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Our Restaurant Guide picks the best restaurants in Portland every October. We hem and haw and fuss to recommend 50 restaurants we think best represent the city.
This is not that list.
Rather, these are five spots we're excited about right now. Maybe that's a taqueria we've loved forever, maybe that's a seafood spot with a special menu this week or a new burger joint we stumbled on Friday night. It's designed to answer that age-old question: Where should we go out to dinner tonight?
Where to eat this week.
1. PaaDee
6 SE 28th Ave., 503-360-1453, paadeepdx.com.
On the Monday-Tuesday Issan menu, order fiery nahm prik hed oyster-relish with an order of pork rinds. Weirdest, best chips and dip in Portland. $$.
2. Killer Burger
510 SW 3rd Ave. and eight other locations, killerburger.com
We tried to settle Killer Burger's lawsuit with rival Rock n Roll Chili Pit by tasting burgers head to head. Advantage: Killer Burger. $.
3. Alto Bajo
310 SW Stark St., 971-222-2111, altobajopdx.com.
Credit where due: Their chile poblano relleno with apples and almonds is one of the most inventive and lovely Mexican plates we've had in Portland. $$$.
4. Jackrabbit
830 SW 6th Ave., 503-412-1800, gojackrabbitgo.com.
Loads of meat, a 60-deep gin selection and great fermented black bean "angry sauce." $$$$.
5. Dil Se
1201 SW Jefferson St., 503-804-5619, dilsepdx.com.
Our favorite South-Indian masala dosas in Portland city limits. $.