Portland City Grill

In spite of its location on the 30th floor of the U.S. Bancorp tower, Portland City Grill evokes at once part air-traffic control tower, part subground wine cellar in Napa and, thanks to a pianist banging out adult-contemporary tunes on a black baby grand, part women's shoe department at Nordstrom. Which isn't altogether a bad thing, especially when several of the best happy hours in Portland (4:30-6:30 pm Monday-Saturday, 10 pm-midnight Monday-Thursday, 4 pm-close Sunday) are thrown into the mix. Excepting the extensive sushi menu and a few imaginative departures—macadamia-nut-crusted chicken breast served with vanilla-infused passion-fruit sauce, for example—Portland City Grill takes literally its "grill" moniker: lots of salad, lots of seafood and lots of steak, all done well and beautifully presented. Indeed, the dimly lit, low-ceilinged dining room is perhaps the best place in Portland to dig into a medium-rare porterhouse. But if your pocketbook is light and you find yourself in the mood for ultra-inexpensive spring rolls and a melody, Portland City Grill's much-loved bar will have you feeling all right. (KH)

Signature Dish: Filet mignon, top sirloin, ribeye, New York strip….

Standouts: People-watching (and watching traffic back up while you enjoy a glass of wine), as well as the hard-to-beat happy hours.

Regrets: Not all tables are near the jaw-drop-inducing windows.

WWeek 2015