Montelupo presents itself in the day as a charming Italian market that shines with its selection of wines, house-made pasta kits, and sauces; in the mornings, regulars pop in for drip coffee and daily rotating pastries. At night, Montelupo transforms its dining room and outdoor space into a cozy neighborhood restaurant where diners can sip on Aperol spritzes over house-made pastas — the tajarin, coated in subtle truffle butter and finished with a heaping pile of parmesan, is a menu highlight. Finish off the night with an order of the house tiramisu, espresso-soaked ladyfingers layered over marsala mousse and dusted with cocoa powder.

This invitingly colorful, casual spot is home to some of the city’s best tortas. While customers chatter among dangling foliage and terracotta vases, the restaurant’s chefs top toasted telera bread with proteins like carnitas, achiote-marinated chicken, and refried beans, followed by some combination of cabbage slaw, avocado, pickled vegetables, lime, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Sides like esquites and salads round out any meal, as well as desserts like flan and horchata gelato.

City State Diner, located on Northeast 28th Ave, draws a crowd of weekend brunchers seeking hearty, carb-loaded plates and daytime cocktails. This laidback diner whips up American breakfast classics as well as Southern favorites like biscuits and gravy and country-fried steak. The eggs Benedict arrive with a velvety dill hollandaise nothing short of indulgent. On the cocktail menu, the selection of bloody marys overshadows everything else — it’s safe to assume that the drink is a de facto City State Diner specialty.

This Burnside Indonesian restaurant, east of the park, is straight out of Jakarta, with its menu of standards like beef rendang and peanut-y gado gado. The best way to experience the restaurant as a single diner is through one of Wajan’s mixed-rice dishes, nasi campur or nasi uduk — with both, a mound of rice sits at the center, surrounded by things like saucy hard-boiled eggs (telur terong balado) and tempe orek (stir-fried tempeh). Any meal should involve a variety of the restaurant’s house sambals.

This charming, all-in-one butcher counter and restaurant has been a staple of the community since opening its doors in 2009. During lunch, the shop hawks sandwiches with house meats, like the #4 — smoked sliced chicken and house bacon on Como with cheddar, pickled zucchini, red onion, arugula, and herb mayo. By dinner, the restaurant shifts into a steakhouse, with sumptuous cuts of Brandt Ranch rib-eye and cast-iron filet mignon, as well as more moderately priced options like flat iron and hanger steak. Start with beef tartare and LM deviled eggs, which are worth the experience alone.

A neighborhood seafood market doubling as a restaurant, Flying Fish Company prides itself on offering sustainable seafood to both diners and home cooks. The market, which boasts a wide selection of fresh fish fillets, house-smoked fish, oysters, and shellfish, is also stocked with a great selection of tinned fish, condiments, and other pantry supplies. For visitors dining in, a variety of freshly shucked oysters — ordered by the dozen or half dozen — are the ideal starter. The menu also includes a number of takeout-friendly items for picnics, like the smoked salmon platter, poke, and grilled steelhead sandwich with citrus-cilantro slaw.

Local culinary legend Akkapong Earl Ninsom opened Paadee in 2011, offering a range of Thai comfort food favorites such as curries, stir-fries, and rice noodle dishes alongside dishes specific to the Isan region of Northeastern Thailand. The best dishes incorporate a touch of both: The tempura delicata squash salad, for instance, uses crispy pork larb as a base alongside the fried squash, grilled prawns, coconut-lime-chile dressing, and crunchy components like crushed peanuts and fried shallots. For those hoping to skip the wait during dinner service, it’s best to come during lunch, when some of the restaurant’s greatest hits arrive as sets with papaya salad, a soft-boiled egg, and a side of soup. Behind the bar, Paadee offers innovative cocktails using Southeast Asian ingredients like ube, pandan, tamarind, and lychee.

Since 2009, Fifty Licks has served some of the best scoops of dairy and non-dairy ice cream around Portland, with iconic flavor combinations like the vegan mango sticky rice: creamy coconut, swirls of Alphonso mango puree, and hints of pandan leaf. The shop also offers nostalgic treats like milkshakes and root beer floats, ideal for a post-movie treat or a walk around the neighborhood.

This bright and roomy cafe, situated at the intersection of Southeast Ankeny and 28th Avenue, is a popular spot among Laurelhurst locals seeking a productive workspace during the week or a warm and welcoming third space for leisurely weekend mornings. Coffee enthusiasts will enjoy the bold and vibrant floral and citrusy notes of Crema’s single-origin French press coffee. When it comes to food, the cardamom morning buns and cream cheese-frosted cinnamon rolls are clear standouts; those desiring something more filling and savory should opt for a slice of the veggie or meat quiche.

Located within the inconspicuous Pod 28, this fried chicken cart keeps a relatively tight menu of boneless fried chicken boxes and wings, both in Southern and Korean styles. The cart’s staff coats boneless fried chicken in a sweet soy garlic or spicy glaze, sprinkled with sesame seeds— Korean-style chicken boxes come with coleslaw, rice, and pickled radish. The Southern fried chicken box features dry-seasoned chicken with sides of coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and corn. When available, do not miss the mac and cheese and Southern fried pickles.

Walking into Ken’s Artisan Pizza, diners spot 12-inch, thin-crust pies emerging from the centerpiece of the open kitchen: a wood-fired brick oven. Long-fermented crusts come layered with things like Lan-Roc bacon or Olympia Provisions capicola, as well as hand-stretched mozz and Italian tomatoes; visitors can (and should) add fresh burrata to any pie. Appetizers like the calamari and meatballs are great for sharing — save the plates for the leftover pools of vibrant tomato sauce, a worthy makeshift pizza crust dip. Arrive early to avoid the pizzeria’s famously lengthy lines on weekends.

This stylish Morrison restaurant, south of the Park, is a natural spot for dates, with snacks like oysters on the half shell and airy gougeres served alongside white Negronis and Aperol spritzes at the marble bar. Meals should involve some of the restaurant’s seasonal salads and burrata preparation, followed by house pastas or risotto. If you want to keep the date going, split a scoop of the shop’s house ice cream.

Vegans adore this fairly new Sunnyside spot for its inventive take on Southeast Asian dishes, ranging from larb croquettes to drunken linguini. Start with a mango margarita or a nonalcoholic guava sour, before snacking on tom yum “wings” or massaman curry samosas. Any of the shop’s noodle dishes are worth an order, as is the crispy rice salad with house-fermented mushrooms.