionberries over hearts of romaine. A special of chipotle prawns with grits and greens was an inspired turn on the classic Southern shrimp and grits—so thoroughly Portland-ized that most locals wouldn't realizing they were chowing on comfort food. The veggie-leaning entrees—fish is the only food here with a heartbeat—tend to lean heavily on the cheese, with stomach-filling dishes like goat-cheese ravioli and a Dungeness crab risotto spiked with pungent Gorgonzola. (AV)
Signature dish: The farmhouse veggie burger, a homemade concoction of eggplant, bread crumbs and cheese.
Standouts: Blackberry salad, fish specials.
Regrets: Undercooked roasted garlic, sluggish service.
-Fenouil 900 NW 11th Ave., 525-2225. Lunch Monday-Saturday, brunch Sunday, dinner nightly. $$$ Expensive.
Fenouil 900 NW 11th Ave., 525-2225. Lunch Monday-Saturday, brunch Sunday, dinner nightly. $$$ Expensive.This ambitious two-story restaurant offers sweeping views of Jamison Square, coveted see-and-be-seen patio seating and three cozy fireplaces; though it feels more like a shiny-new Bridgeport Village suburban eatery than an authentic French restaurant, the menu is more real. A long list of petits plats offers classics like frog legs with garlic-laced bagna cauda butter and an escargot and fois gras terrine with brioche toast points. The entrees are luxuriant: Kobe beef with an intense port reduction, seared duck breast and crisp confit on tender flageolet beans, scallops with bacon and creamy leek fondue. If the main courses are opulent, the desserts are smartly diminutive. Golf ball-sized cream puffs oozing real vanilla ice cream, miniature meringues stuffed with summer melon sorbet and a heavenly lemon-tarragon ice cream in a tiny waffle cone are in playful opposition to the substantial dinners. (IM)
Signature dish: Plateau de Fruits de Mer—a multilevel fantasy for seafood lovers.
Standouts: A sample platter of all of the petite chocolate desserts is the perfect cure for a broken heart.
Regrets: The tough chanterelle ravioli with overpowering Explorateur cheese tastes like an experiment, not a $20 entree.
Fife
4440 NE Fremont St., (971) 222-3433 Dinner Tuesday-Saturday. $$ Moderate.
Though chefs intone the "local-seasonal" mantra nonstop these days, is there another restaurant in town that can top chef-owner Marco Shaw's impressive commitment? With the exception of things like citrus that just don't grow here, 11 months out of the year all—yes, all—the produce, meat and fish served at Fife comes from sustainable or organic Northwest farms. Still, it's what's on the plate that matters. Since the restaurant opened four years ago, Fife's become the kind of place I love taking out-of-town visitors, who start talking about moving to Portland when they experience the combination of sophisticated comfort food, family-friendly style and generous portions (most main courses are big enough to double as tomorrow's lunch). Shaw's strength is deeply savory dishes like mustard-glazed pork chops with apples, cabbage and thyme. Desserts, once problematic, have improved recently; a buttery peach upside-down cake in late summer signaled more good things to come. (HY)
Signature dish: Chicken crisped in a cast-iron skillet, with seasonally changing accompaniments; serious contender for best crab cakes in town.
Standouts: Thoughtfully chosen international wine list at shockingly friendly prices.
Regrets: Has the menu become a bit too much of a formula? Surprise me for once.
Fratelli
1230 NW Hoyt St., 241-8800. Dinner nightly. $$ Moderate (if you get just an entree) $$$ Expensive (if you sample more).
At Fratelli, complexity is the new simplicity. Whether you start with a recent antipasto of grilled eggplant with arugula pesto or a salad of summer beets, horseradish and Gorgonzola, yin flavors and yang textures compete for your tongue with surprising harmony throughout the meal. Most of the starters have a volume discount, which encourages sampling—one antipasto for $3, six for $12. The atmosphere is über-Pearl—exposed concrete, lofty ceilings, inscrutable paintings and impeccable servers. With each new course richer than the last, it's hard not to feel like they're trying a bit too hard sometimes. Would the egg fettuccine with green beans, house-smoked pancetta and fresh goat cheese sauce really have been diminished by the lack of fennel pollen? Hard to say. And the chicken Marsala sausage with black cumin demi-glace and cured fresh figs almost seems like too small a portion, until the expansive flavor gambols on your palate. Executive chef Paul Klitsie, a Netherlander who now makes the Northwest his home, has a flair for incorporating local products into his seasonal menus. And sometimes Fratelli's swing-for-the-fences combinations hit a home run, such as in the anisette-and-espresso gelato. (IFD)
Signature dish: Bruschette with shaved beef, mascarpone and truffle oil.
Standouts: Unique flavor combinations.
Regrets: The long, awkward entranceway feels like a walk to the gallows, not to dinner.
