Portland, Ore: Go for the Food, Stay for the Food

You're getting near the finish line now that the dinner hour has arrived. Refer back to your knowledge of what's in season here, as menus are subject to frequent updates.

But that doesn't mean you'll give up sophistication at, say, Lovely Hula Hands, a cozy Victorian dining room with mismatched china and a no-reservations policy, or Sel Gris, a new, sleekly modern open-kitchen restaurant which makes dishes like seared hamachi served with pan roasted foie gras, tomato concassé and charred hamachi consommé. Or Beast, a restaurant that offers a set five-or six-course menu, depending on whether you want both a dessert and a cheese course. The menu changes every Wednesday, and has been known to include things like seared artisan duck breast served with spring asparagus, poached duck egg and mustard hollandaise. All of this is served at communal tables, and substitutions are politely declined. Diners also aren't offered choices as to when they would like to dine.

Lest you think that farm-to-table is only about the fancy, check out Ken's Artisan Pizza, or the new Country Cat restaurant, which serves regional American cuisine, harking back to chef Adam Sappington's Missouri roots. I suggest you sample the fried chicken, which is based on a family recipe that was once prepared for the apparently very lucky inmates at a local penitentiary. And the butterscotch pudding, served with house-made, warm chocolate chip cookies, also is a must-not-miss, no matter how much you've already eaten that day.