Restaurants

The Portland restaurant scene is hot and it's not just because of all the wood ovens that have been brought in to new restaurants in the past couple of years. The city has recently developed a reputation to rival Seattle's when it comes to great restaurants. What's driving this restaurant renaissance are lots of creative young chefs and their affinity for local produce and wines from Willamette Valley wineries. Bounteous ingredients can be sourced locally, including organic fruits and vegetables, hazelnuts and walnuts, wild mushrooms, even Oregon truffles. Pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc. The list goes on and on. All I can say is, cheers!

The only catch to the Portland dining scene is that it is spread out, and some of the most talked-about restaurants are basically neighborhood spots in up-and-coming residential districts away from the city center. Even more inconvenient is that these great neighborhood restaurants often don't take reservations. For this reason, I'm still partial to the less hyped but more reliable restaurants downtown and in the Pearl District and the Nob Hill/Northwest neighborhoods. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm just not interested in waiting three hours for a table when I'm going to spend $50 or $60 on dinner.

Downtown -- There's an outpost of Typhoon! at 410 SW Broadway (tel. 503/224-8285), in the Hotel Lucia.

Family-Friendly Restaurants

Bijou Cafe -- Parents who care about the food their children eat will want to bring the family to this cozy old-fashioned diner that serves great breakfasts made with organic ingredients.

Marina Fish House -- A cheery atmosphere, straightforward meals, and a great location on the Willamette River make this a good family pick.

Peanut Butter & Ellie's -- This place isn't just family friendly, it's designed exclusively for kids, and, of course, the various peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches are big hits with the little ones.

Cafes

If you're in search of Portland's cafe culture or just need a good cup of coffee, I recommend the following places:

With an upscale Starbucks-style interior decor, a social conscience, and a Pearl District location, World Cup, 721 NW Ninth Ave. (tel. 503/546-7377; www.worldcupcoffee.com), is a coffee haven for the politically correct. It's even located in an unusual environmentally friendly "green" building that has a rooftop terrace. Other World Cups are located inside Powell's City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St. (tel. 503/228-4651, ext. 234), and in the Nob Hill neighborhood at 1740 NW Glisan St. (tel. 503/228-4152).

Many a Portlander swears by the coffee at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, 128 SW Third Ave. (tel. 503/295-6144; www.stumptowncoffee.com), a big, trendy cafe with an art-school aesthetic. Whether you go for the French press or a double shot of espresso, you're sure to be satisfied. There's another Stumptown in the lobby of the Ace Hotel, 1026 SW Stark St. (tel. 503/224-9060). Over on the east side of the Willamette River are Stumptown's two original cafes: 4525 SE Division St. (tel. 503/230-7702) and 3356 SE Belmont St. (tel. 503/232-8889), which both tend to attract a young, hip clientele.

If you've got the kids with you but desperately need a place to sit down for a latte, head to Sip & Kranz, 901 NW Tenth Ave. (tel. 503/336-1335; www.sipandkranz.com), a Pearl District coffee lounge that has a playroom for toddlers and young children. Right outside the front door is the immensely popular Jamison Square, where all summer long, kids splash in the wading pool fountain.

Not a coffee drinker? Try the funky Tao of Tea, 3430 SE Belmont St. (tel. 503/736-0119; www.taooftea.com), which feels like it could be in some Kathmandu back alley and specializes in traditional Chinese tea service. There's a second tea room, called the Tower of Cosmic Reflection, inside the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, 239 NW Everett St. (tel. 503/224-8455).

All you chocoholics out there will be relieved to know that Portland is a fabulous town for chocolate addicts. Whether you're looking for a hand-made truffle, a fair-trade chocolate bar, or a cup of drinking chocolate, there's a chocolatier in town for you. If hot chocolate, not coffee, is your cup of choice, then be sure to stop by Moonstruck Chocolate Café, 608 SW Alder St. (tel. 503/241-0955; www.moonstruckchocolate.com), where you can choose from a wide variety of hot chocolate drinks. There's another Moonstruck in the Nob Hill neighborhood at 526 NW 23rd Ave. (tel. 503/542-3400). Cacao, 414 SW 13th Ave. (tel. 503/241-0656; www.cacaodrinkchocolate.com), just off W. Burnside Street, offers a variety of chocolate confections from some of the Northwest's most noteworthy purveyors. Alma Chocolate, 140 NE 28th Ave. (tel. 503/517-0262; www.almachocolate.com), uses fair-trade and organic ingredients in its chocolates. For hand-dipped truffles, head to Sahagún, 10 NW 16th Ave. (tel. 503/274-7065; www.sahagunchocolates.com). Even big European chocolatiers have shops here in town. From Belgium come the pralines, buttercreams, and ganaches of Leonidas, 607 SW Washington St. (tel. 503/224-9247; www.leonidasportland.com); and from Switzerland come the truffles of teuscher, 531 SW Broadway (tel. 503/827-0587; www.teuscherportland.com).

