You know how you find that reliable place for each genre: La Bonita for Mexican, Hoda's for Greek, Tien Hong for Thai and ah... now you've got Poor Richard's for steaks. I found this restaurant in the phone book under "Steaks," when I was half-broke and too lazy to warm up my propane grill, and I've been in blood-lusting love ever since.

There are plenty of steak places in Portland, but very few that don't require a six-figure income in order to finance your T-Bone. Poor Richard's, on the other hand, has the glorious two-fers--two steaks for one low price. This brand of bargain pricing is far too low-brow for the prestigious Ringside of Ruth's Chris--but absolutely perfect for me. The most you'll spend on two hunks of top sirloin or tenderloin with a salad, baked potato, garlic bread, ice cream, and coffee is $22.

The steak always comes out cooked mostly to your specifications, with a bit of a crisp on the outside regardless of how you order it. They throw a couple onion rings on top too, which is awesome 'cause then you don't have to pork out with a whole order. The only flaw is that it's cooked and served on a metal plate, which irks some people because of the scraping sound your knife makes when you're slicing, but then again you could always just ask for another plate. The salad is old school, like old people school, with beets, croutons, and straight-up iceberg lettuce. It's damn good though, especially when you gluttonously keep all the beets for yourself.

If you're a vegetarian, I wouldn't bother going here except for a drink, because they have like one item you could eat, and it's a steamed veggie platter.

The décor at Poor Richard's is classic, and exceedingly comfortable. They've been around since 1920, and you can tell because it looks like a restaurant right out of The Great Gatsby or something--you can easily picture a ballroom where the dining room is. There's a fireplace, tall ceilings, some high tables, and a bunch of booths, perfect for two or ten. If your parents or grandparents come to town, take them here. You avoid the trend factor, save them some money, and can still have a cocktail or a glass of wine to take the edge off.