El Gaucho
319 SW Broadway, 227-8794. Dinner nightly. $$$$ Very Expensive.
Doors will be whisked open by dapper doormen, your eyes will slowly adjust to the moody darkness inside and then the alluring essence of this ritzy steak house will surround you and make the outside world evaporate instantly. Don't expect breathtaking innovation here, just beefy goodness and straightforward special-occasion fare like hefty crab cakes, oysters Rockefeller and full-bodied French onion soup. The Angus dry-aged steaks come in all shapes and sizes—from the eponymous top sirloin served with so-what lobster slices and buttery béarnaise to the brawny 24-ounce New York strip. Whatever the cut, every bite is tender enough to dispatch with a butter knife. Order carefully and you'll get dinner and a show from a tuxedoed waiter who'll prepare boldly seasoned Caesar salads and flaming swords of meat at your table. Just when you think the indulgence is over, you're presented with whiffy Roquefort cheese and a still life of fruit that would make Rembrandt blush. (IM)
Signature dish: Melt-in-your-mouth Châteaubriand for two carved tableside screams "anniversary dinner."
Standouts: Creamy mashed potatoes covered in rich, lobster-studded gravy is all that's right and good about being a capitalist.
Regrets: Realizing that you don't have a corporate expense account after a $19 bowl of mashed potatoes.
Everett Street Bistro
1140 NW Everett St., 467-4990. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday, brunch Sunday. $$-$$$ Moderate-Expensive.
Location can make or break a restaurant, and this Pearl District corner bistro has one of the best. Where hip meets happening, this European-style charcuterie has no trouble attracting attention to its gorgeously appointed, white-on-white dining room. Too bad some of the food here doesn't measure up to the stellar space. Sure, you'll find plenty of choices that sound good, but once they hit the table they aren't quite as they are described on the menu. Beware the "lightly breaded" fried calamari—which is anything but—and the drier-than-dry pan-seared Dungeness crab cakes. That said, everyone raves about ESB's meatier choices and breakfasts/brunches full of scrambles, Benedicts and scrambled eggs with lox and onions (breakfast only). And the moist meatloaf is a good choice, whether it's for lunch, in the sandwich variety, or for dinner, when the gravy-covered Painted Hills beef comes with baby carrots and mashed potatoes. Mmmm, comfort in the city. (BB)
Signature dish: A charcuterie lives (or dies) by its meatier plates. Thankfully the proteins here—everything from the bistro burger to the hanger steak—are worth sinking your teeth into.
Standouts: Fab breakfast and brunch entrees and people-watching aplenty.
Regrets: Creamed spinach? This is the Pearl District, not the Rose City Retirement Villa.
Genoa
2832 SE Belmont St., 238-1464. Dinner nightly. Reservations required. $$$$ Very expensive.
While the food at what many consider Portland's first serious restaurant has rarely been anything less than exemplary, in the past few years "serious" was also the best adjective to describe this 35-year-old Belmont Avenue Italian house's heavy, library-like mood. Not anymore. Kitchen head Chef Alex Bourgidu and 30-year Genoa vet Joan Husman are shaping lush, playful menus with newbies Tyler Williams (Callaloo) and clarklewis alum Kristian Sadler (each at Genoa less than a year). The shake-up continues in the dining room, where a fresh group of knowledgeable-yet-warm servers act like a chemical peel on the aging institution. Genoa has always been a kind of archaic, extravagant symphony, one that starts even before your visit as the chefs plan the pace and scope of the prix fixe menu. A salty fritto misto of fried sea scallop and sharply flavored Meyer lemon segues to a sweet soup of heirloom tomatoes and pancetta. A salad of Yukon gold potatoes, frisée and perfectly grilled octopus foreshadows a succulent hunk of Columbia salmon (caught by Native American fishermen, no less), dressed with the lightest drips of lemon citronette and caviar. Yep, it's a performance, but you'll enjoy this show even better if you crack a smile, ask some questions and let the servers give you the backstage tour. (KNC)
Signature Dish: Intensely seasonal menus change every three weeks, but recently chefs Bourgidu and Williams abandoned Northern Italy to pair a tender-mild Sudan Farm lamb half-rack with Sardinian fregula sarde, wee pasta balls stained crimson with a broth of heirloom beets. All baby animals should get such a funeral.
Standouts: Although smaller three- and four-course meals are available, paycheck be damned: Genoa's longstanding seven-course dinner, which meanders from tiny appetizers and deftly dressed pastas to standout entrees and a fresh fruit send-off, is the definition of luxury. Shell out for wine director Andrew Sprott's spot-on wine pairings/commentary and go bankrupt in style.
Regrets: Those ghastly curtains block out even the possibility of sunlight. Even vampires would feel gloomy in this gastronome's tomb.