Bakeries & Pastry Shops

Pearl Bakery, 102 NW Ninth Ave. (tel. 503/827-0910), in the heart of the Pearl District, is famous in Portland for its breads and European-style pastries. The gleaming bakery cafe is also good for sandwiches, such as a roasted eggplant and tomato pesto on crusty bread.

Say the words "Papa Haydn" to a Portlander, and you'll see a blissful smile appear. What is it about this little bistro that makes locals start gushing superlatives? The desserts. The lemon chiffon torte, raspberry gâteau, black velvet, and tiramisu at Papa Haydn West, 701 NW 23rd Ave. (tel. 503/228-7317; www.papahaydn.com), are legendary. There's another location at 5829 SE Milwaukie Ave. (tel. 503/232-9440) in the Westmoreland neighborhood.

Also in the Nob Hill neighborhood, you'll find Ken's Artisan Bakery, 338 NW 21st Ave. (tel. 503/248-2202; www.kensartisan.com). Ken's doesn't do a wide variety of pastries, but what it does do, it does very well. Yum! Try the fruit tarts. My current favorite bakery in the neighborhood is the utterly Gallic St. Honoré Boulangerie, 2335 NW Thurman St. (tel. 503/445-4342; www.sainthonorebakery.com); not only does this place turn out awesome pastries and breads, but you can read Le Monde while eating your croissant.

Located in Ladd's Addition, an old neighborhood full of big trees and Craftsman-style bungalows, Palio Dessert & Espresso House, 1996 SE Ladd Ave. (tel. 503/232-9412; www.palio-in-ladds.com), is a very relaxed place with a timeless European quality. To get there, take Hawthorne Boulevard east to the corner of 12th and Hawthorne, and then go diagonally down Ladd Avenue.

The Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, 707 SE 12th Ave. (tel. 503/232-2640), a classic old-style coffeehouse, has been Portland's favorite dessert hangout for more than 25 years. Live classical music and great desserts keep patrons loyal. It's open from 7pm to midnight on Sunday through Thursday and 7pm until 1am on Friday and Saturday.

We've saved the best for last: Pix Patisserie, 3402 SE Division St. (tel. 503/232-4407; www.pixpatisserie.com), makes by far the most decadent pastries in Portland. Every sweet little jewel here is a work of art, and it can sometimes be a real challenge to desecrate these creations with a fork. Go ahead, take a bite -- you won't soon forget the experience. There are also two other Pix Patisserie locations: 3731 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (tel. 503/236-4760); and 3901 N. Williams Ave. (tel. 503/282-6539).

If doughnuts are your guilty pleasure of choice, then do not miss Portland's Voodoo Doughnut, 22 SW Third Ave. (tel. 503/241-4704; http://voodoodoughnut.com). Open 24 hours a day and boasting that "the magic is in the hole," this downtown nightlife-district hole in the wall is not your usual doughnut shop. There are voodoo-doll doughnuts, bacon-topped maple bars, vegan doughnuts, and even x-rated doughnuts.

If it's hot out and nothing will do but something cold and creamy, check out one of Portland's gelaterias. These Italian-style frozen-dessert parlors have taken Portland by storm. In the Nob Hill neighborhood, there's Alotto Gelato, 931 NW 23rd Ave. (tel. 503/228-1709; http://alottogelato.biz); in the Pearl District, there's Mio Gelato, 25 NW 11th Ave. (tel. 503/226-8002); and in northeast Portland, just off East Burnside Street, there's Staccato Gelato, 232 NE 28th Ave. (tel. 503/231-7100; www.staccatogelato.com).

Quick Bites & Cheap Eats

If you're just looking for something quick, cheap, and good to eat, there are lots of great options around the city. Among my personal favorite choices are the many ethnic food carts that set up in parking lots around downtown. Two places to check out include the corner of SW Stark Street and SW Fifth Avenue and the corner of SW Alder Street and SW Ninth Avenue.

Designer pizzas topped with anything from roasted eggplant to wild mushrooms to Thai peanut sauce can be had at Pizzicato Gourmet Pizza (www.pizzicatopizza.com). Find them downtown at 705 SW Alder St. (tel. 503/226-1007); in Northwest Portland at 505 NW 23rd Ave. (tel. 503/242-0023); and in southeast Portland at 2811 E. Burnside (tel. 503/236-6045). However, if you find yourself near a Hot Lips Pizza (www.hotlipspizza.com), give it a try. They're located at SE Hawthorne Blvd. and SE 22nd Ave. (tel. 503/234-9999), NW 10th Ave. at NW Irving St. (tel. 503/595-2342), and SW Sixth Ave. at SW Hall St. (tel. 503/224-0311). For inexpensive sushi, stop by one of Portland's many outposts of Mio Sushi (www.miosushi.com). Locations include 2271 NW Johnson St. (tel. 503/221-1469), 3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (tel. 503/230-6981), and 4204 NE Halsey St. (tel. 503/288-4778). For fast organic and mostly vegetarian food, search out a Laughing Planet (www.laughingplanetcafe.com). You'll find them at 922 NW 21st Ave. (tel. 503/445-1319), 3320 SE Belmont St. (tel. 503/235-6472), and 3765 N Mississippi St. (tel. 503/467-4146).