QOD - What is your favorite non-chain restaurant?
We’re starting a new series here on the metblog and you are the prime actor. Question of the day! Today’s question:
What is your favorite non-chain eatery in Portland and why?
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Acadia (when with the wife), Laurelwood Pub & Brewery (when with the kids), Ringside West (when with the fellas).
My #1 is Zeppo (http://www.zepporestaurant.com/) in downtown Lake Oswego.
La Pigeon
http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/?p=683
&
por que no taqueria on N Mississippi….
Mine are Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Andina and Muu & Muus. Its fall now, so the unbelievable Potato pizza should be back at Ken’s soon. Everything at Andina is incredible. And If you haven’t tried a Muu Muu Burger then you don’t even know.
Hall Street Grille
http://www.hallstreetgrill.com/
The food is excellent, and the service is excellent. In particular, I love their Grill steak: “10 oz. prime-cut top sirloin seasoned with a chili-coffee rub, smoky chipotle butter” and served with onion straws. Damn, that’s good stuff.
Andy Ricker’s Pok Pok.
For breakfast:
Milo’s, in NE. I sit at the counter with the rest of the regulars, trade gossip with the staff, and walk out feeling like I just had breakfast at home - only I didn’t make it & I don’t have to clean up!
For kick-ass takeout:
Pok Pok. Which reminds me..I haven’t been back since the summer break…
For dinner? I don’t have a favorite; depends on what I’m in the mood for…
I’ll ‘third’ for Pok Pok… the game hens are their bread and butter, but that shredded pork over rice with their pok pok salad creates a perfect combination of flavor and texture. Amazing.
Got Pho on Sandy is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in town– you can’t go wrong with their grilled pork fresh rolls.
J&M Cafe is great for breakfast, as is the Tin Shed on Alberta.
And I’ve had the best carnitas burrito since california at the Taqueria Tienda on 15th and prescott.
Prescott Cafe in NE for a great homecooked breakfast and you feel like you’re eating in grandma’s kitchen
Wong’s King down in Sellwood for Chinese - quick, inexpensive and soooo good - not the greasy stuff you get in so many other Chinese joints
Flying Pie Pizzeria - chunks of spicy sausage and green peppers bigger then your head.
so hard to pick just one…….
Jesus man - at least narrow it down a bit by selecting a category… But here goes:
Steak:
Ringside (west Burnside)
Pizza:
Flying Pie (East Side and Lake O)
Barbeque:
Russel Street (NoPo - Russel & MLK)
Cuban:
Pambici’s (Central Eastside)
Southwestern (New Mexican):
Romo’s La Jara (Hawthorne & 50th)
Mexican:
Iron Horse (West Moreland)
Mediterranean:
Arabian Breeze (Broadway around 30th)
Chinese:
Shanghai Noble House (Macadam)
Hamburger:
Stanich’s (Macadam and NE PDX)
Italian:
Nonna Emilia’s (Aloha / Beaverton)
German Deli:
Edleveis (Brooklyn - SE Powell)
Brewpub:
Laurelwood (Sandy & 38th? - Hollywood)
Breakfast:
(technically not independant as it is a chain, but locally family owned)
Original Pancake House (SW Barbur)
Man, I could go on for days. I’ll stop now…
Portland has a huge percentage of non-chain restaurants if you stay out of the burbs. That’s a hard question. I’ll split it into only three categories and give three for each:
FINE DINING
Wildwood
Fenouil
Carlyle
MIDSCALE
Ken’s Place
Apizza Scholls
Autentica
CASUAL
Tortilleria y Tienda de Leon (though this is almost in Gresham)
Banh Cuon Tan Dinh
Pok Pok
Ask me tomorrow and I’m sure they’d be different.
oh my god how did it forget pok pok MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Wow! I have a lot of places to try!
Here’s a few of my favorites:
Sushi Takahashi (on Holgate)
Rock N Roll Japanese Bistro
Pho Van (they have a few locations but they’re local)
Kornblatt’s
Gustav’s (specifically Happy Hour)
Those are ones I like, anyway. YMMV.
Apizza Scholls
Italian Joint
Cup and Saucer
Fat Albert’s
Original Taco House
The Real Taste of India (lunch cart downtown)
Bella Facia
Hot Lips Pizza
I really, really love pizza. And carbs…
Fine Dining - Carlyle
Sushi - Murata
Brunch - Simpatica
Mid-Level Dining - Tabla
High End Italian - Alba
Italian Desserts - Dolci Di Prima
Desserts - Pix
Autentica for brunch
Apizza Scholls for pizza dinner
T&T de Leon any old time
So many like minded folks!!
Breakfast - Tin Shed on Alberta
Pizza - Flying Pie
Cheap Eats - Aladdin Cafe (Located on the side of the FoodVilla building on NE 33rd not far from the Kennedy School)
OK, I’m really not into dissing anyone’s personal food choices, but… VR, are you frickin’ serious about Nonna Emilia’s?
Talk about an overhyped, suburban EYE-talian joint. It’s like Olive Garden with local management and red/white checker tablecloths. At least O-Garden has more imagination beyond the lasagna/spaghetti/pizza formula…
dots.
Ken’s Bakery for the Oregon croissant
Zell’s for the scone starters
Riyadh never fails.
Vista Spring Cafe — A little pricey for what it is but it’s close to the kids and the menu has been updated. Pizza is pretty decent.
Ole Ole — Good mexican food at a decent price.
MSMAGGIEBEAVERTON:
Well, admitedly Italian is our weakest category, we have not really found any outstanding local choices…
But yeah, we like Nonna Emilias. And we also like Pastini Pastaria - a local chain. I have yet to find one that I liked super well, most are over-priced and under good… :)
I have to note that we eat out about 5 times a week, and almost never at a national chain. We have been to huge numbers of independant places…
Kornblatts is good too, forgot them. Although service can be a little iffy. And in that area, Richy B’s - err, I mean “Tributes” has great pizza and meatball subs…
For fancy, I like “Portland City Grill”, owned by a local chain company, Pacific Coast Restaurants who also owns Stanfords, Manzana, and the Newports…
Two more ideas:
Fife: A favorite neighborhood bistro. Good execution on local organic products.
Olea: My favorite food in Portland. Cool industrial / upscale bistro setting. Good happy hour.
Rob