Gilt Club
306 NW Broadway, 222-4458. Dinner Monday-Saturday. $$ Moderate.
This swanky, low-lit downtown night noshery, just over a year old, offers great food and drink well into the wee hours. In June, executive chef Alan Rutherford joined the G. Club and launched a new menu. The food is still as good as the gold that gilds it: although you'll no longer find the esteemed balsamic radicchio risotto, there are plenty of other savory starches to choose from, including potato gnocchi with asparagus, pancetta and shiitake mushrooms. Cocktails are every bit as savory and complex as the food they accompany, and they stay on the table well beyond first course. The most popular—the Idillic—mixes house-infused serrano pepper-and-tangerine vodka with fresh dill, lemon and orange juice. (LC)
Signature dish: Sweet-corn ravioli with Dungeness crab and shiitake mushrooms.
Standouts: Heavy-hitting happy hour.
Regrets: Offensively bad music.
Gino's
8051 SE 13th Ave., 233-4613. Dinner nightly. $$ Moderate.
So you catch a rerun of Goodfellas and start thinking, "I gotta get some of that red sauce with all the meats, the one Paulie makes in prison." But you ain't in Jersey, so where are you gonna go? You're going to go to Gino's. The room, it's big and dark and real casual like, and if you've got to wait, hey, it's OK, they've got a big wine list, not too pricey, and pretty soon you've got the whole family at one big table, the kids mowing through the garlic bread. Yeah, maybe the waiter sometimes disappears for a long time, and the shrimp sautéed with garlic comes in a broth that kind of smells like bleach, and maybe you feel a little bad you can't taste no anchovy in the Caesar. But hey, it's big! And the polenta with the crumbly sausage is terrific, and the Chinook salmon? Now that's some tender fish. So what if the Grandma Jean's—that's what they call the red sauce with the pork ribs, stew beef and pepperoni—is more filling than delectable. The kids are gaga about the chocolate mousse in a malt glass full to the top, you're drinking nice Chianti, you got your elbows on the table... abbondanza. (NR)
Signature dish: Grandma Jean's, a gut-busting three-meat red sauce.
Standouts: Family-friendly atmosphere, polenta with sausage, Chinook salmon.
Regrets: Filthy restroom, cavalier service, shrimp appetizer with a bouquet of Clorox.
Giorgio's
1131 NW Hoyt St., 221-1888. Lunch Tuesday-Friday, dinner Tuesday-Sunday, $$$ Expensive.
If Sophia Loren were in town and you took her out to dinner, this would be the appropriate place. The classy interior of Giorgio's, all Roman yellow walls, gauzy romantic curtains and deco fixtures, is just the sort of restaurant where you might see a movie star. Chef Peter Schuh's elegant weekly menus fit the space accordingly and read like quizzes from Barron's Food Lover's Companion. Guinea hen en byaldi comes as small slices of fowl topped with a neat stack of ratatouille vegetables and impossibly sweet roasted heirloom tomatoes, fois gras tartine "with speck" features a dainty slice of toasted bread topped with buttery duck liver mousse and whisper-thin slices of Italian smoked pork belly. It's a wonderful journey into pure flavors and erudite European cooking technique. Though the menu may be intimidating to some, all will be understood upon tasting. (IM)
Signature dish: The housemade pappardelle with wild boar ragout.
Standouts: Market-driven specials like crab salad with watermelon and cucumber sorbet taste like seasons captured on a plate.
Regrets: The portions and prices are fine if you're an Italian movie actress watching her figure, but healthier appetites may leave peckish.
Gracie's
729 SW 15th Ave., 243-5623. Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, brunch Saturday-Sunday, dinner nightly. $$$ Expensive.
729 SW 15th Ave., 243-5623. Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, brunch Saturday-Sunday, dinner nightly. $$$ Expensive. Movies and hotels are fun because they let you pretend to be more glamorous than you are, but movies are also full of exaggerated artifice, and Gracie's at Hotel deLuxe is both glamorous and artificial. Ignore reality with a Flynn cocktail in the James Bondian Driftwood Room, then move into the restaurant for dinner. Or don't: The bar waiters are friendly and efficient, while the over-attentive restaurant staff induces a major squirm fest. The fare is what you'd expect from basic American comfort food getting its night out on the town: Start with a beet and goat-cheese "Napoleon," then dig into the prosciutto-stuffed pork chop with addictive gnocci. If these heavy-hitters leave you without room for dessert, it's just as well: The lavender crème brûlée was only tolerable on one visit. (SC)
Signature dish: A succulent slab of meaty sturgeon ($22) with zingy mustard sauce, served with mashed potatoes and asparagus.
Standouts: Excellent selection of top-notch liquors.
Regrets: Didn't get the parents to pay.
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WWeek 2015