Submitted By Clinton Downs

“Let’s meet for food after work then?”

 “Yeah, that’d be great! Where at?”

This stunning dialogue isn’t from a movie, but is inspired by frequent conversations I have with my friends. While the next line changes depending on the day and the friend, the answer is never “There’s nowhere good.”

In fact, “Portland has emerged from its chrysalis as a full-fledged dining destination.”

 

That’s not made up dialogue from a conversation around my office, that’s theNew York Times.  They Continue:

 

“This is a golden age of dining and drinking in a city that 15 years ago was about as cutting edge as a tomato in January. Every little neighborhood in this city of funky neighborhoods now seems to be exploding with restaurants, food shops and markets, all benefiting from a critical mass of passion, skill and experience, and all constructed according to the gospel of locally grown ingredients.”

 

So there is great food here in Portland, and the subsequent, practical question of “Where?” can be answered in a few different places:

 

BarFlyMag has a great rundown of all the Happy Hours in Portland:

Another great reference for Downtown Portland is the Urban Pages (they also have a Seattle outpost).

If you’re interested in a regular periodical, Portland Monthly is a great arts and culture magazine chronicling the gamut of where the glitterati hang out.

The Oregonian tries to round up delicious hotspots in their Food Day section.

For the frugal connoisseur, you can’t beat the Willamette Week’s Cheap Eats section. 

Another site for reviews, pics, and summarized info is Portland City Search - not just restaurants, but shops, theaters, etc... 

 

And finally, there is always the new-old fashioned Google Maps Restaurant Search. 

 

Good luck out there, and happy eating.