That Portland Life

Portland Lifestyle and Real Estate

Contact Us!

portland restaurants

Dining Solo

by Leave a Comment

We recently have found ourselves dining solo in recent months. We have found that it is a really nice way to treat yourself. Now, if you’re looking for the best restaurants in Portland to dine alone, you’re in luck! Here are some great options:

  1. Davenport – A combination of nostalgic favorites, Basque-region standards, and excellent seafood, all delivered with Davenport’s characteristic casual yet attentive service.
  2. Coquine – A charming French-inspired bistro with a cozy atmosphere and delicious, seasonal fare. The bar seating and counter overlooking the kitchen are great options for solo diners.
  3. Han Oak – A Korean-inspired restaurant featuring communal seating and an open kitchen. The bar seating is a great spot for solo diners to enjoy the action while savoring the delicious food.
  4. Tusk – A stylish Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant with a gorgeous interior and a menu of vibrant, seasonal dishes. The bar seating and communal table are perfect for solo diners.
  5. Afuri – A Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen and yuzu-flavored cocktails. The counter seating is a great spot for solo diners to watch the chefs at work.
  6. Kachka – A modern Russian restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and a menu of delicious, shareable dishes. The bar seating is perfect for solo diners to enjoy a meal while sipping on a creative cocktail.
  7. Normandie – Normandie combines modern French inspiration with the bounties of the Pacific Coast. The menu focuses on small plates with big flavor. Expect a seafood heavy, flavor-forward food menu as well as an inventive cocktail program.
  8. Arden – Is an opportunity to escape, indulge and restore. Highlighting seasonal local ingredients and wines, Arden seeks to re-connect you to your community and your peace of mind.

We focused on higher end restaurants this time around so dining solo can truly feel like a treat, but if you’d like us to do a list of more causal restaurants, be sure to let us know!! If you are looking for some of our other lists, you can find them all HERE

Sweedeedee

by Leave a Comment

Looking for a cozy spot to enjoy some homemade comfort food in Portland? Look no further than Sweedeedee, a charming cafe located in the North Portland neighborhood. This little gem has quickly become a favorite among locals and tourists alike, and for good reason.

First and foremost, the food at Sweedeedee is simply delicious. Everything on the menu is made from scratch using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. You know you’re getting the best of the best. Some standout dishes include the buttermilk biscuits (a must-try!), the fried chicken sandwich, and the seasonal pies (trust us, you won’t be able to resist).

We wanted to try something new this time around so we opted for their sandwiches. They were absolutely delicious and I was glad to have branched out!!

But it’s not just the food that makes Sweedeedee so special – it’s the atmosphere too. The cafe has a cozy, vintage-inspired vibe that’s both welcoming and eclectic. From the quirky knick-knacks to the mismatched chairs and tables, every detail feels thoughtfully curated. It’s the kind of place where you can easily spend a lazy afternoon catching up with friends or getting lost in a good book.

And let’s not forget about the service – the staff at Sweedeedee are some of the friendliest you’ll find in the city. They’re always happy to chat, offer recommendations, or just make sure you’re having a good time. It’s the kind of warm, welcoming service that keeps people coming back again and again.

So next time you’re in Portland and looking for a cozy spot to enjoy some delicious comfort food, head to Sweedeedee. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.

Counter Service Restaurants

by Leave a Comment

Portland, Oregon is a city with a diverse and thriving food scene. From farm-to-table fine dining to food carts and street food, there’s something for everyone. If you’re looking for a quick and delicious meal, counter service restaurants are a great option. Here are some of the best counter service restaurants in Portland that you need to check out:

Bluto’s

Bluto’s is a wood fired, greek inspired restaurant where you can find some of the best hummus in the city. You can also find unique cocktails many inlcuding ouzo.

2838 SE Belmont

Bollywood Theatre

Bollywood Theatre is an Indian street food restaurant with two locations in Portland. The menu features a variety of delicious dishes, including samosas, chaat, and curries. The vibrant and colorful decor adds to the fun and lively atmosphere.

  • 3010 SE Division
  • 2039 NE Alberta

Danwei Canting

Danwei Canting is a Chinese restaurant that serves a variety of dishes, including dumplings, noodles, and bao buns. The menu is inspired by the street food of Chengdu, China, and features bold and spicy flavors.

803 SE Stark

Grassa

Grassa is a pasta restaurant that specializes in handmade noodles and sauces. The menu features a variety of classic pasta dishes, such as spaghetti and meatballs, as well as more unique options, such as bacon carbonara.

