Oregon Table sits on a pleasant corner overlooking the North Park Blocks, tasked with furnishing local produce and wines. There’s a pretty extensive menu—lunch, dinner and weekend brunch—spanning salads, pizza, pasta and steak. What was billed as a small plate roasted beet salad ($8) was actually a decent-sized portion—topped with Rogue blue cheese and candied hazelnuts. It was perfect for a light summer’s lunch.

The wine list, on the other hand, was disappointing. Of the seven whites on offer, two were sparkling, one was a sweet Riesling, another an off-dry blend, leaving just an uninspiring choice of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. Still, glass prices at $5-9 were reasonable. The selection of reds was more encouraging, embracing Pinot Noir, Merlot, Tempranillo, Malbec, Syrah and Cabernet Franc, with prices $5-15 for a glass. Producers were solid, rather than exciting, with the likes of Kings Ridge, Adelsheim, Owen Roe—it felt more like a list to please out-of-towners looking for recognizable names, rather than a showcase of Oregon’s truly intriguing winemakers. There's plenty of potential—hopefully they'll rotate the wine list to include some more alluring options in the future.
804 NW Couch St, oregontable.com