The kitchen at this ’50s-Havana themed bar, with its strawberry-sherbet-leather chairs and dangerously good blended daiquiris, was taken over by Imperial and Bullard alumnus Ricky Bella in late 2022. Highlights of the food menu include crisp jamon and béchamel fritters with guava dip, bright shrimp and tuna ceviche with avocado and pineapple, and rotating flavors of tres leches cake for diners to enjoy while sipping Cuba Libres or mojitos.

Under a canopy of hanging plants and surrounded by art, diners at this eclectic African restaurant rip off bites of springy fufu to dunk in intricately spiced and savory goat stew, sipping hibiscus bissap between bites. Meals here should start with gargantuan suya wings, coated in a powdery peanut spice blend, followed by the restaurant’s jollof meal, highlighting umami-rich jollof rice as well as custardy sweet plantains. Another stunner: The restaurant’s triumphant ginger-marinated whole fried fish, topped with a tangy mustard sauce and a tomato-onion relish. Desserts range from Cote D’Ivoire’s take on chocolate mousse to puff puff, Nigerian mini-doughnuts.

The newest outpost of a burgeoning Detroit-style pizza empire, Ranch PDX Southeast shares a space with Baerlic Brewing’s vast taproom. With plenty of seating, the combination of the two establishments makes for an ideal, low-key date night. Ranch PDX serves its pizzas by the pie or the quarter, that latter of which works out to two triangular slices of saucy, crusty joy.

This classic East-Coast-style pizza counter is dedicated to paying its employees a living wage and using locally available produce on its thin crusted, generously sauced pies. Although the standard margherita and “Hawaii 5-0-5” with pineapple, pepperoni, and New Mexico green chile are excellent choices, the real move is the “defino,” a 16-inch “granny-style” square Sicilian pizza that Scottie’s tops with two kinds of mozzarella and garlic oil. They sell a limited quantity each day, so early orders are encouraged. Scottie’s also has a pay-it-forward program, so customers can buy an extra slice of pizza or a whole pie for a hungry Portlander.

A stalwart Portland Mexican restaurant, the red-accented Nuestra Cocina serves quintessential dishes like a chorizo-stuffed masa cakes and carne asada tacos. The bar boasts a variety of tequilas and mezcals for margaritas like the de Granada, made with pomegranate and ginger, or the Cocina Especial, with chile arbol-infused tequila that makes a spicy finish to a meal alongside Grand Marnier flan or chocolate pound cake with cinnamon ice cream.

Mestizo is many wonderful things: It’s a refreshingly airy and well-lit space, it’s gluten-free, and it’s host to a bevy of chef pop-ups and charity events. It’s also a really great everyday, neighborhood Latin American restaurant, with playful dishes like shrimp ceviche served with tostones, coconut-fried oysters with Fresno chili jam, and flan with Colombian coffee whipped cream. The cocktail menu includes all the sweet and summery hits, like margaritas, Palomas, Pisco sours, and daiquiris.

This dedicated meat-free Thai restaurant is a favorite of Portland vegetarians, featuring main dishes loaded with fried tofu, soft tofu, tempeh, or veggies. Specialties include the crispy tempeh, served in a sweet-and-tangy tamarind sauce with yellow noodles, the standard-but-delightful Kati Pad Thai, and rich panang curry with young peppercorn.

Bollywood Theater has developed a reputation for dishes like its kati roll, a Kolkatan paratha wrap filled with paneer or yogurt-marinated chicken. Vegetarians will find the house-made paneer very satisfying, whether served in a tikka bowl or in a tomato and cashew curry. No matter what you order, prepare for nuanced combinations of flavors laced with freshly imported spices from several regions of India.

Although the public house on Division has been around for years, it has become a standby since the beginning of the pandemic, in no small part due to its massive covered parking lot patio: Diners sprawl out to drink strong German beers and knock back from-scratch sausages. The public house also serves Olympia Provisions’ renowned boards, huge plates of house charcuterie and artisan cheeses studded with pickles and mustard.

What once was as a farmer’s market booth has since expanded into a bright and cheery bakery on Division. Buttery crusts give just the right amount of flaky goodness to inventive and classic fruit pies like tart cherry and raspberry chiffon, or quiches like asparagus bacon Swiss. After operating as a takeout window for much of the pandemic, Lauretta Jean’s recently reopened their newly remodeled interior, serving slices, pastries, coffee, and beer. Larger orders can also be placed through their weekly bake sale.

Down a short alleyway, tucked into the back corner of the patio adjoining cocktail bar Someday, one will find Portland’s only seasonal, wood-fired Mormon food truck. Ruthie’s quickly rose to prominence in 2021, appearing on best-of lists and Netflix series as Aaron Kiss and Collin Mohr consistently sold out of rockfish sliders on housemade rolls, over-the-top potato salads, and massive bone-in pork chops, inspired by the church cookbooks of Mohr’s grandmother. Those in the know pay attention to the cart’s Instagram, which has regular updates on new dishes.

A local favorite as much for its food as its social media presence, Kim Jong Grillin is Han Ly Hwang’s spot for bibim boxes, his take on a bibimbap with no-joke Korean barbecue hits like garlicky galbi ribs or sweet bulgogi beef, and “munch wraps,” a Taco Bell riff with rotating special fillings that have a loyal cult following on Instagram. It is a crime to walk off the cart’s covered deck without a massive pile of kimchi or japchae — make sure you get extra.