A few blocks south of the nationally lauded Kachka, Pelmeni Pelmeni’s popular food cart is proof that Portland is more than its most famous restaurant celebrating the food of the former Soviet Republics. With a growing Slavic population (by some estimates Russian is the third-most widely spoken language in Oregon after English and Spanish), Portland is home to Russian and Ukrainian restaurants, cafes, groceries, churches, and a radio station. Ukrainian-born chef and owner Andrey Georgiyev keeps it simple at Pelmeni Pelmeni, with a small menu centering tender versions of its namesake dumplings, filled with chicken, beef, or potato — topped with dill, sour cream, green onions, and Russian ketchup. The rich red borscht is available with beef or vegan.

Some casual neighborhood bars can be touchy about being labeled a “dive bar,” no matter how lovingly the label is given. The High Dive has no such qualms, though frankly it’s nowhere near the top of the dive-y meter. This unpretentious neighborhood bar is home to a loyal set of regulars and some of the best sunset views in the city. The High Dive doesn’t specialize in fussy drinks with infusions and house tinctures, but the bartenders here are no slouches, and will deliver a solid cocktail as well as a respectable rotation of microbrews and wines. Expect the High Dive to be lively, with sound-on Blazers games during basketball season and Monday open mic comedy nights. Food from the adjacent Cartopia carts is more than welcome.

With slow-cooked dishes unlocking layers of subtle flavor and texture — not to mention an unrivaled arsenal of spices — Indian cooking is among the most organically suited to vegetarian dining. Just across Hawthorne from Ladd’s Addition, Maruti has been offering inner Southeast locals lovingly prepared north Indian dishes for more than six years. Roughly half the dishes use dairy-based ghee or paneer, while the rest are entirely vegan. A creative cocktail menu is highlighted by the Maruti Old Fashioned, mixed with Amrut, India’s first single-malt whiskey.

Standout Edomae-style sushi spot Nimblefish emerged from the existential crisis of 2020 by narrowing its focus. Largely eschewing the excellent-but-familiar selection of sea creatures found in Portland sushi restaurants, Nimblefish flies most of its fish in directly from Japan, allowing it to surprise Portlanders’ palates with delights like bafun uni, giant octopus, kanpachi, and smoked yaitogatsuo. Nimblefish may no longer be the after-work takeout staple it was in 2019, but like a shark it’s proven the best way to stay vibrant is to keep moving forward.

One of Portland’s more popular coffee roasters, Upper Left’s cafe in Ladd’s Addition is its only remaining location — though it’s a beautifully minimalist one. After a cortado or latte with the brand’s own roasts, visitors can choose from an array of different toasts: cashew-adobo spread and pepitas, poached eggs and romesco, lox and poblano schmear, among others. For something less toast-y, the cafe’s Turkish eggs, with Greek yogurt and paprika-cumin butter, are a good option.

If you’re looking for a place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with a view of Ladd’s Circle, this is your only option. The cozy, book-lined walls of the cafe surround tables populated by Ladd’s neighbors, who snack on chocolate chip cookies and slices of cake. After dessert, take a stroll around the rose gardens.

Ladd’s Addition is blessed with proximity to dozens of the eastside’s best watering holes, but it must be difficult to trek any further than the adjacent Deadshot, one of Portland’s most creative cocktail joints. Talented bartenders prepare impeccably balanced classics alongside daring originals featuring unconventional ingredients like mustard, sesame, cabbage, fish sauce, and ham. Food comes from a rotating cast of guest stars, with Filipino Sunrice as the regular. Note: between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, Deadshot hosts the Santa-themed “Miracle” pop-up — adjust expectations accordingly.

At a typical busy bar, there are few more reliable ways to become a bartender’s worst enemy than ordering a time-consuming mojito. Not so at Southeast Division’s Palomar, where Cuban and other Caribbean-inspired cocktails are a citywide draw. (So order that julep, gin fizz, or daiquiri guilt-free, but please tip thoughtfully.) The kitchen turns out some of the best Cuban food in town, in a focused menu highlighted by silky-smoky croquetas, the garlicky lechon con mojo pork shoulder, and owner Ricky Gomez’s mother’s flan. The 1950s Miami décor could be kitschy in less able hands, but nails a timeless balance of style, color, and light — especially inviting on dreary Portland winter evenings.

For nearly twenty years, Nossa Familia’s farm-direct, locally roasted beans have been among Portland’s most beloved — with several roasts named after specific members of the Brazilian-American family that owns and operates the company. One of three Portland cafes, the Ladd’s Addition outpost is airy and inviting, with vibrant plants and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The sustainably sourced and carefully roasted beans speak for themselves in drinks as simple as a drip coffee or Americano, but repeat visitors owe it to themselves to try Brazilian specialty drinks like the sweet, simple cafezinho or the spicy moca fogo.

Shoofly’s vegan treats are carried at coffee shops and restaurants throughout Portland, but Ladd’s Additioners know they all taste that much better in the cozy café on the ground floor of the brick edificed Ford Building. The weekend brunch menu is available Thursday through Saturday, featuring vegan biscuits and gravy and vegan egg sandwiches on cornmeal biscuits. Sweet treats will vary by the day, but cakes, pies, cookie trays, and other desserts are available to order.

With 50 drafts and more than 300 bottles, the beer selection at Apex is supreme. Unlike some trendier tap houses, the vibes at Apex are decidedly unfussy, with pinball machines inside and a massive patio of picnic benches outside. Spring and summer days will see the patio teeming with suds-loving Portlanders, but all beers are available to-go for patrons who are unable to snag a seat. The bartenders may be serious beer nerds, but they’re typically happy to offer suggestions to those intimidated by the colossal tap list. Food is welcome from Los Gorditos next door or any of the nearby restaurants.

Jacqueline’s $1 oyster happy hour is something of a mutually understood permission structure, an unspoken covenant between Jacqueline and Portlanders. Sure, one could stroll in at 5 p.m., down a dozen bracingly fresh oysters, chase them down with a Rainier tall boy, and bike home an hour later, with less than twenty bucks damage, including tip. But who are we kidding? The bivalves are an invitation to savor a simple, sensory experience, let the noise of the workday fade into the background, and open a fresh page for an epicurean evening. Jacqueline offers fresh seafood in creative settings, drawing on a range of global culinary traditions — including a Vietnamese inspired hamachi crudo and rustic French-style radicchio salad. The Dungeness crab toast is justifiably beloved, but worth waiting for fresh Dungie season to kick off.