The Florida Room

435 N Killingsworth St, Portland, 97217
*This is a Plain Jane favorite.*

You know what kicks ass about the Florida Room? Everything.

I got hooked on the Flo' Ro' when I lived two blocks away and was semi-unemployed. I probably spent more time at this bar than at home during those five months; hence it became my Cheers. Now I live an inconvenient distance away (i.e. farther than stumbling), but I keep going back. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

1. 3-7pm happy hour every day. That's right, every day, including weekends. $1.50 for a pint of Pabst during happy hour. $1 cans of Old German all the time.
2. This place is all about the art. No, seriously! It's weird art, but art nonetheless. Take for example the rotating front window display to the right of the door. Often features nude barbies in compromising positions, but every week a new twist. Or there are the hand-painted tables inside. Or the hand-drawn art on the chalkboard beer menu behind the bar. One of their employees does that, and she's freakin' awesome. Or the generic landscape paintings all over the place that someone added the Hamms bear and other cartoon characters into. Holy crap, that's genius!
3. Speaking of art, they even allow you to create some of your own: the bathroom walls are painted in chalkboard paint and chalk is provided. This often ends in a lot of genitalia drawings and swear words, but every so often there's something original and worthwhile. Not that I have anything against genitalia or swear words.
4. Bacon-infused vodka. Okay, I've never tried it, but I like that they have it. But it doesn't stop there, folks. They are, in fact, quite famous for their Bloody Marys. "Church of the Bloody Mary" menu. Check it out.
5. There's a covered, outdoor patio for smokers that's semi-enclosed in plastic during the cooler months and is equipped with overhead heaters. So considerate! And did I mention you can bring your DOG to the patio? Hell yeah. Why leave your best friend at home when s/he can kick it at the bar with you? As long as s/he is well-behaved and gets along with other dogs and people, that is.
6. And I can't neglect to mention the peeps: I adore the staff! They are funky and funny and quirky and kind. Unless you are a jerk or creeping out the customers, in which case they will not hesitate to 86 you. As it should be, in my opinion.

Miyamoto Sushi

422 SE 80th Ave., Portland, 97215
*This is a Plain Jane favorite.*

I am by no means a connoisseur of sushi. I don't like most fish, much less raw fish. Don't like the idea of fish eggs or eel or many of the other traditional sushi ingredients. These squeamish tendencies kept me away from sushi for a long time, and when I finally tried it for the first time, in my late 20's, it was not a good experience. Nor were the second or third tries.

It was not until I tried the sushi at Miyamoto that I became a fan. They have rolls that appeal even to me, and the ingredients are fresh and tasty.

My favorite rolls include: California roll with real crab (no roe, hold the cucumbers), Philly roll (smoked salmon and cream cheese--say WHAT?!?), Miyamoto roll, Black Tiger (went out on a limb and tried eel sauce--not bad, kinda sweet), and the Montavillan roll.

Roll to avoid: Spider roll. They leave the head on the soft-shell crab. Ack! I know that it's perfectly normal in other countries to be reminded that you are eating something that was once alive, but I'm sorry: I do not want my food looking me in the face when I'm trying to eat it.

Other points of awesomeness:
-The food is beautifully presented, little flowers made from carrots and all.
-Although the prices have recently gone up, the portions are generous and I can easily stuff myself on just two rolls.
-The same people who own Roscoe's also own Miyamoto, so you can sit in the sushi restaurant and order from Roscoe's impressive selection of beer on tap, which changes every week. Miyamoto also has sake, of course.
-They just moved! They used to be in a teeny tiny little space that sat about 10 people, but they have moved one door down and now have proper-sized restaurant. Have not visited since they switched locations, but I can't wait to do so!

June 2012 Update:
Visited their new location a couple of weeks ago. A nice, simple space with art on the walls.

Two changes aside from location that I noticed:
1) The Philly Roll was smaller and still only 5 pieces. Sad face.
2) New wait staff and sushi chef that were friendly and seemed well-intentioned. However, they did not seem as well-trained as the previous staff. Possibly explains the smaller Philly Roll?

Shenzhen

707 NE 82nd Ave, Portland, 97220
*This is a Plain Jane favorite.*

When I was in Madrid I used to go to a Chinese restaurant that was literally underground. Known by the locals as "the Blade Runner restaurant," the place was small, cheaply decorated, not super clean, and run by actual Chinese people. A silent TV hanging from a corner of the ceiling showed Chinese karaoke music videos. There was almost always a line to get in, but it never took long to get seated because the abrupt-mannered staff would rush you out as soon as they'd cleared your last plate.

