Three options for eating well in Portland
Published 2:47 pm Friday, May 1, 2009
Planning an overnighter in Portland, Ore.? Here are three can’t-miss places to eat.
Saturday midday: After three hours on I-5, you’ll be ready for some brunch, and Bijou Cafe in Portland’s Old Town district is the place to go. The dining room will be packed with locals who come for the oyster hash, the tofu scramble and the terrific omelettes. Reservations aren’t taken, and you’ll probably have to wait outside on the sidewalk. A cup of joe from Stumptown Coffee next door will make the wait much more pleasant. Bijou Cafe, 132 SW Third Ave., 503-222-3187.
Saturday evening: After a day of roaming Portland’s walkable downtown (or the stacks at Powell’s World of Books), have dinner at the uber-hip and yet unpretentious Clyde Common, where the city’s teeming masses of young urban professionals gather for a creative, ever-changing menu that might include pappardelle in a nettle pesto or chicken-fried chicken livers with arugula, bacon and orange (they do great things here with organ meat and off-cuts). Ask for a table on the mezzanine so you can gaze at the activity in the open kitchen and among the hipsters at the bar and communal tables below. Prices aren’t bad; Our tab for four, which included starters, cocktails, dessert and a 20-percent tip for our server, who resembled a younger Ira Glass, was about $190. Clyde Common, 1014 SW Stark St., 503-228-3333. Reservations accepted for parties of six and larger only.
Sunday morning: Fuel up for the drive home at another Portland breakfast landmark, Mother’s Bistro &Bar. The scrambles, frittatas and pancakes are served in ample portions and are superb — and a bloody Mary makes ‘em even better. Reservations are mandatory. We didn’t make them, but our timing was heaven-sent; we were promptly seated at the one open table for four. When we left, there had to be 30 people waiting outside. Mother’s Bistro &Bar, 212 SW Stark St., 503-464-1122.
Mark Carlson: 425-339-3457, carlson@heraldnet.com.
