Favorite Bites in Portland in 2024

This year I ate at a variety of places—some fancy, some more modest. But they all served me excellent, tasty, wonderful food. Here are my favorite bites in Portland in 2024.

Bison Coffeehouse: Cafe Latte

Located in Cully on Cully Blvd, this is one of two Native-owned cafes in Portland (the other being All Your Heart Coffee in South Portland). I was there for a meeting with a neighbor and ordered a latte. One of the things I was offered by the barista was a choice of espresso roasts, and I chose a medium roast—this meant the Shoshone Blend, a coffee bean from Honduras medium-roasted by Native Coffee Traders. It was lovely, with notes of chocolate and nuts; plus expertly streamed milk. This is one of the best lattes I’ve had all year. 3941 NE Cully Blvd, Portland. Bison Coffeehouse website

Clyde’s Prime Rib: Pork Satay

Arriving three to a plate, this satay is made of ground meat rather than chunks of meat that I’m more accustomed to seeing. It reminded me more of a kabob, actually. These taste treats are savory with a bit of char on the exterior. The texture makes it (maybe too) easy to eat. It’s served with kimchi, pickled cucumber, and firecracker sauce. 5474 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Clyde’s Prime Rib website

DB Dessert Company: Double Chocolate Cookie

I stopped in for DB Dessert Company’s grand re-opening on NE Alberta, and among the things I bought there was a large double chocolate chip cookie. It was wonderfully soft, decadent, and very chocolatey. It has some kind of chocolate/caramel ripple through it that made it all the more fantastic. 2624 NE Alberta Street, Portland. DB Dessert Company website

El Sombrero Tapatio: Refried Beans

You might be thinking, “It’s just beans—really?” But let me tell you, El Sombrero’s refried beans are on another level. They are creamy, deep in flavor, and kind of meaty tasting. Before I had their beans, I really didn’t know how incredible refried beans could be. Total winner. They are pictured in the photo above alongside their excellent enchiladas suizas stuffed with cheese. 10820 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. El Sombrero website

FIKA: Sausage and Gruyere Empanada

FIKA is a cottage bakery run out of SE Portland by Joe Futschik. He operates it as it was done during the height of the COVID era: Place your order via text, pick up at his house at the designated date/time. He makes a variety of things—-chocolate truffles, buns, cookies—and empanadas. His empanada dough is buttery and flaky and oh, so good. He fills it with Gruyere cheese and sausage—-a true flavor bomb. FIKA website

Fresh Love: Mama’s Turkey

Mama’s Turkey is a great sandwich: Turkey on Dos Hermanos sourdough bread with lettuce, organic tomato, salt and pepper, Mama Lil’s and green olive mayo, and sharp cheddar. I also added avocado. I had heard about this sandwich for months but hadn’t tried it until this year, but I’m glad I did. All the ingredients work together to create something excellent—the sum is greater than its parts. 7434 NE Fremont Street, Portland. Fresh Love website

G-LOVE: Lavender Pork 

I had been wanting to stop in at G-Love for some time, and last spring I made it happen. My friend Judith and I tried a variety of things, but it was this lavender pork dish that was my favorite. It sat atop a yellow curry sauce, topped with this sweet/savory hazelnut crumble with crisp snap peas. 1615 NW 21st Avenue, Portland. G-Love website

Janken: Torched Salmon Belly 

While doing a tasting at Janken, early on in the meal they served us two pieces of nigiri sushi (aburi): slightly torched salmon belly pieces sitting on a flat ball of rice. And on top of that were fresh truffle shavings. Back in June, I said this: “The torching of the salmon added a little sweetness to it without taking away its clean fish flavors; the truffle added a special kind of nutty earthiness; the rice was neutral. Together they were an outstanding combination.” 250 NW 13th Avenue, Portland. Janken website

The Meadow: Original Beans 100% Cacao Bar

One of the things I developed a taste for during breast cancer treatment in 2018 was unsweetened chocolate. Yes, it might sound odd—and let me tell you, not all unsweetened (100% cacao) bars are the same. Some are wonderful, balanced, and offer a deep chocolate flavor; some are sour and chalky. One of the bars that I love is the Original Beans 100% cacao bar. It’s got a smooth texture, a bit of a nuttiness, and a slightly sweet cacao flavor. Various locations. The Meadow website

Northport: Pork Belly With Mole

I enjoyed this shortly after Northport opened and I still think about it from time to time. The pieces of pork belly arrived atop a thick layer of mole along with thin strips of crispy sweet potato and microgreens. It was rich, sweet, and tender—and quite filling for its size. 8103 N Denver Avenue, Portland. Northport website

Nostrana at the Oregon Berry Bash: Marionberry and Vanilla Chouquettes

These chouquettes were little spheres of choux pastry topped with marionberry vanilla pastry cream and a fresh marionberry. They were quite small, but packed a punch in the “wow!” category. Nostrana outdid themselves with this effort at the Oregon Berry Bash. 1401 SE Morrison Street #101, Portland. Nostrana website 

