It’s Time to Pick the Best!
I get an email along these lines every few days. ” I am hoping you can recommend restaurants for me to go to. I am very open about cuisine, price, atmosphere…I just want to eat good food!”
Rather than send my regular list, I thought I’d work with you all to come up with our own list. We’ll start with “expensive” and “very-expensive” choices, and we’ll drop down a price tier every week until we have a good list of recommendations.
I will qualify this price range as one where the average price of mains on the menu is $20 – $30, expensive over $30.00.
Anyway, please leave a comment about your nomination for the best in these two price ranges. When we get a good list, I will put them to a vote. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
I am hoping you can recommend restaurants for me to go to. I am very open about cuisine, price, atmosphere…I just want to eat good food!
Food DudeComments
74 Responses to “It’s Time to Pick the Best!”Leave a Reply
Please support our sponsors
Donated advertisement
Authentica is reliably great for 20-25 range.
$30+: ???
$20-$30: le pigeon
How will you categorize places that don’t have traditional “mains” like Toro Bravo, Pok Pok, Tanuki, Castagna, etc.?
Tabla ($20-30)
Clyde Common ($20-30)
Sel Gris ($30+)
Sel Gris entrees average $27 and Clyde Common $19.44 on the current menus. (I did a lot of math deciding whom to vote for)
I mean nominate!
$20-30 Alba
Tabla, Screen Door, Toro Bravo ($20 – $30)
Laurelhurst Market ($30 +)
Twitter: pdxfooddude
says:
Screen Door? Best in Portland??
Best BACON for sure.
I ate at Screen Door last week and had a really good meal. I know, others beg to differ. I am not saying it’s the BEST restaurant in Portland, but definitely one I will recommend. That’s what you’re looking for, yes? Many bests?
Twitter: pdxfooddude
says:
Top 5 restaurants in Portland within each price range
Then I stand by it for the $20 – $30. Four of us ate, with a drink apiece (but no dessert) for $100, with a generous tip.
Nancy, I agree with you that Screen Door should be listed among the best restaurants in Portland, but why in the world are you putting it in the $20-$30 range? Food Dude said, and I quote, “I will qualify this price range as one where the average price of mains on the menu is $20 – $30, expensive over $30.00.”
The most expensive main entree at Screen Door is $15.75. So save it for the next price range down!
Sel Gris! And I am always a fan of Paleys.. though I haven’t dined there for about a year. Any thoughts on Metrovino? I went a couple weeks ago for the first time. It was awesome! The entrees are 17-28 according to their website.
Biwa, Toro Bravo and Autentica ($20-$30)
Paley’s Place ($30 +)
I think Laurelhurst Market is still very much a work-in-progress.
I’m sure most of you will disagree with this statement, but I don’t believe an exceptionally good and very expensive ($30 + for entrees) restaurant exists in Portland at this time. I’d like to be wrong about this.
I guess if I had to nominate one, I’d say Paley’s Place but I haven’t been there in about a year.
Twitter: elfinpdx
says:
Sel Gris ($30 +)
Clarklewis ($20 – $30)
Sel Gris ($30+)
Toro Bravo, Park Kitchen, Andina, Le Pigeon ($20-30)
$30+ Paleys
$20+ Castagna
$10+ Castagna Cafe, Beaker&Flask, PokPok
Sorry, I had to add that last category of $10+. We were just at Paleys and it was incredible (I don’t think its mains average out to $30+, but I’m putting them there anyway.. Delicious as always. With its former menu, Castagna would have been in the $30+ category, but it certainly shines with new menu at $20+.
The new Castagna is the bomb diggety!
$30+ 50 Plates, Fenouil
$20-30 Lincoln Restaurant, Ciao Vito
I don’t recall many (if any) $30.00+ entrees at any of the places I frequented this last year. With that said, I did have a couple of standout meals most recently, both of which had entrees in the mid to high twenties. I had a wonderful Sablefish main at Carlyle, and a very nice ribeye at Metrovino. So I guess I don’t have a 30+ nomination, but I’ll heartily endorse the aforementioned in the 20+ category. : )
$30+ Higgins
$20 CiaoVito
$20- Screen Door, Lucca
$30 – Sel Gris (though only a couple entrees are $30+)
$20-30 – Alba, Davis St. Tavern, ten-01, Wildwood
Nostrana, Laurelhurst Market, Tabla, Clyde Common and Cafe Castagna would be in my $15-20 range.
