Events

Dragonfish Asian Cafe Happy Hour 909 SW Park, 243-5991, 10 pm-midnight nightly Add another terrific cheap happy hour to Portland’s already impressive list. Downtown drunkards can rejoice at the Dragonfish Cafe, which offers a basic menu of cheap sushi EVERY NIGHT from 10 until midnight. Get four sushi rolls for $1.95, or a piece of […]

Beulahland 118 NE 28th, 235-2794 So you’re on Northeast 28th, you’re broke again, and you’re starvin’. Why not try Beulahland, the homiest bar on the street? They’ve got a surprisingly large menu of cheap and tasty sandwiches and burgers, plus a mean soup of the day. Avoid the veggie burger, which tastes like flour and […]

Tube 8 NW 3rd, 503-241-8823 Yeah sure, it kind of looks like Zoolander inside, but when it comes to a vegetarian/vegan Happy Hour, there is no better deal than The Tube. Five bucks will get you a frosty PBR and a gigantic (fake) Pastrami on Panini sandwich and side salad. The point of the salad […]

SmartMonkey Foods/Catering at Food Front, Whole Foods and Daily Grind, see SmartMonkeyfoods.com Being the lone vegan in an office full of Mad Cow-infected carnivores allows me to be the taste-tester of all things not made of flesh. So when the folks at Smartmonkey Foods, a local vegan/raw catering company, dropped off a box of deliciousness, […]

Wild Abandon Benefit for Our House of Portland 2411 SE Belmont, 232-4458, Monday Feb 2, Dinner Whether you’re a regular at Wild Abandon or not, you can feel good about dropping some dough at their 9th Annual benefit for Our House of Portland, a local residential care facility for people with AIDS. Enjoy smartly crafted […]

Jam on Hawthorne 2239 SE Hawthorne, 234-4790 Taking the place of breakfast favorite Café Lena, the Jam fills a similar niche. They offer tasty breakfast scrambles (try the Ryan’s with ground mustard, brie, tomatoes, and onions) with crispy hashbrowns that are low on grease. The tofu breakfast wrap, spiced with a heavy dose of cumin, […]

Abol Café 923L NE Broadway, 281-7961 I’m a vegetarian. Also, I’m broke. This generally means I’m SOL when it comes to dining anywhere but a NoPo taqueria. Not anymore! I’ve discovered the joy of the Abol Café’s $6 all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. It’s simple, tasty, wholesome food consisting of lentils, cabbage, collards, and a montage of […]

Casba 201 NW Davis, (971) 544-0875 Casba’s menu is half authentic, with some splendid Mediterranean specialties, and hot, deli sandwiches and cobb and chef salads. The gyro is a perfect mid-day portion, and filled with delicious, thin slices of non-greasy, spiced beef (no lamb), lettuce, tomato, and cucumber sauce on a fluffy warm pita. They […]

Lauro 3377 SE Division, 239-7000 What do you want for dinner tonight? Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern? Or how about something totally different? How about culinary fusion? Hybrid dishes that combine flavors and recipes from places like Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, and the Middle East? How about a restaurant whose specials might include a dinner […]

Kustom Pizza, Co. 2727 NE Glisan, 239-4444 I’m a pizza snob, I admit it. I’d rather eat dirt than order Domino’s or Pizza Hut. So, when the old Pizza Plus on Glisan was gutted and replaced with the new Kustom Pizza Company, I was happy. The pizza is sweet, bready, and unpretentious. The crust is […]

La Calaca Comelona 2304 SE Belmont, 239-9675 At Calaca, the meat is the focus of most dishes, reminding the carnivores of why we eat meat: For the challenging texture, and of course, the taste. Here, the tacos can simply be eaten for the smoky flavor of the meat. Try the oven-roasted pork (Carnitas) or steak […]

Got Pho? 3634 NE Sandy, 232-4888 Since Got Pho? opened, I’ve been staunchly opposed to trying it because of the stupid name. Of course everyone has their moments of weakness, and when I was sick as hell it registered that Got Pho? was the closest Pho place to my house. I debated and finally gave […]