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Castagna's Siu Hits Tad's for Old-School Chicken

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Oregon is home to a lot of restaurants, bars, wineries, and breweries, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Portlanders just aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's many food luminaries to share their under-the-radar recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential.

tadschickendumplin.jpg

Image of Tad's courtesy Scout Seventeen via Flickr

Monique Siu has a well-earned reputation for pushing the fine dining bar to new heights ever since she moved to Oregon in 1990 and was one of the founding owners — and pastry chef — at the legendary Zefiro in Northwest Portland. Now, as the owner of Castagna and Cafe Castagna, Monique brings that same complex culinary insight to her role overseeing both restaurants. But Siu can also appreciate the simplier things in life... such as a great roadhouse diner that, for nearly 100 years, has served a great piece of chicken. Not one to over explain — she prefers to let her food tell the story — here are Siu's ever-so-brief thoughts on an Oregon icon in Troutdale, just 20 miles east of Portland.

Tad's Chicken 'N Dumplins has been one of my favorite places since I came to Oregon and one of the few old-school places remaining — and it is as good as ever. Located on the banks of the Sandy River, it's a perfect place for a summer evening. I love to sit next to one of the open windows, sip a gin and tonic, and enjoy the view and the breeze. I always go for the pan fried chicken — it's nice and crispy — and a baked potato.

· Tads Chicken 'n Dumplins [Official Site]
· All Previous Dining Confidentials [Eater PDX]

Castagna

2015 Chestnut Street, , CA 94123 (415) 440-4290 Visit Website

OK Omens

1758 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, , OR 97214 (503) 231-9959 Visit Website

Tad's Chicken 'n Dumplins

1325 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale, OR