Every year I ask this question, and I’m always surprised by the answers. This year is no different. The “winners” are,
- Ava Genes
- Pok Pok
- Smallwares
- OX
It is worth noting that all of these made the Best Restaurants or the Best New Restaurants list. In 2012 The Woodsman Tavern was at the top, in 2010 the list was made up of Ping, Nel Centro and Clyde Common.
MsMora says
I’m with you, FoodDude. Can’t believe Ava Gene’s is on this list. We’ve eaten there several times and have always had great food — adore all of the Giardini offerings and their tripe is the best in Portland save for when Le Pigeon has it on the menu — and service (Dana rocks it every time). To be fair, we’ve never made it past the pasta dishes to the entrees. Perhaps that is where some diners were disappointed. Nonetheless, we will continue eating at Ava Gene’s at least once a month. It is a top 3 favorite in our dining book.
KC says
Went to Ava Gene’s once. Arrived at the time I reserved and was greeted with an insistence that we were 1/2 hour late for our reservation and we needed to vacate the table by a specified time. Totally turned me and my dining companions off. The dinner was good, but not fantastic.