Portland recommendations ?

[ExtraMSG]

I also don't like staff hovering. What happened at Paley's was a different experience. One time a friend and I walked in toward the end of the dinner hour asking if we could just get dessert. The woman, I believe the owner, yelled at us across the room of people in an angry voice telling us that this was a dinner restaurant. Really embarrassing. After a while and repeatedly good reviews noting friendly staff I excused that because the restaurant before Paley's had been famous for dessert. A year later I met a friend there. We had early reservations for dinner. When I walked in my friend was the only one seated in the restaurant. She was upset and crying because the staff had yelled at her for asking for a different table.

I guess I have to take your word for it, but it's just *so* contrary to what I've seen from them I have a hard time believing it without corroboration from someone I know. I've bene there several times in the last couple years and have experienced some of the most professional service in Portland. They even try to do some of the little things that personally I don't care that much about, like folding your napkin when you go to the bathroom and things like that. I can't imagine someone yelling in the intimate dining room. This is Paley's, right, the place on NW 21st near Wildwood? I know they've never confused me for a reviewer.

[pitti]

pitti-

Tell me about Winterborne.  I've heard great things, but always about one dish - the crab/pear one.  Is the overall experience worth the price? (Which is, correct me if I'm wrong, about $50 a person, including three courses and a drink.)

How does it compare to my local favorites - Buckman Bistro, Fratelli, Ginos, BeWon, Cafe Mingo, Daily Cafe etc.?

Thanks!

Rachael

Cod Juniper is one of my favorite dishes which is what you are referring to. They only have it during certain times of the year. They have a small menu, with only one non seafood dish for meateaters. Everything I've had there has been very good. The meal consists of a cup of soup- always the same then the entrée then a salad of plain greens with a vinaigrette (also always the same). They also have only a few desserts and appetizers but also very good. I don't usually have wine so I'm not sure what that adds to the cost but I've usually spent for an entrée and dessert in the twenty dollar range.

I haven't eaten at the Daily yet but I like Winterborne as much as the other restaurants you mention. Unless you like seafood, however, the choices are very limited. I used to go there yearly for the juniper.

[pitti]

As for Paley's I wonder if you've been served by the owner or by staff she's hired. I believe my run-ins were with her. Given her interpersonal style, she may have hired wait staff who are more cordial.

[ExtraMSG]

I should have put BeWon in my list of options by type of cuisine. BeWon, an upscale Korean restaurant, may be my favorite Asian restaurant in all of Portland metro.

[Raynickben]

As for Paley's I wonder if you've been served by the owner or by staff she's hired.  I believe my run-ins were with her.  Given her interpersonal style, she may have hired wait staff who are more cordial.

Definitley staff was the problem in my experiences. I know what the owners look like and it wasn't them! And to comment on ExtraMSG's inquiry about the more formal service being the issue...trust me...I have eaten in most major cities at most of the top restaurants (it is my passion) and I was formally a restaurant manager at a 4 star restaurant, etc. The service at Paley's is not formal.

[ExtraMSG]

I have eaten in most major cities at most of the top restaurants (it is my passion) and I was formally a restaurant manager at a 4 star restaurant, etc. The service at Paley's is not formal.

I just meant relative to other places in Portland. My experience is that they try to come across a little more formal. I don't know that I've ever had truly great service in Portland. But it's rare that service isn't at least decent, even at mediocre restaurants with low price-points. I don't think many Portlanders accept rudeness and we're still very much Americans in that we prefer to eat relatively quickly and get out, rather than do the European thing and hang out or whatever. As opposed to, eg, San Francisco where my experiences were that even the most expensive places took their time and treated the customer rather shabbily.

I've been to Paley's maybe 5 times or more. I used to work in that part of town. I don't think I ever had to wait for my table more than a minute or two, I never got treated shabbily, and never remember waiting for my food or getting anything incorrectly or anything like that. I even had a 25 for $25 dinner there, which to some extent must seem like a coupon customer coming in. I also never witnessed anything like someone yelling at a customer, which definitely would have stood out. I'm not saying these things don't happen, I just don't want people getting the impression that it's the norm and avoiding them because of it.

[Raynickben]

Understood ExtraMSG. And in the positive column for Paleys: the fries with aioli. Damn they're good!

[snooky]

Does Wildwood deserve the abuse its taken by

sidewalk.com - very low user ratings?

I'm coming down from Seattle for a couple of nights

and was planning to eat there.

Also with one dinner in the Willamette

should I go to Tina's or the Joel Palmer House?

[ExtraMSG]

I've never looked at Sidewalk.com, but my experience is that sites like Citysearch, eg, are *very* unreliable. You get a lot of people who've never even gone to a place tearing it apart. Chowhound.com and egullet I've found to be much better resources. You can get to know those doing the recommendations much better, for one thing. And they're focused on food, so you don't get 13 year old losers just trying to cause problems very often.

If I were to recommend a restaurant in Portland for someone with just one night, I'd probably recommend Wildwood or Caprial's. They're meaningfully different in their approaches, yet both represent Portland rather uniquely, I think. And both come up with interesting dishes and execute them well. I think Wildwood represents the "Northwest" cuisine probably better than anywhere else in Portland, though. A lot of people will say Higgins, but I strongly disagree. I think they're very inconsistent and underwhelming. Wildwood has never disappointed, though a little more pastry effort would be appreciated.

I still haven't been to Tina's, but I'd still push you away from Palmer's. My first visit to Palmer was excellent. But my subsequent two visits were progressively worse with some dishes I really found rather bad, like their mushroom "tart" (more like a torte or cheesecake made of mushroom). I also got pretty spotty service on the subsequent visits. They use a lot of high schoolers, I think, who just do stupid things (like asking "Where do you put all that bread?" and screwing up orders). And then they include a service charge so you have no way of showing your appreciation or lack of appreciation with a proper tip. Palmer's does sometimes do some great things with mushrooms and the restaurant itself is gorgeous. But it's too inconsistent. If you do go, get the mushroom soup, it's excellent.

[tighe]

Also with one dinner in the Willamette

should I go to Tina's or the Joel Palmer House?

I had a wonderful dinner at Tina's in July and would highly recommend it. Some of the best rack of lamb I've ever had. My dinner at the Joel Palmer house a few years ago was quite dissapointing.

[pitti]

I agree about Wildwood. I've never had a bad meal there.

[ExtraMSG]

Casanis is a new French restaurant @NW Glisan and 17th. The menu is setup as 3 courses in the range of $20 for all 3. I've been there about 5 times and always a good experience.

Finally went. Pretty tasty. They're not elaborate dishes, but like Buckman, they put a lot of flavor into relatively small, simple dishes. And the value is good. My wife and I paid less than $40 for the both of us for our six courses. I don't think any of the options were over $20. It's a bit noisy and they cram a lot of tables into their small dining room, but if it keeps the prices down, I guess it's worth it. Very good sauces, and just the right amount of them. Their desserts seemed the weakest of the courses, but they still had flavor.