Suggestions for 'Off-the-Beaten-Path' Restuarants

I%26#39;m planning a girls weekend in Portland for May 1-3. We%26#39;d like some suggestions for restuarants in the Portland area. We%26#39;re staying in a hotel downtown, but have a car so we can drive to wherever needed.

I competed in the %26#39;Blackberry Curve%26#39; Challenge last summer and one of the checkpoints was Dan %26amp; Louis%26#39; Oyster Bar. We ran in for just a second, but it seemed pretty cool...is it as cool as it looks? We%26#39;re all just from Eugene, but want to try and make it like a mini-vacation! Suggestions please for exotic or off-the-beaten-path or just good places to grub!

We%26#39;re a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants group of girls so we%26#39;re up for anything!

Suggestions for 'Off-the-Beaten-Path' Restuarants

Suggestions please for exotic or off-the-beaten-path or just good places to grub!%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

is the helvatia tavern off the beaten path enough for you

Suggestions for 'Off-the-Beaten-Path' Restuarants

How about the Beaterville Cafe? If you go, try the strawberry jam (house made)!

http://www.beatervillecafe.net/

Piazza Italia in The Pearl is great. So is The Laurelthirst on 30th and NE Glisan for a good breakfast or late day burger. (Late day, you might spend some time listening to live the music). If you%26#39;re looking for more upscale I like Carlyle and Giorgio%26#39;s alot. Others may have more suggestions. Have a wonderful visit.

John St. Cafe, Tad%26#39;s Chicken and Dumplings, Mark%26#39;s on the Channel, and Stickers are some of my favorites that I would tag as ';off the beaten path.';

I was at Collins Beach yesterday (the non-nude part) and saw a cafe I had never noticed before:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q%26amp;source=s_q%26amp;hl=en%26amp;geocode=%26amp;q=31421+NW+Reeder+Rd.,Portland+OR+97231%26amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068%26amp;sspn=30.323858,54.755859%26amp;ie=UTF8%26amp;ll=45.749918,-122.771509%26amp;spn=0.006513,0.013368%26amp;z=16%26amp;iwloc=A%26amp;layer=c%26amp;cbll=45.749994,-122.771463%26amp;panoid=4YTJckYJZJgxvS1bHx0nLw%26amp;cbp=12,287.5582573795529,,0,12.223113964686997

Lovely Hula Hands on Mississippi is unique with great food in a friendly ambiance. They have a website if you want to check it out. Enjoy Portland! :)

Simpatica Dining Hall

http://www.simpaticacatering.com/

Weekend-only, high-end communal dining. Two seatings, reservations a must. Sunday brunch is fun here also, but that is reservationless and usually means standing in line.

I haven%26#39;t been to Dan %26amp; Louis%26#39; in years (except for the oysters, the food was never very good), but after looking at their website a week ago, I might have to give it another try. In the same vein, at least namewise, is Alberta Street Oyster Bar %26amp; Grill. There are a couple other nice places in the same neighborhood I%26#39;d bet you%26#39;d like too. And Acadia is not too far away. Great creole there.

Another nice place is Alba%26#39;s, in suburban southwest; not your typical Italian.... People have a nose for good food, so none of these are really ';off-the-beaten-path'; except that they%26#39;re not in the downtown core. If you%26#39;re really wanting to fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, I%26#39;d suggest parking the car near NE Alberta %26amp; 28th, or Hawthorne Blvd between 20th %26amp; 39th, or Mississippi, south of Skidmore, and just start walking. You%26#39;ll find something you like.

Most of my favorite places are NOT downtown so here goes my list:

Belly - The chef/owner creates very innovative dishes using fresh sustainable ingredients. The space is nice and the service is very good. http://www.bellyrestaurant.com/

The Farm Cafe - Always a line but worth the wait! Another place that uses fresh local ingredients. Unfortunately they are closed for a couple of weeks for renovations but worth putting on your list for next time! http://www.thefarmcafe.net/

Noble Rot - This used to be known more as a wine bar but they just opened up in a new location and they are really a full service bar/restaurant now with a great wine list and the opportunity to try several wines via their flights. The food is great and the views from the deck overlooking the city are great, too! They grow a lot of their herbs and greens on the rooftop garden. Nice happy hour from 5-6. I highly recommend the butternut squash panini with onion rings. http://noblerotpdx.com/

Right down the road from these two places is a fun and funky place good for cocktails called RonToms. There is no name on it but there is a man with a propeller attached on the front of the building. It is at 600 E. Burnside.

Doug Fir Lounge - Catch a show here if you can. Hip spot and great for concerts. They also pack %26#39;em in for Happy hour.http://www.dougfirlounge.com/

Another great spot if the weather is good is Wild Abandon! They have a great deck and just thinking about their happy hour shrimp with polenta is making my mouth water! http://www.wildabandonrestaurant.com/

Vino Vixen - This spot is unappealing from the outside due to the ugly little strip mall it is located in but once you step inside you will be delighted. The room in back is like walking into a very large, cozy livingroom with sheer organza curtains, candle light and cozy couches. You can buy a bottle of wine and bring it to the back to enjoy with your girlfriends. Great place! 2929 SE Powell Blvd. There is no longer a website because the previous owner just sold it to a wonderful woman named Lesa.

There is my short list. I hope you get a chance to try a few as you most likely won%26#39;t meet many tourists but Portlanders are happy to chat with you, as you probably already know.

Enjoy your visit!

what about tabla on ne 28th st? we had an excellent meal there and they change the menu frequently to cover various areas of the mediterrranean.( spain, portugal, italy, greece etc)

it was alos very reasonably priced.

they also have a very nice wine list

Another great place to get a glass or two of wine and small plates (great for a pre-dinner stop) is Kir on NE 7th Avenue, a block north of Burnside. It is a block walk the The Farm and also to LePigeon.

The mussles, at Kir, are fantastic!!!