A Portland institution for decades, Ringside Steakhouse offers a three course supper each day for $40 before 6 p.m. and $50 after. A few options are offered for each course, none of which are vegetarian-friendly, but it provides a great way to sample one of Portland’s most iconic spots at a reasonable price.

One of Portland’s earliest examples, the tasting menu at Paley’s Place remains as great as ever. Changing ever day and drawing from à la carte selections, the menu costs $70 for five courses and $90 for seven, with optional wine pairings at $40 and $50, respectively. You’ll often find dishes like duck pierogi, seared wagyu, and other Northwestern treats.

Roe is back after more than a year’s hiatus, with chef Trent Pierce making some of the best seafood dishes in town. There are a few options, including four- or seven-course menus during the week, and a special Saturday-only seven-course tasting menu. Each course is a new fishy revelation, with a wide range of seafood and cooking techniques, paired with everything from local and European whites to sake and sparkling wines.

Gabe Rucker’s Le Pigeon has had no small influence in defining what constitutes Portland dining. The French-Northwestern restaurant offers both five-course and seven-course tasting menus each night, with a variety of beverage pairings as well, including a surprisingly good non-alcoholic pairing. It’s indulgent, but needs to be tried at least once.

Originally a tapas restaurant, Bar Casa Vale nabbed Chef Jacob Harth in late 2017, and now offers a much wider selection of hearth-roasted, old-world cuisine. For $50 guests can order the family style dinner (full table participation is required), a hearty meal of roasted meats and vegetables, seafood, and salads, all with Spanish flair. It’s strongly recommended to order a bottle (or two) of sherry for the table.

Not all Portland tasting menus are filled with foie gras and pork belly: Farm Spirit’s entirely vegetable-based menu redefines what a vegan meal can be. The entire meal is served at the counter, while chef Aaron Adams walks guests through the dishes, with each unique plate exemplifying Cascadia’s bountiful vegetation. A unique non-alcoholic pairing menu is available (as is a wine pairing), made up of drinking vinegars and other fermented beverages.

One of the city’s most celebrated restaurants, Castagna disproves the myth that Portland doesn’t do high-end dining. The restaurant offers two menus: a six course dinner for $100, or a special chef’s tasting menu for $165, each with an optional wine pairing. Both deliver a striking ensemble of dishes full of seasonal, local ingredients prepared with modern and classic techniques.  À la carte options can be found next door at Cafe Castagna.

Sarah Pliner’s Aviary isn’t a vegetarian restaurant by default, but the chef’s tasting menu is. For $40, Pliner brings a four-course dinner of Asian inspired, seasonal dishes, all of which are 100% vegetarian (though not vegan). It’s a great way to sample her cooking, even for meat-eaters.

Nomad PDX and its chef, Ryan Fox, both won the Eater’s reader’s choice award for restaurant and chef of the year for 2017. This is likely due to Fox’s inventive and playful menu of primarily locally sourced ingredients. The style and number of plates changes daily, but it’s always creative, and served in one of the most beautiful spaces in town. While Nomad.PDX is entirely prix fixe, guests can stop into the adjacent Ash Bar for à la carte dishes from the kitchen, as well as cocktails and wine.

One of Portland’s hottest dinners, don’t expect to get a seat at Langbaan without a few months’ wait, even up to half a year. Earl Ninsom’s tasting extravaganza seats twenty-four people twice a night and serves some of the best Thai food in the city. Luckily, the adjacent PaaDee serves an Issan menu on Mondays and Tuesdays, a great way to sample a bit of what Langbaan offers.

Arguably Portland’s best Japanese restaurant, Nodoguro invites guests to partake on a thirteen course experience of “hardcore sushi”, with the menu changing each day, using only the freshest, most seasonal ingredients, both local and imported. Reservations go extremely quickly, and if you cancel, don’t expect a refund. Do keep an eye out for those who have cancelled, though, as it’s a way to get a surprise seat at an amazing dinner.

The wine bar at SE Wine Collective recently got a major overhaul to its food menu, offering far more than just snacks and cheese boards. Now the wine bar, renamed Oui, has a fuller menu with heartier dishes. For $35 the whole table can share starters, salads, and entrees including roast chicken, trout, gnocchi, and more. Rather than a wine pairing menu, Oui offers a variety of flights, as well as a numerous wines by the glass.

Maya Lovelace’s Appalachian dinner spot Mae offers three dinners a week: two on Monday for $40 and one on Wednesday for $75. While the Wednesday one offers more courses, no one is going hungry after the Monday night feast of fried chicken, cornbread, pimento mac and cheese, and more. Plus they’re both BYOB. Get on Mae’s mailing list and keep an eye out for announcements as tickets for these dinners go fast.