I don’t know how you’d categorize Toro Bravo…but it belongs at the top of some list! ;o)
$30 – Beast
Food Dude – apparently “less than” and “greater than” symbols won’t work, please delete that comment. i’ll try again.
less than $30 – Pambiche, Andina, Toro Bravo, Firehouse (I’m biased because it is by my house, but it is one of my favorites and I recommend it to everyone)
greater than $30 – Beast
$30 -Sel Gris
$20 – Lincoln Restaurant, Castagna Cafe, Autentica
Paley’s is definitely $20-$30 average. They only have a couple of things over $30 and given that you can half-size nearly every entree they certainly should not be in the $30+ entree category but they have to be at or near the top of any list they end up in.
Sub-$20; Beaker & Flask (WW accolade not withstanding).
I love Alba but really for their pasta which is mindblowingly good and it is all $10-$15.
Other than El Gaucho, Urban Farmer and maybe Ruth’s Chris and Morton’s is there a restaurant in Portland where the average of the entrees is over $30? Bluehour? I haven’t been there for dinner in quite some time but they did have $40+ entrees back then so I guess they might qualify.
For my money Higgins is always the best.
Paley’s for sure. $20-30. Metrovino is VERY promising. Had a great meal there recently, but can’t exactly recall the menu price range. I’m guessing pretty close to Paley’s. Le Pigeon would be right at the top of my list as well, again, same price range I believe.
Darn… HATE the fact that you can’t edit (or haven’t figure out how yet). Meant to say that Le Pigeon is “near” the top of my list. Paley’s wins in my book, no question, if I had to only pick one.
*raises hand* … I make a motion that we change the two categories. My recent dining experiences indicate that entree prices in MOST reestaurants range from as low as around $15 to $35.00. I move that the the price range be changed to a “final tab” for two, including alcohol. and make “Cheap” in the under $60 range and the “Expensive” $80+. *sits down and waits for applause and unanimous adoption.*
Twitter: pdxfooddude
says:
The problem is, that doesn’t take into account how much people drink, what wine they order, appetizers, etc. I suppose I could break each category down like the Times does, but that would be a lot of work.
Oh my nominations are:
Under = Tabla
Over = Andina
30+ = Beast
20+ = Castagna
Having said that, I enjoy the experience of Beast but feel the formula would tire quickly with repeated visits.
The meal I just had at Castagna was unforgettable, not perfect, but possibly the most innovative yet understated meal I have had in Portland and left me wanting to return again and again. So, from a value perspective I would put Castagna in the 30+ category. With small’ish plates ranging from about eleven to seventeen dollars it may work into that category anyway depending on ones appetite.
I have never been to Paley’s which might through a wrench in everything…
throw..oi!
30+ Carlye, Sel Gris
20 – 30 – Davis Street Tavern, Higgins, VQ, Le Pigeon
30+ Paley’s Place
20-30 Beaker & Flask
But then, I have not been everywhere…
Sel Gris? give me a break! Amateurish at best. Maybe in 10 years this chef will have matured, but right now, he’s still a baby… a promising baby, but a baby…
How is Beaker and Flask in the $20-$30 category when the most expensive entree is $20?
Twitter: pdxfooddude
says:
We’ll sort out which belongs in each category when we are done voting. It doesn’t matter too much, as all the top restaurants will be in a single list.
Paley’s is above everything else in town for the money.
Carlye and Tabla would be a good second choice, then I think everything else in town gets lumped together as far as ‘nice dining’ options, though I do really like the Higgins bar.
30 Apizza Scholls
$30 plus = Carlyle
$20 plus = red onion
I’m not sure of a restaurant other than a steakhouse where the mains average over $30. That said, I do enjoy El Gaucho. I don’t recall the pricing at Paley’s, but that is always at the top for me.
In the $20-$30 range I would say Sel Gris, Le Pigeon, Metrovino, Laurelhurst Market, and Park Kitchen. I also would like to know you would categorize restaurants like Toro Bravo, Biwa, and Tanuki where everything is more or less small plates. Those three deserve to be on the list.
$30s: Paley’s; Fenouil
$20s: Metrovino; Heathman
Another vote for Tabla in the under $60 (total cost of food alone for two people). If you also include a category for “most consistent”, I think they would win hands down.
$20-$30 Nostrana
Under the price range is Tabla, Vindalho, Simpatica, Evoe
Over the price range is Paley’s Place and Andina
Ned Ludd, Toro Bravo, Tabla, and Authentica are my favorites
Dove Vivi is another one I love to turn people on to (probably not right for this category, but it’s delicious and unique!)
