Daily question from tour guests: “what is your favorite restaurant in Portland?” We can never answer that question so we deflect: “give me a category!” (Our guests: “Thai.” “Burgers.” “Seafood.” Oh dear.)
This week we received an email from a future tour guest asking for a “moderately priced restaurant with a great wine list.” The category seemed narrower — but after much discussion with our favorite foodies in town we came up with these recommendations.
- Enoteca Nostrana — the new wine bar from the favorite farm-to-table Italian restaurant in the city, they have an enormous wine list (even a big list of orange wines!). Happy hour prices are fantastic, we love the pizzas! 1401 SE Morrison.
- Justa Pasta — the most under-rated Italian restaurant in Portland. All homemade pasta made fresh each night, great Italian wine list. 1336 NW 19th Avenue.
- Dame — fantastic new restaurant really built around a passion for natural wines from around the world. Wowing everyone in the wine industry. The mushrooms and the soup get great reviews. 2930 NE Killingsworth.
- Navarre — tapas and great wine on the first “restaurant row” in the new Portland of the turn of the 21st century. Recommendations: the prix fixe menu and the parchment trout. 10 NE 28th Avenue.
- Oui Wine Bar at the SE Wine Collective — amazing vegetable dishes (among others) and great wines made by local small winemakers, with some others on the list too. Two winemakers who operate out of the collective were featured in Food + Wine’s list of the best 10 urban winemakers in the U.S. It’s featured in our new Urban Winery and Farm to Table tour! Off SE Division, 2425 E 35th Place.
- Noble Rot — pretty much first on anyone’s list when you say “wine and food.” Wine bar with a view of the city from the inner east side. 1111 East Burnside.
- OK Omens — new and hot, everyone’s raving about the place! I haven’t tried it but it’s getting amazing reviews and the Oregon/Washington wines on the list are fantastic. The burger is described as one of the best in the city; the vegetables look delicious. 1758 SE Hawthorne.
- Bar Avignon — we almost forgot this, it’s such a longtime corner classic in the neighborhood some of us grew up in. The prices are pushing the definition of “moderate” but the small plates are wonderful and the fingerling potatoes with duck fat are worth the visit alone. 2138 SE Division.
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