The 25 Restaurants That Made Portland

"Much of what we knew about restaurants went out with the last millennium. Over the past quarter century, Portland has been an unexpected center of this revolution, which democratized what a "good" restaurant was and turned the notion of dining out from date nights and special occasions into an entire way of life. Progressive restaurants of the '90s quickly became the old guard, sowing some of the seeds of change; Castagna, Higgins, and Paley's Place served as training ground for many chefs."

"At carts and pop-ups and supper clubs, as well as newly called "brick-and-mortars" that looked more like artist lofts and record stores than stately dining rooms, cooking became an identity and means of expression. Food took on the indie cool of the city's mold-breaking music scene, exhibiting a clear point of view, whether kaleidoscopic maximalism, unrepentant genre-bending, or radical simplicity. Chefs honored the cuisines of their heritage without compromise."

Portland became an unexpected center of a quarter-century revolution that democratized the definition of a "good" restaurant and shifted dining from occasional indulgence to everyday life. Progressive '90s restaurants such as Castagna, Higgins, and Paley's Place functioned as training grounds for many chefs. Culinary experiments proliferated via carts, pop-ups, supper clubs, and unconventional 'brick-and-mortar' spaces resembling artist lofts and record stores. Cooking became a form of identity and expression, embracing indie aesthetics, bold genre-bending, and radical simplicity. Chefs honored heritage cuisines while inventing original flavor combinations. The public embraced experimentation, valuing new ideas over predictable meals. Menus often changed weekly or daily in response to farmers' offerings.

Read at Portland Monthly