There were two menus: one for the Chinese customers written only in Chinese that contained traditional dishes, and one for the Spaniards and ex-pats written in Chinese and Spanish that contained dishes more palatable to foreigners. The display case up front contained enormous white chicken feet, the bloated purple bodies of octopi, and several things I could not (and probably wouldn't want to) identify. There were additional menu items on posters tacked up on the walls--at least I assume that's what they were, because they were written only in Chinese, which I do not read or speak.

And the food. was. delicious. Addictive as crack-cocaine: we couldn't get enough of it.

When I walked into Shenzhen for the first time and saw a larger version of that little Chinese restaurant--saw the whole roasted ducks hanging behind glass by the front door, the aquarium tanks of large fish and lobsters that were destined to end up on someone's plate, the posters on the wall that no one had bothered to translate into English, saw that I was the only non-Asian person in the place--I knew I had struck gold. It has been my go-to for Chinese food for the last three years.

Shenzhen's self-proclaimed specialty is seafood (hence the fish in tanks), but they have plenty else to offer as well. Although I almost always end up ordering the same thing, I take delight in flipping through the huge, hard-bound, glossy-paged menu. Here I can see full-color photos of such house specialties as "chilled white chicken feet," "couple pieces lungs," and (my personal favorite) "pepper with pig rectum." Someday I will get drunk enough to actually try eating these things.

Of the dishes I have tried, some of which actually contain vegetables, nothing has disappointed. My favorite, though, is the combination dinner #6: fried rice, BBQ pork, fried shrimp, and sesame chicken. Probably my least favorite part of this meal is the BBQ pork, which tends to be on the dry side and lying in a little pool of grease. Pity. But the rest of it is delicious, and the shrimp--oh my god the shrimp--practically melts in your mouth. Sometimes I'll throw in an appetizer of pot stickers, which are at once crispy and a little doughy. All this costs about $13, and I consistently get two, sometimes even three, meals out of it. The price is right.

If you, like me, appreciate a cultural experience when you eat out; if you like Chinese food that is greasy enough to make your lips shiny but not so greasy as to leave a puddle on your plate; and especially if you think it right and proper that your Chinese food should come all in that special shade of golden brown which indicates being fried to perfection--then I highly recommend you give Shenzhen a try.

Porcelli's

6500 SW Virginia Ave, Portland, 97239
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*

Oh. My. God. I would be happy to die here. My stomach will explode just like Mr. Creosote in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life because it is so good I just can't stop.

I first heard about Porcelli's from some fellow food-fiends who took me there for brunch. Brunch at an Italian restaurant? Yes. And it was good. No, it was great. The breakfast menu is on the small side, but they have the important stuff, like eggs benedict and a plain ol' eggs/bacon/potatoes/toast combo.

But that's deceiving, because their potatoes are anything but "plain ol'." I'm not exactly sure what they do to them, but it's freaking amazing. I was expecting the same old rosemary home fries, but instead I got something more like a potato casserole with onions, cheese, paprika, and god-knows-what. Whatever you do, do not substitute hash browns; you will be sorry you missed the house potatoes.

The eggs benedict would have been perfect if I had remembered to order my eggs poached hard (I HATE runny eggs!!), but the English muffin, ham and hollandaise were divine.

On my second visit I had dinner. Since it was my first dinner experience at Porcelli's, I just had to try their fettuccine alfredo with shrimp. I couldn't believe it; it was almost too rich for me! It was a vat of heavy cream and butter and melted parmesan in which swam perfectly-cooked fettuccine noodles and shrimp.

And, oh yes, the Caesar salad was very good: fresh romaine, garlicky dressing, house-made balsamic vinegar croutons, freshly grated parmesan cheese. Drool, drool, drool...

The only thing that makes me sad about Porcelli's: no booths! But to be honest, I was so busy enjoying my food that I barely noticed. The interior is very pleasing: simple yet elegant.

The pricing, well, the breakfast was definitely average, at $8-10 a plate for a good-sized portion. The dinner is a little spendier at $12-15 a plate, but totally worth it. And you do get free bread with your entree. =*)

The verdict: Thank goodness for a decent job and regular martial arts classes; I can afford the bill and the calories.

Update: Have since revisited this fine establishment for dinner. Still give it rave reviews. My companions and I had the wild mushroom ravioli in cream sauce, lobster ravioli in lemon-cream sauce with capers, and a lovely risotto with mushrooms and artichoke hearts in a cream sauce. (Sorry; I don't remember the Italian names of these dishes.) All absolutely divine. Has earned a Plain Jane Favorites award.