  • 1375 SE Hawthorne
  • 1205 SW Washington
  • 1506 NW 23rd

Guero

Güero is a Mexican taqueria that serves delicious tacos, burritos, and bowls. The menu features traditional Mexican flavors with a modern twist. The fresh ingredients and homemade salsas make these tacos some of the best in Portland.

200 NE 28th

Hat Yai

Hat Yai is a southern Thai restaurant that specializes in fried chicken and roti. The chicken is marinated in a special blend of spices and served with a variety of sauces. The roti is flaky and buttery and perfect for dipping into the curry dishes.

  • 605 SE Belmont
  • 1605 NE Killingsworth

Nong’s Khao Man Gai

Nong’s Khao Man Gai is a Thai restaurant that specializes in a popular street food dish in Thailand. The dish consists of poached chicken, rice cooked in chicken broth, and a side of sauce made from fermented soybeans, ginger, garlic, and Thai chilies.

  • 609 SE Ankeny st C
  • 417 SW 13th

XLB

XLB is a Chinese dumpling restaurant that serves xiao long bao, also known as soup dumplings. The dumplings are filled with a variety of meats and vegetables and served with a side of black vinegar and ginger.

4090 N Williams

Portland has no shortage of amazing counter service restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for Indian street food, Thai fried chicken, handmade pasta, or gourmet donuts, you’ll find something delicious in this foodie city.

Bluto’s

by Leave a Comment

This past week we revisited Bluto’s Greek Restaurant. It was opened by the same great minds as Lardo. Seeing as we love Lardo as much as we do (best sandwich in portland) we knew to expect good things from Bluto’s.

Bluto’s is a wood fired greek inspired restaurant, so don’t expect authentic, but do expect char. The restaurant is casual but elevated. The chef calls it “fast casual plus”. He sees it as the way portland is headed, Fine dining food in a casual atmosphere. Time will tell if he is correct.

The have a small but creative cocktail menu. I had the ‘Greek it to me’ which was tequila and cucumber and very refreshing. There are lots of other fun cocktails that I am excited to go back and try. If cocktails aren’t your thing, they also have greek wine and local beers to choose from.

The food

As for the food, it was truly delicious. We tried many of the things on the menu and there was only one thing that we didn’t love. The cauliflower with lentils just didn’t work for me. The dish had lots of potential, but it was too much char for me.

The rest of the things we loved. The biggest standout was absolutely the hummus. It’s silky smooth, super flavorful, and is divine with the house made flatbread. We also loved the beet salad with quinoa, it came with a black tahini sauce that was heavenly. We also tried the chicken, shrimp, and lamb skewers. The chicken was the best for me, tender, flavorful, juicy, I could go on. The lamb was a close second, especially considering lamb is a hard protein to find in Portland.

For dessert we had chocolate soft serve, which takes just like the nostalgic soft serve you are thinking of now, and baklava, which should not be skipped!

I can definitely say that I will be coming back to Bluto’s. Its expensive for counter service, but maybe the chef is onto something with his upscale fast casual theme. Have you been? Let us know what you think!

Thanksgiving Dinner

by Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. You get to spend time with friends and/or family thinking about the year you had a reminiscing about all you are grateful for. Not to mention there is (hopefully) some really fantastic food to go along with it. If you don’t love to cook, this can be a very stressful holiday, but don’t worry, we have you covered! Here are some great restaurants to check out that (last we checked) still had reservations available!

Campana

  • 901 NE Oneonta st
  • 4 – 8pm
  • $80 per person

Campana will host a pre-set four-course meal: chicory salad with maple vinaigrette and hazelnuts alongside an autumn vegetable soup with tomato, lentils, and Parmigiano; tortelli di zucca with sage, brown butter, and amaretti; roasted and braised turkey with traditional gravy, cranberry sauce, chanterelle stuffing, glazed autumn vegetables, and Piemontese potatoes; and an apple tart with cinnamon gelato.

Metropolitan Tavern

  • 1021 NE Grand ste 600
  • 12 – 8pm
  • $41 – $54 per adult, $17 per kid

Metropolitan Tavern will serve a four-course dinner including baked brie with cranberry relish, harvest salad with delicata squash and candied walnuts, polenta cakes with mushroom gravy, garlic herb roasted turkey, rosemary brioche stuffing, and sweet yams with charred marshmallow cream.

