Honeymoon dinner in PDX

[AlliRoll]

Dear Portlanders,

My fiance and I are coming to Portland for our honeymoon next month (we'll be there from June 9th through the 16th). We'll be staying some in the SE at a little house we rented off of CL and some in the Hotel Deluxe, with an overnight trip to the wine country around McMinnville.

I am hoping for a consensus on where to eat our 'Big Meal' - a very memorable honeymoon in PDX type dinner. Please help me decide between Sel Gris, Le Pigeon, Carlyse, Paleys Place, Clark Lewis and ten01.

We want romantic, but hip. Good cocktails are a plus, but desserts won't do much to sway. For the record, we are already planning to do to Pok Pok, Toro Bravo, and Cafe Castagna.

And any other don't-miss suggestions are welcome, but we already have so many ideas from the boards. Looking forward to your opinions!

[eating as a fine art]

The best meals I've had lately we both prix fix-- I don't know if that bothers you; some like to pick their own entree. But check out the websites for Beast (30th and Killingsworth) and Simpatica (off E Burnside). Glad you're doing Toro Bravo and Pok Pok-- they're both favorites. If Castagna has the fideoes stuffed squid, get it-- it's on my list of top ten things I've put in my mouth.
Clyde Common is great too.
Also, I'm sure you were planning on it, staying at the Hotel Deluxe, but check out the Driftwood Room.

[JillO]

The problem is that Beast , SImpatica, and (the majority of seating at) Clyde Common are communal seating options...not exactly honeymoon/romantic dinners, though the food might be great.

[AlliRoll]

Thanks for all of your recs, Portland Peeps! I think we've settled on Sel Gris for dinner. We've decided to have drinks and snacks at the bar at Carlyle so we can experience both. Can't wait to get there!

[nagrom]

I'd go for Sel Gris. The food's great, the atmosphere is good. It's louder than Carlyle but you can still have a private feeling dinner.

[nkeane]

Agreed! Sel Gris has a room that is both intimate and lively, hurried yet calm, cool while being intensely warm, hip at the same time as classic.

a true portland original!

[JillO]

Just came back from another amazing dinner there tonight. This place never disappoints. The tables are close together, but it still feels intimate. And honestly, even doing the chef's table at the bar overlooking the kitchen doesn't feel too public.

[duck833]

Two choices:

Sel Gris - in the SE, great food, perhaps the greatest place in Portland now.

Carlyse - Lots quieter than SG, great bar, also great food

[Kim D]

I agree with Duck; both good choices, although for the romance factor, I'd think I'd give Carlyle the edge.