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Updating the Eater PDX HeatMap: Where to Eat Now

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Restaurant obsessives want to know what's new, what's hot, which favorite chef just launched a sophomore effort, etc., and more often than not, tipsters, readers, friends and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? And while the Eater 38 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the "it" (ie, newest) places of the moment.

Thus, we offer the Eater HeatMap, which will change often to continually highlight where the food-focused crowds are flocking to at this very second. This time around, there's just one opening to add to the list: Jose Chesa's tapas spot Ataula.


2013 HeatMap Updates:
1/3/2013: Added: Ava Gene's, Verde Cocina en la Perla
2/7/2013: Added: Tasty N Alder, Raven & Rose
3/7/2013: Added: Levant, Racion, Kingdom of Roosevelt, Tarad
4/4/2013: Added: The Fireside
5/2/2013: Added: din din Supper Club, Sok Sab Bai
6/6/2013: Added: Sen Yai, Old Salt Marketplace
7/11/2013: Added: Roman Candle Bakery, Block + Tackle, Grassa
8/1/2012: Added: Teote Areperia, Expatriate, Alberta Street Pub
9/5/2013: Added: Ataula

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Chef Jose Chesa emphasizes a convivial, familial vibe at his restaurant Ataula, which considers itself a Spanish gastropub more than a stuffy "tapas restaurant." The tapas themselves combine similar levels of comforting familiarity and playfulness: gazpacho "shots" arrive topped with a frozen ricotta granité; hearty canelones feature serrano ham "powder."

Expatriate

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Beast chef Naomi Pomeroy breaks from French tradition to partner with St. Jack founding bartender Kyle Webster to open a bar featuring an Asian-inflicted take on drinking food. The highlight's a Burmese tea leaf salad, but expect big flavors in dishes like samosa chaats, a tempura halibut sandwich with kimchi, and of course, the cocktails.

Teote Areperia

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Chef Michael Kennett has traded in his food cart Fuego de Lotus for a proper brick-and-mortar restaurant dedicated to masa arepas and a menu of grilled meats. Early buzz suggests you should go for the family-style "La Cena" meal, with grilled lamb and fino ribs.

Roman Candle Bakery

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This hotly anticipated bakery by Stumptown mastermind Duane Sorenson literally opened a couple days ago, and already this warm SE Division spot has inspired many a food-porn money shot. So far, the cases are filled with breads and pastries by Lovejoy Bakers alum Dan Griffin, plus savory sandwiches, with plans to roll out pizza bianca in the coming weeks. (Nope, it's not ready quite yet.)

Alberta Street Pub

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The chef behind cultishly beloved food cart Garden State, Kevin Sandri, resurfaces at the revamped Alberta Street Pub. The menu truly does elevate expected pub fare, offering a solid neighborhood experience — and yes, folks are making special trips to reconnect with GS' chickpea sandwich. [Photo: Facebook]

Block + Tackle

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Chef Trent Pierce pulls a switcheroo at his Division spot Wafu, transforming the space and concept into a casual seafood restaurant that celebrates his Oregon roots. The result is an American take on seafood, elevated: hot crab dip is re-imagined as a light interpretation of Wafu's crab roll; seafood "charcuterie" arrives in the form of marlin rillettes and mussels cured in pimenton.

Like at his familiar sandwich spot Lardo, Rick Genarelli debuts a similarly fast-casual take, this time on fresh pasta. The menu features impressively varied and well-executed takes on carbonara (with a perfected cracked egg), gigli (simply cracked pepper and cheese), and chitarra (with squid ink, octopus, and chorizo).

Sen Yai

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Andy Ricker takes his familiar approach to Thai cooking — authentic, unexpected, and street-influenced — and applies it to the humble noodle, devoting an entire menu to stir-fried and soup-stewed iterations of the dish. As expected, the place is already packed during lunch and dinner hours, but head in for a leisurely morning brunch.

Old Salt Marketplace

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The team behind NE's comfortable bar Grain & Gristle joins forces with Pastaworks alum Tray Satterfield to bring a similar homey spot to the Cully neighborhood. Chef Tim Wastell churns out simple-yet-hearty dishes from the open-hearth kitchen (don't miss the housemade biscuits); meanwhile, the lunchtime deli offers sandwiches and salads crafted from house-butchered and cured meats.

din din supper club

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Courtney Sproule's always meticulously planned, always surprising series of "din din" supperclub dinners now have a permanent brick-and-mortar home. But the concept — rotating themed dinner parties — remains the same, with the even calendar shifting every few weeks. The spot also provides a charming site for a leisurely weekend brunch or a "ladies who lunch" midday meal.