Brix Tavern

  • 1338 NW Hoyt st
  • 12 – 8pm
  • $39 – $55 per adult, $17 per kid

 Brix Tavern will host a four-course meal from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. The menu includes brie with apple-hazelnut relish; prime rib with horseradish sauce and mushroom demi-glace; fall vegetable Wellington with forest mushroom and cognac cream; garlic and basil mashed Yukon gold potatoes; and pecan pie with maple-coriander whipped cream, as well as themed cocktails

23 Hoyt

529 NW 23rd Ave

1 – 8pm

$55 per adult, $20 per kid

23Hoyt‘s buffet style menu includes plancha-seared Oregon Coho salmon with grapefruit beurre blanc; potato and sofrito gratin; cornbread, chestnut, and linguica stuffing; gin and lemon braised fresh cranberries; and ginger beer pound cake with citrus glaze.

Bullard Tavern

  • 813 SW Alder st
  • 11am – 9pm
  • Pricing varies – see menu on website

Bullard Tavern, will incorporate a la carte Thanksgiving favorites into its dinner menu on Thanksgiving, including smoked turkey; mashed potatoes and gravy; Brussels sprouts with bacon jam; cornbread stuffing; delicata squash with whipped goat cheese, maple, walnuts, and sage; and pumpkin pie with caramel sauce.

King Tide Fish & Shell

  • 21510 SW Harbor Way
  • 2 – 7pm
  • $65 per person

King Tide Fish & Shell, will offer a prix fixe holiday menu, dishes include; Brussels sprouts with bacon, basil, and aged balsamic; Chinook salmon with creamy farro, squash, and roasted peppers agrodolce; Walla Walla onion ravioli with escarole; and a pumpkin bread pudding with whisky caramel and pecan. 

Do you plan on making it out to one of these restaurants? Let us know how it goes!

Langbaan

by Leave a Comment

You should go to Langbaan. I will get much wordier about it momentarily, but that really is the long and short of it. We recently headed there for the first time after their move from SE Portland to NW, and were totally wowed. The food, the ambience, the service, and the wine pairings were all truly top-notch. You should go to Langbaan.

Getting In

As mentioned earlier, Langbaan just moved locations to a larger space in NW. They share the space with Phuket Cafe, who operates out of the interior and exterior during the week, but cedes the indoors to Langbaan on the weekends. They only do two seatings each day of the weekend, so plan ahead!

The Space

The decor of the new location is spot on. With exposed wooden beams and a gorgeous accent wallpaper, it somehow walks that fine line between hip and refined. The space is small enough to be cozy, but large enough not to feel crowded, and the open kitchen provides that warm feeling of really being cooked for.

The Food

The tasting menu has a simple and elegant concept: exploring different regions of Thailand’s cuisine with seasonal ingredients and the chef’s creativity. When we dined there recently, the focus was on the cuisine of Isaan in Northeastern Thailand, involving fun ferments, spicy chilis, and coconut cream. The food was all incredible, and at the end of the night when our server asked us, ‘What was the favorite of the night?” we proceeded to name basically every dish on the menu.

The Drinks

In addition to the tasting menu, we did have the wine pairings. They were wonderfully chosen, supporting and complementing the food perfectly. I often feel that tasting menus in the Northwest choose mostly reds regardless of the food, which can be frustrating. This one, by contrast, was almost entirely whites and a rose, which worked so well with the food.

The Service

One final note to mention was the phenomenal service. There were 3 folks working front of house that night, and all three were personable, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to make our evening great. Thanks team!

Have you been to Langbaan yet? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Check them out Here for their current menu and to make reservations.

Sparkling Wine

by Leave a Comment

Looking for some spots that are a bit closer than France where you can enjoy some amazing sparkling wine? The Willamette Valley has you covered! There are several amazing wineries that use local grapes to make Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines that are delicious. There is even one that does exclusively sparklings (And yes, I am a member)! Here are some of our favorite places to sip some local bubbly.

Corollary

6451 NE Hilltop Ln

By appointment, Fri-Sun 11-3

Founded in 2017, Corollary’s singular mission is to explore the terroir of the Willamette Valley and it’s expression in sparkling wines. Currently developing Oregon’s first property dedicated solely to sparkling wines, they generally have around 5 offerings of sparklings they have made from grapes sourced from a variety of local vineyards.

Gran Moraine

17090 NE Woodland Loop Rd

Open Daily 11-5, reservations required

With an outstanding Blanc de Blanc (currently sold out, but new vintage releasing soon) and a delightful Brut Rose, you won’t want to miss this stop on your sparkling tour.

ROCO

13260 NE Red Hills Rd

Reservations available, Open Daily 10-4

Rollin Soles and Corby Stonebraker-Soles arrived in the Willamette Valley with a vision, and 35 years later are still producing wonderful and award-winning wines. Order the Diamond Experience to sample 5 outstanding sparkling wines, including a vertical of past vintages.

