By Zach Feral
As the second largest city in the Pacific Northwest, Portland draws a number of sophisticated travelers each year who are attracted to its laid-back ambiance, user-friendly urban planning and liberal atmosphere. Deciding where to eat can always be a burden in a new city, especially one like Portland, with such a thriving dining scene. The key is to find someplace where the food is just as interesting as the atmosphere. Thankfully, Portland is filled with a number of fun restaurants.
Nel Centro
Situated inside the Hotel Modera, Nel Centro features an impressive menu and an even more impressive layout. Its open kitchen allows diners to observe the wood-fired oven where most of the meals are prepared, as well as the spinning rotisserie, replete with roasting chickens.
Some of the standout menu items include lamb burger, braised lamb shank as well as a potato, fennel and leek soup.
Nel Centro
1408 SW 6th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201
nelcentro.com
Slappy Cakes
This full-service breakfast and lunch joint allows you to make your own pancakes right at your table. Each table has griddles built into it, allowing you to compete with your friends and family to see who can come up with the tastiest pancakes.
All ingredients are made from scratch; many of them directly from the restaurant's garden out back.
Slappy Cakes
4246 SE Belmont
Portland, OR 97215
(503) 477-4805
slappycakes.com
Pope House Bourbon Lounge
This devotional temple to all things whisky features a menu of Kentucky-themed food. Try the jambalaya, hearty mac and cheese, fish and chips or panini platter. For dessert, Pope House Bourbon Lounge offers such tempting items as bourbon balls and the Pope House pie--which, you guessed it--is also made from bourbon.
Pope House Bourbon Lounge
2075 NW Glisan St.
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 222-1056
popehouselounge.com
Ping
Listed in the Oregonian's "5 Alternative Dessert Destinations" and ranked at number 4 in GQ's January 2010 list of the Ten Best New Restaurants in America, Ping has gotten rave reviews for its extensive offering of cuisines from all over Asia. These are said to be authentically executed, with no kowtowing to Western standards.
The atmosphere is cheerfully innovative, with walls made of slabs of wood and covered in antique radios from a former repair shop that used to be located next to the restaurant.
Ping
102 NW 4th
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 229-7464
pingpdx.com
Resources
About the Author:
Zach Feral has been writing and editing professionally since 2003. He has a B.A. in philosophy from the New School for Social Research in New York and pursued postgraduate studies at the Open University in the U.K. His writing has appeared in numerous international publications, including "Dazed & Confused," "Artforum" and "Think Again."