30s: Higgins and Simpatica.
20s: Apizza Scholls and Saburo
We have had terrific meals at Metrovino and Tabla recently.
Twitter: elfinpdx
says:
We had a great meal at Toro Bravo last night. It’s definitely on my list. So is Tabla. I have not had success at Alba, even though I want to like it.
I eat at Alba a lot but only apps and pastas. Their pastas are amazing but their entrees can be inconsistent.
In the $30+ category, Calyle is in a class by itself.
Delicious food and drink selections, presented with style
in an inviting environment.
Higgins will always be at the top of my list. Earthy flavors with lovely pairings. Lots of other really good restaurants around but they don’t seem to have the maturity or experience that is always in evidence at Higgins.
Le Pigeon, Beast, Castagna, Metrovino, DOC, Paleys
EVOE,Tabla, Beaker & Flask, Alu, Clyde Common
Red Onion, Ken’s Pizza
We ate at Georgios for the first time the other night, and really liked it- I think the atmosphere was cool and calming. The food was quite good as well.
I’ve thought for a long time that Giorgio’s is Portland’s most underrated great restaurant.
Beast, Le Pigeon, Sel Gris
Toro Bravo, Clyde Common, DOC (though haven’t been back since they changed chiefs)
For around $30 I find Carlyle to be the best. There are other nice spots, but Carlyle can’t be beat.
Hell, I’ll nominate Kenny and Zuke’s for the less expensive category, since it’s unlikely anyone else on this site would ever do it.
Podnah’s as well.
Ken’s artisan pizza for sure, whatever category that would fall under.
I would also vote for Lovely Hula Hands, Navarre, East India Company.
Le Pigeon Beast Andina Paleys Tabla Higgins $30 and up. All offer excellent dining experiences.
Consistency is a problem. My dining experiences are on a whole are more positive than negative.
Value is at lunch time for those that are open! I don’t mind spending the money for lunch as long as its a quality food experience.
Under $30 Clyde Common Toro Bravo – Sel Gris
Park Kitchen has been off for several meals-have finally taken it off my rotating list. The last couple of years have been disappointing as it was a favorite.
Great food doesn’t have to be expensive, doesn’t have to be fancy. Portland has a unique food stamp. Grown up but free spirited. Innovative but less fussy. Feels very much like slipping into a french bistro in Paris which can be just as terrific as dinner at Hotel Plaza Athenee (Alain Ducasse), compare with lunch at Chez Panisse.
Cream rises to the top.
if you have the time and the money
Beast is the best meal in town for dinner or brunch, both are unbeatable.
I would like to nominate Belly at MLK & Fremont. Husband and Wife team who care about their food and community – Very good value, conscientious ingredients and attentive service.
I’m approaching this task thinking about the “generic picky diner” and not about someone who is into “food porn” like most of us are. Someone who wants a decent meal that doesn’t stray too far from the centerline. Thus, my favorites Beast and Le Pigeon are left out.
Expensive: Castagna (mmmm, love what they do)
Very Expensive: El Gaucho (great service, wine list, etc)
Expensive: Paley’s Place, Higgins
Moderate: Tabla, Nuestra Cocina
Moderate:50 Plates is my favorite. And its one that’s open for lunch! It is the place for a decent meal and the american culture food cuisine appeals to all.
Expensive: Sel Gris, best dining experience I’ve ever had in Portland.
Beast for higher, Pigeon for lower
Very expensive: Well, your price point for mains seems a bit off, as I can’t think of many places that actually qualify for the super very category. However, in terms of sheer indulgence and sophistication, then Carlyle, hands down!
Expensive: A difficult category if one also considers restaurants geared toward small plates. Way too easy and seductive to give in to the urge to order just one more taste. Cheap on paper, but oh so very not in practice. That said, Andina kinda rocks my world every time! Ah, go ceviche, go!
Definitely Carlyle should be in the 20-30 range for one of the best restaurants in town. I have never been disappointed and whenever I have recommended it to friends, they are wowed and do the same..
Lately I’ve had very good meals at both Tabla and Le Pigeon. I’m also always happy going to Toro Bravo.
Twitter: elfinpdx
says:
BEAKER and FLASK! We just had a fantastic meal there. It is at the top of my list right now.
Toro Bravo, Tabla, and Iorio.