Making its home in a modest residential house built in 1906, the unassuming Frank’s specializes in heavenly hand-pulled noodles. Owners Frank Fong and Ying Jun Gao offer a menu including serviceable Chinese American favorites like General Tso’s chicken and shrimp fried rice, but for anyone who eats gluten, there’s no reason to opt for anything but the elite noodles, either stir-fried or pan-fried. And while a 2013 visit from Guy Fieri may have increased the lunchtime crowds, the noodles are as tender as ever.

Portland is thick with vegan bars, so the ones that persevere need more to define them than simply seitan. Broadway’s 100 percent vegan, punk-meets-metal Black Water has attitude in spades. After the closure of Alberta’s the Know, Black Water became a crucial venue in Portland’s punk scene, and after some pandemic downtime it’s back to hosting frequent live shows. As for the food, Black Water competes with Portland’s best in vegan bar-food staples, with the wings being a particular favorite. Drinks range from the clever (and delicious) Kwisatz Sazerac to $3 cans of Rainier.

It’s no accident that Bluefin puts tuna front-and-center in the name: The high quality tuna is the focus here, at this Japanese-by-way-of-Seoul spot. Toro, otoro, chutoro, and of course bluefin are specialties, though the restaurant offers plenty of other options from the Pacific’s bounty as well, including salmon, crab, sea urchin, prawns, and frequent specials. The rolled-up nigiri balls are a fun visual gimmick, but rest assured — this is serious sushi. Drinks include beer, wine, and a limited sake menu.

Though Petisco is not, as the name might suggest to a hopeful Portland Lusophile, a dedicated Portuguese restaurant, it’s a delightful pan-European restaurant all the same, with a frequently rotating seasonal menu and an inviting basement dining space that receives plenty of light. The small dining room, warm staff, and nightly specials create the feel of dinner over at a friend’s. The night’s menu can pull from all parts of the continent, with an emphasis on western Mediterranean fare — the house specialty is the monthly paella night, by reservation only. Petisco serves thoughtfully curated wines, limited beer, and refreshing cocktails.

20 years in the Portland restaurant scene is an eon or two, so what was once striking — an entirely vegan restaurant — is now abundant. And while vegetarian and vegan dishes dot nearly ever menu in town today, and plenty of plant-based-only restaurants have sprung into existence, Blossoming Lotus remains a hallmark. From dishes that emulate carnivorous classics like the lentil-walnut burger or the BBQ soy curls, to fully raw dishes like the spicy live nachos or the vibrant taco salad, Blossoming Lotus covers the plant-based gamut. The bar serves both mocktails and cocktails, and features a modest wine and beer list. But the most celebrated beverages are the smoothies and juices — start the day with sweet-sour green lantern juice, or enjoy a smoothie as spicy dessert with a pecan, banana, cayenne, and cinnamon hot date.

Enlightenment thinker Henri de Saint-Simon is perhaps best known for his then-radical notion that the needs of the working class should be paramount to society. Whether Saint Simon Coffee was named in honor of Henri or not, 21st-century working Portland most certainly is powered by caffeine, and no place on Broadway combines quality espresso and inviting decor quite so well. Bucking the minimalist trend, Saint Simon is modern but funky, small but never cramped, even when all its seats are full. The beans are Coava — don’t miss the cold brew flights in the summer. Food is limited to pastries like chocolate chip cookies and almond scones. (note: Saint Simon’s sister coffee shop is just a few blocks north in Irvington, so be sure to confirm with friends or dates which location is your intended meet-up spot.)

While Portland is chock-full of good-to-great bakeries, truly God-tier croissants — airy and soft on the inside, flaky and buttery sweet on the outside — are somewhat rare, making Twisted Croissant a worthwhile destination even those far from Northeast Broadway. In addition to traditional French classics like the butter croissant and pain au chocolat, don’t be afraid to get twisted with creative seasonal alternatives like a Boston cream doughnut croissant or a raspberry-rose cruffin. The coffee is quite good, sparing patrons a trip to another coffee shop in the neighborhood. Twisted Croissant has stepped up its hours and baking volume, but don’t be surprised to find more popular offerings sold out by the afternoon.

Launching a successful wine bar may be the most challenging feat of alcohol entrepreneurship. Cocktail bars can offer tastes difficult to replicate at home, but a wine bar’s essential function is pouring wine from a bottle into a glass — something even the most culinarily inept of us can manage. Instead, the allure comes down to curation, vibe, and food, three assets that Heavenly Creatures offers in spades. The bites here go far beyond drinking snacks, with seafood treats like yellowtail toast and poached black cod leading the way. Wines by the glass include scintillating, often difficult-to-find selections from France, Italy, and Oregon. Check the Instagram account for frequent tasting events.

Rose & Thistle’s patio might be the most versatile in the city. Covered seating? Check. Sunny spots? Check. Multiple levels? You bet. Wide open areas for large groups and nooks for quieter dates? Yes and yes. This neighborhood haunt is beloved by regulars but in typical Portland fashion has a steady stream of new converts. The beer list represents all corners of the British Isles, and the sincere bartenders pour stiff, well-balanced cocktails. The RAT is also a reliable spot to catch a Blazers, Thorns, or Timbers game.

Despite the conspicuous lack of a WNBA team, few American cities embrace women’s sports as enthusiastically as Portland — the Thorns boast the second-highest attendance in the National Women’s Soccer League (after only much larger L.A.). So the 2022 arrival of the Sports Bra — Portland’s first and, so far only, dedicated women’s sports bar — feels long overdue. The TVs are exclusively set to women’s sports, and the bar hosts watch parties for events like the World Track and Field Championships. The food and drink menus are no slouches, with plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and carnivore options, along with fun sports-themed cocktails like the Title IX — bourbon and peach liqueur.

This nationally renowned tiki bar concocts an intoxicating fantasy, complete with sound effects, party-sized drinkable volcanoes, a “Chieftain’s Hut,” and plenty of fire. The drinks themselves are more than smoke and mirrors: Hale Pele’s bartenders are rum experts and can guide you through both the flashy drinks and some delicious simpler ones. The lines can get long here, but folks can reserve the Chieftain’s Hut ahead of time.