Itinerary review, please!

[waldrons]

We have 4 nights in Portland (starting this Wednesday) and I'm planning for only 3 of those nights. I'm looking to try a variety of restaurants serving NW cuisine or something that's really good in Portland (like Asian).

For innovative NW food - Metrovino

For more "traditional" NW food (no molecular gastronomy, but still fresh, local, seasonal, exciting) - Wildwood (or clarklewis, but Wildwood's menu looks more interesting to me)

For Asian - Ping

For lunch one day, dim sum - Ocean City

I know there's no one "perfect" restaurant, but will these give me great quality food for the genre? And I live in San Francisco... should I skip dim sum in favor of something else that I maybe can't get here?

And do these restaurants need to be booked in advance?

Thanks, everyone!!

Susan

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Ocean City Restaurant
3016 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266

[chalmers]

I think both Pok Pok and Ping are great, but I will say that it's typically easier to get into Ping, and if you're staying downtown, easier to get to.

Cocotte isn't really "traditional NW food". It's French. Which is fine, though if you're looking for French, I would say St Jack.

I would pick Wildwood over clarklewis - as you say, the food is more interesting. However, my number one pick for that category would be Ned Ludd. So simple, great cosy restaurant, great service and I've never had a bad dish there. But Wildwood is good, I don't think you'd be disappointed there (Wildwood also does a great lunch).

I second not bothering with Dim Sum here. Some good lunch options - Evoe, food carts, Olympic Provisions, Bunk, Tasty n Sons.

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Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR

Tasty n Sons
3808 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Olympic Provisions
107 SE Washington St, Portland, OR 97214

Ned Ludd
3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212

[waldrons]

I'm so looking forward to this visit! Thanks for all the help, everyone!

[Leonardo]

Welcome. Please report back!

[waldrons]

Tomorrow lunch we're trying to find an oyster bar/raw bar, and the only recommendations we've received are Jake's (part of the McCormick & Schmick family, so we probably won't go) or ? and Louie's, which we'll probably do. Any other suggestions? (Is this not a big thing in Portland... several people we asked didn't know what we meant by a raw bar.)

Then dinner at Metrovino tomorrow night.

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McCormick & Schmick's
720 SW Washington St Ste 550, Portland, OR 97205

[nkeane]

EaT- an oyster bar.

enjoy.

[JillO]

EaT, definitely, with Dan and Louis as a second choice
http://www.danandlouis.com/

[waldrons]

I was afraid that Eat was better, but for our purposes today, they're geographically undesireable (our plan is to walk from the Rose Garden to the river). Oh well....

[JillO]

Hit Dan & Louis for Happy Hour in the Shucking Room, then - it is a Portland institution and I have had many a good oyster there. From 4-6pm M-F dozens are around $16, a great price in this town. (I think the only place that does better is EaT with their Tuesday $1ea. deal.)

I cannot speak to any other food there or their cocktailing abilities, I have only had booze on the rocks and oysters there. Great for that purpose downtown and they have awesome old Portland pics up all over the restaurant. They are over 100 years old. You will be fine there.

[JillO]

I like your list just fine, but you can get better dim sum in SF, so I'd do something else like Simpatica or Screen Door for brunch on Sunday (Screen Door is also open Sat., but Simpatica is not).

Or you could do Pok Pok for lunch instead (it is very different than Ping, which I prefer, but I am in the minority on that one in this town).

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Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR

[waldrons]

Screen Door is interesting... fried chicken sounds great! And Pok Pok looks amazing, so it's a toss-up with Ping, now.

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Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR

[Leonardo]

You are from SF, so don't dim sum here.

Do brunch Saturday AM at Portland Farmers Market: Pine State Biscuits, Tastebud Farms etc.

Also consider Higgins or Paley's for dinner.

[waldrons]

The Saturday market is definitely on my schedule! Follwed by the auto exhibit at the museum.

[drock36]

Good choices.

We just ate at Cocotte Friday and it was outstanding! Great attention to detail, ingredients. I would replace Wildwood with it.

Also, Ping's more acclaimed and established sibling, Pok Pok, is great.

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Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR

[waldrons]

I normally like French food, but Cocotte's current menu doesn't grab me. Would Clarklewis be better than Wildwood?

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Clarklewis
1001 SE Water Avenue, Portland, OR 97214

[JillO]

No, I'd pick Wildwood over clarklewis, personally...just one woman's opinion. ;o)

[waldrons]

Since I've booked Wildwood, I'll find out!!