There are shops that sell chocolate and then there are the Cacao chocolate shops in Portland. The latter can inspire even the most hardened and cynical among us. When we first heard about the Cacao chocolate shops, it clearly sounded like it was worth our attention. Serious enough to warrant not one, but two reporters … [Read more...] about Cacao Chocolate Shop in Portland Oregon
Downtown
Review: Hot Pot City
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 colds and stuffed sinuses that our climate seems to … [Read more...] about Review: Hot Pot City
Review: Ringside Fish House
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, it’s fun to watch the lights dance through the glass canopy, occasionally … [Read more...] about Review: Ringside Fish House
Review: Ringside Steakhouse Portland
[updated 2017] Ringside Steakhouse was been closed, extensively remodeled and has reopened. I thought it was time to go back and take another look. In the early 90's, I had my first dinner at Ringside, yet I remember the night like it was yesterday. It was a cool, crisp winter evening. I wanted to impress a date, … [Read more...] about Review: Ringside Steakhouse Portland
Review: Andina Restaurant in Portland
2017: this restaurant has tobogganed downhill since my original review was written. The food lacks the polish it used to have, and the prices have risen. The restaurant has been expanded over the years to use every square inch of space for seating - basement, upstairs and mid-level. At the same time, the kitchen … [Read more...] about Review: Andina Restaurant in Portland
Review: Higgins Restaurant
On the way home from dinner at Nel Centro one evening, I was bemoaning the fact that I hadn’t had a good meal since I reviewed Tabla. At that moment, we drove past Higgins Restaurant, which looked completely full. It had been at least five years since my last dinner there, but it used to be one of my favorite … [Read more...] about Review: Higgins Restaurant
Review: Nel Centro
On a cool evening a few months ago, I sat with friends on the patio at Nel Centro. Three fire pits allowed heat to drift across our table. The flames, reflected in window after window of the hotel, were sometimes three layers deep. Sheltered from the transit mall, it was a little oasis. Vines climbed nearby walls, the … [Read more...] about Review: Nel Centro
Review: 23Hoyt
A review of 23Hoyt Restaurant in Portland Since it was first built by Bruce Carey Restaurants, the 23Hoyt space has gone through multiple incarnations. The first was a short-lived Italian restaurant named Balvo, the second, 23Hoyt, managed by the well-known chef Chris Israel. Chris has now moved on to open his own … [Read more...] about Review: 23Hoyt