Review: Blue Star Donuts

Blue Star blueberry-bourbon-basil donut

When I was in college, I had a passion for bear claws. Working nights, I had an hour to kill before my next job, which happened to take me past Venice Beach and its line of donut shops. Over the course of a year, I tried every bear claw in the area, … [Read more...]

Review: Hot Pot City

Counter

Completely updated/rewritten 11/2012 Welcome to cold season in Portland. Hot Pot City is a constant for many of us, especially in the chilly, gray winter months in Portland. It's warm, it's soothing, it's steamy – perfect medicine for the … [Read more...]

Review: Grüner

G-8

Note: this review was extensively updated 10/2012. Grüner isn’t a "German" restaurant, nor does it bill itself as such; rather it is Alpine. This is a vast region that includes pieces of France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary, … [Read more...]

Review: Little Bird Bistro

Little Bird Bistro

Little Bird - is the child restaurant to Le Pigeon, one of the most highly regarded restaurants in Portland. In 2011, Owner Gabriel Rucker won the "James Beard Rising Star Chef Award - Age 30 or Younger". The cuisine has been called French … [Read more...]

Review: Ringside Fish House

Ringside-Fish-House-Swordfish

In 2011, the Ringside Fish House opened downtown, on the second floor of the Fox Tower. The space had previously housed Ringside Steakhouse during their extensive remodel. It overlooks Director’s Park, and in the evening when the shades go up, … [Read more...]

Review: Biwa

Biwa

Reader Survey Best Restaurants in Portland 2012 #16. New review 10/15/12 A lot has changed about Portland since my review of Biwa in 2008. Sure, Portland still isn't much of a sushi town as compared to Seattle, Vancouver BC, or San Francisco. … [Read more...]

Review: Ned Ludd

Ned Ludd Portland - Ling Cod

The Luddites were 19th-century English textile artisans, who violently protested against the machinery introduced during the Industrial Revolution. Chef Jason French pays homage to their mascot, Ned Ludd, for whom the movement was named, and … [Read more...]