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 last 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 as of 2022 it’s back to hosting multiple live shows each week. 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 $2 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.

While nearby Frank’s inhabits a funky old craftsman house imbued with character, Qiao Noodle House’s generic modern storefront could make it easy to pass by as just another chain. That assumption would be dead wrong, as Qiao’s crossing-the-bridge noodle soup experience makes for an exciting and delicious personalized hot pot. The savory or spicy broths serve as a vibrant canvas for an individualized culinary painting — consider the golden broth that combines complex spicy and sour notes with the subtle sweetness of squash. Proteins include beef, pork, quail eggs, chicken gizzards, and tofu. Fresh vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms are close at-hand to add dimension and texture. Dine in the air-conditioned dining room or grab takeout.

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 creates 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.

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 somehow never feeling 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.

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 pan au chocolate, 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 is currently takeout only.

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.

Perhaps no Portland Tiki establishment concocts as intoxicating a fantasy and Broadway’s Hale Pele, 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.