Portland casual eats

[chowfox]

I hear a lot about the fine dining scene in Portland. But where do you go for something a little less upmarket? Where's the affordable deliciousness?

[delong99]

Henry VIIIs on Monument Square is a great spot for a sandwich. Quick & uncomplicated.

http://hviii.net/

[serendipityeats]

We have amazing Sushi, here. King of the Roll on Congress and Yosaku over by Brian Boru's/Civic Center. Tandor on Exchange St. There is a newer place on spring called Mayake that is already getting good early reviews.

[the_MU]

King of the Roll is really good, in spite of the dumb name. Not downtown, however. I wouldn't send an out-of-towner to Tandoor. Not exceptional. Not much worth going out of the way for in Portland in these genres: Middle Eastern, Korean, Indian or vegetarian.

If you are willing to stray from downtown, there's the aforementioned King of the Roll, Mi Cocina (Salvadoran), Herb's Gully (hippie burritos), Thanh Thanh (Vietnamese -- pho there rocks although some of the other stuff is eh), Maple's (ice cream and baked goods). For nice sandwiches, try the West End Grocery. For standard "Italian" sandwiches, go to Amato's.

What Portland does have is exceptional baked goods. Check out also: Standard Bakery, Micucci's (new home base of the remarkable Stephen Lanzalotta), Two Fat Cats (whoopie pies, other comfort food items).

There's also a nice farmer's market in Monument Square on Wednesdays, right in front of the Public Market House.

[browndog888]

Depends on your definition of affordable and the type of food. For casual but still good I like Salt Water Grille and Joe's Boathouse, both in South Portland. There is also Duckfat. Rivalries has good pub food and plenty of TV's to watch the Sox. Portland Pie Company has the best pizza (IMO) with Flatbread as a close second.

[chowfox]

Thanks for the tips, browndog888. I'll try to be more specific. I'm looking to eat lunch and dinner in and around downtown Portland. Not interested in pub food. Local specialties (yes, lobster but whatever else is going -- blueberries? peekytoes? anything else), creative but cheap (Duckfat is a good example, thanks), Indian, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Middle Eastern, vegetarian but not ascetic... or anything else outstanding in the $5-12 range (lunch) or $10-22 (dinner).

[cfrolio]

For dinner, I like Walters on Exchange St a lot. Creative preparations, good service, and lots of entrees close to $20.