On the down side of this last visit: the salads weren't as impressive this time, and the live music was neither welcome nor conducive to a pleasant dining experience. Was not that they were bad; just that they were too loud for the space and wanted attention, which I think is too much to ask for people stuffing their faces with cream sauces and trying to have a conversation.

La Terraza

933 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, 97204
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*

Whenever I work downtown and have the extra cash, I grab my lunch here at La Terraza.

For lunch, it's definitely on the expensive side at $9-11 a plate. BUT, since I'm a total Italian food fanatic, and since theirs is quick and delicious and comes in generous portions, I make the exception.

The fairly extensive lunch menu includes antipasti, salads, sandwiches, pastas and desserts. The dinner menu is about the same, but ditches the sandwiches and adds an entrees section. I like that soup or salad and bread is included with entree at dinner.

Entrees cost $13-20 a plate, but the pastas are much more reasonably priced at $9-12 a plate. Most are right around the $10 mark. Also interesting is the "Family Style Menu" which allows you to get pasta, bread and salad for 4-6 people at a flat rate. (I suppose the only difficulty with that would be getting everyone to agree on a pasta.)

While their fetuccine alfredo is pretty good, it's the fetuccine pesto e pollo that's to die for. My mouth waters just thinking about it! They also have a very decent Caesar salad.

Adding to the atmosphere are a preponderance of booths (hooray!) and some lovely wait staff. "Lovely" meaning both pleasant to talk to and pleasant to look at. (Yes, I am shallow.)

Overall: this place is a favorite of mine for the consistently great food served up quickly, and for dinner prices that are right on the mark.

Pastini

2027 SE Division St, Portland, 97202
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*

I know that other PDX publications prefer Italian restaurants like Genoa, but the problem I have with their picks is that they're all so damned expensive.

Pastini, on the other hand, is quite reasonable. You can find entrees for as little as eight bucks. Granted, they come a la carte, but they're frickin' delicious.

The Pastini on SE Division would be my second home if I could afford to eat out as much as I want to (i.e. every meal). The lighting is soft and romantic, the woods are dark, the merlot by the glass very satisfying. They have raised booths in addition to tables--have I mentioned that I love booths?--and I usually get there early enough to be seated in one of them.

As for the food itself...mmm, drool, drool. Although everything I've eaten at Pastini is very good, my favorite by far is their fettuccine alfredo, with or without chicken. Since this is my all-time favorite dish of all the dishes in the world, I can be a little hard to please when it comes to fettuccine alfredo, but Pastini certainly does not disappoint. It's rich, calorie-laden and absolutely delicious.

What's not so great about this location is the teeny tiny parking lot it shares with a Starbucks and a day spa. That said, there is plenty of street parking nearby, and the #10 bus (Harold) stops RIGHT THERE.

As for the rest: yes, the wait staff is pleasant (and some very cute); no, the music's not too loud; the pasta is cooked just right; blah, blah. It does all add to the overall impression, but the point is this: bomb, calorie-laden Italian food at an affordable price! Lemme at it!

The Cricket Café

3159 SE Belmont, Portland, 97214
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*

Sunday brunch is a popular tradition in Portland, and quite honestly my favorite meal of the week. The restaurant I keep going back to is The Cricket Café.

What I love about this place is THE FOOD! I've not eaten anything here that's less than amazing, though I particularly recommend the Cricket Skillet if you love dairy like I do. I love that you can get yourself a cup of coffee while you're waiting for a table. I love the tattooed staff, who are friendly and professional but not obsequious. I love the orange juice and the hash browns. And best of all I love the prices: the Cricket Skillet is only $8.25 and it's twice as much as I can eat in one sitting. They also have dog-friendly seating available outside, if the weather's nice.

I will admit that the Cricket has a couple drawbacks. Firstly, it is so popular on a weekend morning that I almost always have to wait at least half an hour for a table (though that's pretty standard for any decent brunch place in the area). Secondly, sometimes I feel slightly claustrophobic amid the small, tightly-packed tables (though so far I have not accidentally elbowed or butt-bumped anyone).

A new complaint from this most recent experience was that the music was just too dang loud and my brunch companions and I had to shout to be heard. (Note to establishments: the music should be set at a volume just BELOW that of the conversation, not above it.) But in general that has not been a problem at the Cricket in the past.

The verdict: Yum, yum, gimme some! This place has been a favorite of mine for years. All thumbs up.