Sokol Blosser

5000 NE Sokol Blosser Ln

Open Weds-Mon 10-4, Reservations required

Susan Sokol and Bill Blosser planted their first vines in the Dundee Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area) of the Willamette Valley 1971, and make wines of world class quality that are produced sustainably, mindful of the environment, and express the distinctive flavors of their hillside vineyards.

Bonus: Sparkling Wine in Portland

Not all of our favorite spots to sip bubbles are in wine country. There are some really stand-out spots in the city as well!

Arden

417 NW 10th Ave

Open Tues-Sat 5-9

While Arden’s sparkling list may not be the largest in town, it is incredibly well-curated. It doesn’t hurt that the food is also incredible!

Muse

2264 NW Raleigh St

Open Weds-Sat 4-10, Takeout Tues 2-6:30

Muse has a wonderful and ever-rotating collection of wonderful sparklings from around the world, served in a lovely intimate setting. The owner Christopher is super knowledgeable about all of his offerings, and always happy to help you choose the right one or even serve up a flight.

Where is your favorite place to enjoy sparkling wine? Let us know in the comments! Or if you are more interested in reds, check out our list of places to grab Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

by 1 Comment

Are you looking to try some seriously delicious Pinot Noir? There are so many wineries in the Willamette Valley that I doubt you could ever try them all. We have been to quite a few! We always try to make it out to somewhere new when we head down to wine country and we are very frequently pleasantly surprised by the pinots that we taste. Here are the places that we recommend you try for a nice flight of Pinot Noir in no particular order.

Bergstrom Pinot Noir

Bergstrom

8115 NE Worden Hill Rd

Open by appointment only

Since 1999, their family and team have been working towards their vision of stewarding naturally and responsibly farmed, estate vineyard terroirs that best represent the diverse appellations of our world-class Willamette Valley. Serving Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah

Gran Moraine

17090 NE Woodland Loop Rd

Open Daily 11-5, reservations required

Shane Moore’s viticultural and winemaking choices shine a light on the monologue of Gran Moraine Vineyard, lifting its voice through precise early picks, extended native ferments and careful extraction. These choices bring to life the vineyard’s clean, vibrant energy, crunchy toothsome tannins, and perfumed character marked by citrus, heady floral notes, and herbs de Provence.

penner ash, pinot noir

Penner Ash

15771 NE Ribbon Ridge Rd

Open Daily 11-5pm, reservations required

In 1998, Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash founded Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in the Northern Willamette Valley’s Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Bringing to life their shared vision, through years of hard work unyielding commitment, the pair built a reputation for lush, layered Pinot Noir, and community leadership throughout the valley.

Patricia Green

15225 NE North Valley Road

Open by appointment only

Located on a 52 acre property in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, Patricia Green Cellars is a unique winery because of our fervent dedication to particular sites in the Willamette Valley, and our truly collaborative approach to all aspects of the business.

alexana pinot noir

Alexana

12001 NE Worden Hill Rd

Open Daily 11-5pm, reservations required

Under the guidance of Bryan Weil as Winemaker and Evan Bellingar as Vineyard Manager, our farming practices are certified sustainable, are focused on elevating the quality, and telling the story of each vintage from the Revana Vineyard and top vineyards in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. 

Archery Summit

118599 NE Archery Summit Rd

Open Daily 11-4, reservations required

Gary Andrus launched Archery Summit in 1993, infatuated by Pinot Noir and the capacity the Willamette Valley seemed to have for it. The Dundee Hills in particular caught his eye, because it shares similar growing conditions with Burgundy, France, and some of the most acclaimed Pinot Noir vineyards on earth.

Winderlea

8905 NE Worden Hill Rd

Open Daily 11-4, reservations required

Crafting elegant, sensuous and age worthy wines for those who view the pairing of wine and food essential to their happiness and well being. Our focus is on making small lots of Pinot noir and Chardonnay that show the best characteristics of each vineyard.

Domaine Drouhin

6750 NE Breyman Orchards Rd

Open Daily 11-3, reservations required

Our estate winery in the Dundee Hills creates elegant, fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines forged from our family’s tradition of fine winemaking in France. For more than 30 years, the Drouhin Family has brought a wealth of hard-earned experience to their vineyards in the Willamette Valley, just southwest of Portland, Oregon.

Which Winery has your favorite Pinot Noir? Did it make the list? Let us know in the comments if there is anything we should be adding!