Portland

Familiar Feasting

Ah, the marionettes and gewgaws that dangle over the bar at Esparza's--do they strike you as a peyote vision or more like the standard-issue "flare" at Applebee’s? The answer may depend on whether you're on your first margarita or your third. It's a very decent margarita, at $4.95 for the house pour, although you can upgrade to a smoother tequila if you like. As for the Tex-Mex fare, it can be as blandly familiar as chicken enchiladas with red beans and dirty rice. And sometimes bland is perfect: I, for one, never tire of the chiles rellenos, made with whole poblano peppers in a substantial egg batter and stuffed with queso blanco. But you can swap out the chicken for beef tongue, buffalo, or even ostrich meat. Esparza's also offers posole (pork and hominy soup), which can be surprisingly hard to find in Anglo Portland. The complimentary chips are on the thick and chewy side, but the servers cheerfully keep them coming when the kitchen is backed up. Avoid the back dining room if possible; it can be deafening. And don't park in the Holden's lot unless you're into the whole towing thing.

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Restaurants • All Neighborhoods

Want to Accanto?

Accanto--it's one of those words that sound so much more enchanting in Italian. It simply means "next door," and, in fact, Accanto is next door to Portland's venerable Genoa restaurant, which closed in 2009 for a complete makeover under new owners. This re-do included making space to open Accanto, which now serves as a sexier, less expensive alternative to Genoa's formal dining room. Both restaurants are flat-out Italian. Under the helm of David Anderson, recruited from Vindalho, Accanto features snacks like focaccia with "melted" leek, pecorino, and prosciutto, as well as panini sandwiches, including a very satisfying wild boar ragu with provolone and pickled onion. Vegetarians can do reasonably well for themselves here, too. If they're not open to Accanto's wide array of Italian sheep's milk and cow's milk cheeses, they can still enjoy the crostini di polenta ai funghi: crispy polenta with mushroom ragu. Pescatarians may gravitate towards the fritto misto or the arancini al nero di sepia: fried squid ink rice croquettes stuffed with calamari and shrimp. Italian labels dominate the short wine list, but try a cocktail, especially the Bitter Bocaccio, an icy concoction of Aperol, triple sec, St. Germain, and lime juice. Ah!

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Restaurants • All Neighborhoods

Habit Forming

While it's true that Beulahland has that whole breakfast thing goin' for it, most people I know frequent it later in the evening (or early in the afternoon, as the case may be). Home to a cast of quirky characters and one of the raddest bartenders in town (Megan--tip her well), this little neighborhood dive may fast become a mainstay in your life. The ambiance is cozy and eccentric, from the light bulbs dancing on the ceiling to the self-serve water that pours from an old telephone tap. Yeah, it's dark and the bathrooms are kinda skanky, but this is not your run-of-the-mill dive bar. The food is tasty and on point (albeit no french fries), they infuse their own liquor, and on tap is a fine selection of local beers including cask-conditioned ale. Rounding out the experience is one righteous jukebox and a regular lineup of local DJs. Especially popular is Eye Candy Sunday, where you can O.D. on nostalgia and dance in the aisles.

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Coffee , Nightlife • All Neighborhoods

Shop Local. Look Good.

Looking to step out in style? Don't want to support the corporate clothing conglomerates? And do you want something unique and fashionable, but don't want to break the bank? Moxie is here to save you from fashion faux pas. They feature women's clothing by local designers (and a few outsiders, too) with an emphasis on fun, wearable designs. The prices may be higher than the cookie cutter stuff at the big box stores, but compared to other small batch, designer boutique items, it's a steal. Plus you're buying local and looking *good*. Win-win.

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Shopping • All Neighborhoods

Hovering For Perfection

See all those people huddled out in the cold on 28th Avenue? They know that those thin, perfect pizzas coming out of Ken's oven are worth the wait. And not just the pizzas, but the starters also cooked in the wood oven also give you a good reason to exercise patience. Here's a tip: if you don't need to sit at a table, hover by the bar. The seating there is first-come-first-seated (and fed). Be ready to swoop in as soon as you see someone reaching for their coat.

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Restaurants • All Neighborhoods

Dreaming in Velvet

If you have even a passing interest in velvet paintings (and why wouldn't you?) then you HAVE to visit the Velveteria. There are 350 paintings on display, all from the personal collection of the owners, Carl and Caren. They've collected over 2,000 of these surreal works of art for the past 10 years and have chosen the best for maximum sensory onslaught. The lobby only slightly prepares you for what’s behind the curtain once you’ve paid the small fee. Organized by genre, it's difficult to decide where to start. Cowboys? Hula girls? '80s celebrities? Elvis? Naked ladies? Best to just pick a wall and slowly make your way around the room. You'll probably want to buy everything. Unfortunately, none of the paintings are for sale. But Carl and Caren can sell you a t-shirts or postcard emblazoned with your favorite image. They can probably also give you some tips on where you can go to start turning your own house into a Velveteria.

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Art Galleries • All Neighborhoods