The Top Five Places to Eat in Portland This Week

1. Magna

2525 SE Clinton St., 503-395-8542, magnapdx.com.

It's past time for a food city like Portland to have its own great Filipino restaurant, and with Carlo Lamagna's Magna, we've got one. To a first-gen Filipino who grew up eating this food at every meal, Lamagna's dishes are both intimately familiar and achingly cool. In his hands, even the humble tortang talong—a simple fried eggplant omelet—is coddled with as much care as an Escoffier-style omelet, served with a spray of quick-pickled watermelon radishes, onions and fresh tomatoes.

Read the full review: Magna Is like Being Teleported into a Filipino Family's Sunday Dinner.

2. Berlu

605 SE Belmont St., berlupdx.com.

Chef Vince Nguyen elevates fine dining to the astral plane: delicious, mysterious, stylish without pretension, invariably thoughtful and focused. Each presentation is a work of visual artistry, bursting with bright, sometimes psychedelic colors. But it's not just the food that makes this one of Portland's best new restaurants. A meal here is a fully formed experience, where everything from the music to the David Bowie-themed restroom plays a part.

Read the full review: With Broths Served in Test Tubes and a David Bowie-Themed Restroom, Berlu Is One of Portland's Most Unique Fine-Dining Experiences.

3. Fermenter

1414 SE Morrison St., fermenterpdx.com.

The food at this vegan lunch spot is uniformly excellent—not just "good for vegan food," but good no matter what you choose to eat the rest of your day. The counter offers a prix fixe three-course lunch for $23 that changes daily. On a recent visit, that included a cucumber, tomato and nasturtium cold dish layered over hazelnut nepetella yogurt, followed by a slice of the best tempeh in town, served over quinoa and corn. Put simply, Fermenter rules. And yes, it's vegan. No asterisk required.

Read the full review: With Fermenter, Chef Aaron Adams Changes the Game for Vegan Food in Portland—Again.

4. Impala

1900 NW 27th Ave., 971-288-9651.

The beach vibes are strong at Impala. The tequila-heavy cocktails are named after professional skaters, the menu is Mexi-Cali drive-in fare, the décor is all potted ferns and pastel paint. But what matters most is the taco special: two crunchy, Old El Paso-style crisp tortilla and ground beef babies overflowing with shredded cheese, served with crinkle-cut fries and a Rainier for $9. It's the best dinner deal on the westside.

Read the full review: The 1980s Called. Impala Brought Their Tacos Back.

View this post on Instagram

#Repost @cringe.bang ・・・ Me and boys decided that we'd give @zapapizza a try. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves good flavor. The taquito slice is 💣💣💣 The white pie is heaven on a slice. The guys scarfed down the zaparoni and chorizo. It's the most quiet they've ever been, so I know it was good. I will be back for a whole pie. You all got me wanting more. #goodflavor #5outof5 #flavorscale 🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

A post shared by zapapizza (@zapapizza) on Oct 9, 2019 at 10:34am PDT

5. Zapapizza

503 W Burnside St., 971-373-8287.

Just when you thought Portland was maxed out on new pizzerias, we've squeezed another one in. This one is a bit different, though. The new restaurant from Nick Zukin, owner of Old Town taco spot Mi Mero Mole and an occasional WW contributor, specializes in thick-crust pies with a Mexican twist—think albondigas, chile relleno, even a chilaquiles pizza covered in salsa verde and melted cheese. Add-ons include cactus, pickled jalapeños and chapulines—fried grasshoppers.