The Paper Bridge: Phở Cuốn Tây Hồ

For my birthday, I headed to The Paper Bridge and had an excellent meal. So far it has been one of my favorite experiences with Vietnamese food in Portland. This dish is West Lake style rolled phờ noodles. Named after West Lake in Hanoi, it is made with beef, herbs, and lettuce all rolled up in noodles that were thicker than I expected; their bright white color was really fun (reminds me of Wontons #6 at White Bear in Flushing). Served with nước chấm on the side. 828 SE Ash Street, Portland. The Paper Bridge website

Parallel: Parallel Salad

From our description earlier of the Parallel Salad: “It starts with Little Gem lettuces, which I have found are simply the best variety of greens in the Romaine-type family. They provide a crunch that is deeply satisfying from a sound and mouthfeel perspective. To that they add lemon, anchovy, Fiore Sardo (a hard raw sheep’s milk cheese from Sardinia with a bit of a smoky flavor), and Worcestershire-cured egg yolk. Thin, crispy “croutons” were added, as well. It’s basically a spin on a Caesar salad but much lighter.” 3101 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Parallel website

Peter’s Bar & Grill: Chicken Cobb Salad

This salad has become one of my favorite menu items there over the years. It hits a variety of spots with crisp lettuce, savory bacon bits, bright tomatoes, wonderfully fatty avocado, a protein-rich chicken breast, and their creamy housemade blue cheese dressing. I would say I probably get this two out of three times I’m there. 5701 NE Fremont Street, Portland. Peter’s Bar & Grill website

The Pocket Pub: Housemade Cavatappi

The Pocket Pub has become one of my household’s favorite restaurants, and part of that has to do with their excellent pasta dishes. Usually on special, many of them are here for a short time only (sometimes just a day). Last spring they made cavatappi with cotto ham, peas, cream, white wine, and (I think) Parmesan that I just could not stop eating. It was another fine example of savory meets creamy to make something wonderful. 2719 NE 7th Avenue, Portland. The Pocket Pub website

Pronto Gelato: Gianduja Gelato

This was a special not long after they opened. Among with the delicious taste combo of chocolate and hazelnut, the very creamy texture was impossible not to love. So far, it’s been my favorite flavor at Pronto, hands down. 4205 NE Alberta Street, Portland. Pronto Gelato website

Ruthie’s: Pea Salad

It might sound kind of basic—”pea salad”—but it was anything but. It started with a base of shaved snap peas, with red onion, sunflower seeds, and herbs in a creamy vinaigrette, topped with a heavy dusting of finely grated cheddar. The textures, flavors, and varying levels of bright and rich aspects made for one of the best salads I had all year. 3634 SE Division Street, Portland. Ruthie’s website

Steam Rice Roll King: Corn Rice Roll

Steam rice rolls are a dim sum classic, and this past year Portland gained a restaurant that specializes in them. There are a bunch of options, many with meat, but I really enjoyed this version with sweet corn. The rice rolls are soft and the kernels of corn are little pops of sweetness. 11003 SE Division Street, Portland. Steam Rice Roll website

Sweet & Salty PDX: Egg Salad Sandwich

I stopped in to say hello to elbe and Hovering at Sweet & Salty, and picked up one of their egg salad sandwiches on the way out. Here’s what I wrote at the time: “It was pleasantly creamy, has sweet and tangy notes, a lightly savory quality to it, and comes on bread that can handle the salad. It’s a substantial sandwich.” 642 SE Stark Street, Portland. Sweet & Salty PDX website

TPK Brewing: Arepitas de Queso

While wandering around town one day, I stopped in to check out TPK Brewing after a number of months had gone by after they opened. I decided to get a snack, and the arepitas de queso from En Vida sounded good: a white masa cake mixed w/cheese and deep fried. It was crispy on the outside with no greasiness, and soft on the inside. I loved the sauces it came with, too: a creamy green sauce and a little bit of fresh salsa. 5051 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland. TPK Brewing website

Thai Seasons: Neua Nahm Tok

I love getting this, especially in the warmer months. It’s a cold beef salad with lemongrass, mint, red onion, green onion, lime, cilantro, long coriander, fish sauce, chili, and rice powder. It’s bright, umami-rich, and super satisfying. 5824 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Thai Seasons website

Take Two: Strawberry Shortcake

During Strawberry Shortcake Week from Oregon Taste, I visited a handful of spots around town that were offering strawberry shortcakes that week. This was really my favorite—and it’s a strawberry tiramisu! The dusting of dried strawberries was a particularly nice touch. As I said in June, “It was such a pure taste of summer.” 3000 NE Killingsworth Street, Portland. Take Two website

Whit’s Pizza Pies – Margarita and Pepperoni Pizza

This (at the time) mobile pizzeria popped up (now they are settling in at Living Haus Brewery,) at Junior’s at the Upright Brew Station, cooking up Neapolitan-style pizzas there in the site’s former driveway. They were nice enough to do a half-and-half pizza with pepperoni on one half, plain on the other. At the time I wrote, “Everything was excellent, from the nicely charred crust, to the tasty piquant sauce, the cheese and cupping pepperoni (the best!).” 630 SE Belmont Street, Portland. Whit’s Pizza Pies website