Sok Sab Bai

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Beloved food cart Sok Sab Bai upgrades to a full-on restaurant allowing chef Nyno Thol to expand his menu of Cambodian classics. Cart favorites like steamed buns, chicken plates, and flavorful bowls of soup remain; new items include pan-fried bass, pork chops, and rotating specials.

Chef Scott Snyder fills a hole in the local culinary scene with Levant, a restaurant that combines "Arabesque" influences (from Turkey, Palestine, North Africa) with French techniques and fine-dining aesthetics. Share plates like stuffed grilled squid with chickpeas and a dessert of kanafeh and a smoky roasted pear sorbet; you'll want to hog entrees like a rose-scented duck breast and a plate of lamb served four ways.

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ATAULA

Chef Jose Chesa emphasizes a convivial, familial vibe at his restaurant Ataula, which considers itself a Spanish gastropub more than a stuffy "tapas restaurant." The tapas themselves combine similar levels of comforting familiarity and playfulness: gazpacho "shots" arrive topped with a frozen ricotta granité; hearty canelones feature serrano ham "powder."

Expatriate

Beast chef Naomi Pomeroy breaks from French tradition to partner with St. Jack founding bartender Kyle Webster to open a bar featuring an Asian-inflicted take on drinking food. The highlight's a Burmese tea leaf salad, but expect big flavors in dishes like samosa chaats, a tempura halibut sandwich with kimchi, and of course, the cocktails.

Teote Areperia

Chef Michael Kennett has traded in his food cart Fuego de Lotus for a proper brick-and-mortar restaurant dedicated to masa arepas and a menu of grilled meats. Early buzz suggests you should go for the family-style "La Cena" meal, with grilled lamb and fino ribs.

Roman Candle Bakery

This hotly anticipated bakery by Stumptown mastermind Duane Sorenson literally opened a couple days ago, and already this warm SE Division spot has inspired many a food-porn money shot. So far, the cases are filled with breads and pastries by Lovejoy Bakers alum Dan Griffin, plus savory sandwiches, with plans to roll out pizza bianca in the coming weeks. (Nope, it's not ready quite yet.)

Alberta Street Pub

The chef behind cultishly beloved food cart Garden State, Kevin Sandri, resurfaces at the revamped Alberta Street Pub. The menu truly does elevate expected pub fare, offering a solid neighborhood experience — and yes, folks are making special trips to reconnect with GS' chickpea sandwich. [Photo: Facebook]

Block + Tackle

Chef Trent Pierce pulls a switcheroo at his Division spot Wafu, transforming the space and concept into a casual seafood restaurant that celebrates his Oregon roots. The result is an American take on seafood, elevated: hot crab dip is re-imagined as a light interpretation of Wafu's crab roll; seafood "charcuterie" arrives in the form of marlin rillettes and mussels cured in pimenton.

Grassa

Like at his familiar sandwich spot Lardo, Rick Genarelli debuts a similarly fast-casual take, this time on fresh pasta. The menu features impressively varied and well-executed takes on carbonara (with a perfected cracked egg), gigli (simply cracked pepper and cheese), and chitarra (with squid ink, octopus, and chorizo).

Sen Yai

Andy Ricker takes his familiar approach to Thai cooking — authentic, unexpected, and street-influenced — and applies it to the humble noodle, devoting an entire menu to stir-fried and soup-stewed iterations of the dish. As expected, the place is already packed during lunch and dinner hours, but head in for a leisurely morning brunch.

Old Salt Marketplace

The team behind NE's comfortable bar Grain & Gristle joins forces with Pastaworks alum Tray Satterfield to bring a similar homey spot to the Cully neighborhood. Chef Tim Wastell churns out simple-yet-hearty dishes from the open-hearth kitchen (don't miss the housemade biscuits); meanwhile, the lunchtime deli offers sandwiches and salads crafted from house-butchered and cured meats.

din din supper club

Courtney Sproule's always meticulously planned, always surprising series of "din din" supperclub dinners now have a permanent brick-and-mortar home. But the concept — rotating themed dinner parties — remains the same, with the even calendar shifting every few weeks. The spot also provides a charming site for a leisurely weekend brunch or a "ladies who lunch" midday meal.

Sok Sab Bai

Beloved food cart Sok Sab Bai upgrades to a full-on restaurant allowing chef Nyno Thol to expand his menu of Cambodian classics. Cart favorites like steamed buns, chicken plates, and flavorful bowls of soup remain; new items include pan-fried bass, pork chops, and rotating specials.

Levant

Chef Scott Snyder fills a hole in the local culinary scene with Levant, a restaurant that combines "Arabesque" influences (from Turkey, Palestine, North Africa) with French techniques and fine-dining aesthetics. Share plates like stuffed grilled squid with chickpeas and a dessert of kanafeh and a smoky roasted pear sorbet; you'll want to hog entrees like a rose-scented duck breast and a plate of lamb served four ways.

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