March is Portland Dining Month and it is the return after a five-year hiatus! The event goes through the month of March and includes three-course meals at 100 restaurants throughout the city for either $35 or $55. A few favorites: the Iraqi restaurant and downtown institution DarSalam; the elevated farm-to-table restaurant in an industrial neighborhood, ClarkLewis; the longtime Italian fine dining darling of Buckman, Nostrana; the family-run Lebanese oasis on SE Belmont, Hoda’s; and the best casual seafood restaurant on the eastside, Flying Fish.
We will update this post as we try out some of our favorites and do a review of their meals. Tops on our list to try this week include the funky and rock-and-roll French spot in Lobu, Canard, with the possibility of doing two amazing beef dishes (Steak Tartare with Italian pimento cheese and fried saltines and Steak Frites with champignon and beurre rouge) or French seasonal veggie-focused extravaganza (Cara Cara Chicory Salad with midnight moon and fried shallot vinaigrette and Ricotta Gnocchi with oyster mushroom bourguignon). Canard is only doing the $55 meal.
Or how about Lilia, a hyper-seasonal Mexican-American sweet spot in the Pearl District with a $55 lineup that includes Charred Beets with gigante bean hummus, pickled calcot, Aleppo pepita Za’atar, and pan arabe; Albacore à la Brasa with green garlic rice porridge, glacéd morel mushroom, wild onion macha verde, and shaved white asparagus; and Honey Buñuelo with requeson blood orange sherbet and white chocolate magic shell.
Another longtime favorite restaurant is OK Omens, one of the most inventive restaurants in the city that has taken its wine-focused approach to a beautiful expression. Their menu includes Dungeness Crab Salad with visser farm’s endive, cress, crab fat dressing, and confit garlic crouton; Grilled Pork Chop with spicy korean mustard, pork jus, and hazelnuts; and Beef Fat Cruller with caramel sauce and smoked salt.
