Duckfat
This cozy and casual restaurant on Portland’s trendy Middle Street is famous for its Belgian fries crisped in duck fat. When it comes to the fries, you have several decisions to make. You can choose from garlic mayo, lemon herb mayo, truffle ketchup, horseradish mayo and Thai chili mayo. You can really go for it and order the poutine with local cheese curd, duck gravy and chives. You can even add a sunny-side up egg on top. The fries are addictively good and there is no wrong way to eat them. All of the options prove to be delicious.

Crave
Chef Landon Ganstrom is a genius when it comes to taking classic favorites and making them better than you ever thought possible. Case in point: the macaroni and cheese. Crave's version has been called “The Most Life-Changing Macaroni and Cheese in America” by Esquire magazine and has won Critic’s Choice “Best Mac and Cheese” and the Charleston Mac Off six times in a row. Available as an appetizer ($10), Chef Ganstrom combines cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella and cavatappi in a way that is unique and familiar at the same time. The sleek and upscale-casual atmosphere of Crave is perfect for a date night dinner, business lunch or brunch with friends on the dog-friendly patio. Stop by at happy hour and take advantage of the bar menu, which features exclusive items like crispy risotto tots ($7), a double Crave burger ($11) or build your own fries ($3). Anything on the menu is sure to please and is perfect for diners with dietary restrictions, as many of the menu items can be made gluten-free or paleo-friendly.

The Rarebit
The Rarebit is kind of like an upscale ’50s diner that is underrated in Charleston, but serves quality Southern cooking at its best. Diners pack its long marble-topped bar and green-and-black plaid booths to tuck into comfort classics ranging from patty melts to chicken and waffles. And speaking of best, they've got the best country fried steak in town (or maybe the world). Skillet fried, battered steak with buttermilk pepper gravy is served with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans ($15). Try it with a side of their mac ‘n’ cheese ($3.5) and you won't be disappointed. The bar is equally popular. Bartenders craft such cocktails classics as the Sazerac and the Corpse Reviver, while house-made ginger beer tops the bar’s signature Moscow Mules served in iconic copper mugs. And for those late-night post pub crawls, they serve breakfast all day, every day.

Longman & Eagle
They don’t take reservations at this inn named for Logan Square's iconic eagle statue and its creator, Evelyn Longman. Best known for an extensive whiskey selection (148 selections available), the bar and restaurant offers a Michelin-star menu with an emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients. While you wait for a table, peruse the snack menu at the restaurant’s Off Site Bar. Choices like Ceviche of Laughing Bird Shrimp, East & West Coast Oysters, Fried Smelt, an Artisanal Cheese Plate and Rillettes are a savory prelude of what’s to come. For dinner, fans recommend the Duck-in-a-Jar, Seared Berkshire Pork Tenderloin and Fried Chicken Roulade. And if you imbibe one too many classic-with-a-twist cocktails, you can always check into one of a half-dozen hotel rooms on the second floor.

The Publican
An homage to beer, pork and oysters, The Publican's eclectic menu is inspired by simple farmhouse fare in a space evocative of a European beer hall. Rustic dishes anchor the menu along with an extensive international beer list featuring 100 ales, lagers, stouts and ciders. The menu showcases hand-selected and sustainably-raised fish, seafood and pork. From classic Belgian-style mussels and seafood stew to house-made terrines and charcuterie, the rotating menu reflects the best seasonal and local ingredients available. Favorites include beef heart tartare, country ribs and the house signature Publican Chicken. The restaurant’s rustic décor is dominated by a large walnut communal table evoking 16th-century European banquets. The banquet table seats upwards of 100 people with views of the partially open kitchen.

Ava Gene's
SE Division Street, known as Restaurant Row, is home to many of Portland’s best eateries. At the head of the class is Ava Gene’s. Named one of the country’s best new restaurants by Bon Appétit in 2013, the magazine praised Chef Joshua McFadden’s fresh take on Italian fare, and the not-so-Italian vibe of the dining room’s lushly-designed interior. Duane Sorenson's Italian eatery is still winning raves for dishes using the finest Northwest-produced veggies and meats. The regularly changing, Roman-inspired menu features such simple and rustic dishes as sagna riccia pasta with lamb ragu and lamb leg set off by salsa verde and bits of lamb shoulder. A regional Italian wine list complements the spirit of the cuisine. Creative cocktails and an extensive selection of bitters and brandy are served from the marble bar.

Beast
In the summer of 2007, Naomi Pomeroy opened her intimate, 24-seat restaurant where people can chat with each other at communal tables. Her adventurous, meat-heavy menu features the bounty of the Northwest with French inspiration in mind. Awards followed rapidly. In 2010, 2012 and 2013, Naomi was selected as a finalist for the James Beard Awards in the category Best Chef Pacific Northwest, an accolade she won in 2014. Beast offers a six-course, prix-fixe, tip-included dinner twice nightly Wednesday through Saturday, as well as two four-course brunch services on Sunday. A typical, rustic but refined meal begins with sliced baguette and a rich soup; moves to Beast's signature charcuterie plate; then to a pair of entrees, one by land, perhaps, another by sea; and ends with cheese and honey and a composed dessert.

Le Pigeon
For the best seat in the house, score a chair at the first-come, first-served chef's counter. Two-time James Beard Award winner Gabriel Rucker may personally hand you a perfectly composed plate from his rotating menu of creative French-inspired fare. Diners with reservations pack vintage chairs surrounding one of the dining room’s communal tables for a taste of such delicacies as Beef Cheek Bourguignon, Foie Gras Profiteroles with Caramel and Sea Salt and Rucker’s signature dessert -- apricot cornbread with bacon, topped with maple ice cream. For the complete experience, order the seven-course Chef’s Tasting Menu with wine pairings.

Night + Market
Chef Kris Yenbamroong’s aggressive Thai cuisine is drawing adventurous eaters to his expanded location on the Sunset Strip. His homegrown Thai street-food emporium is attached to Talesai, a well-respected restaurant in the Thai community. A house specialty pays tribute to the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai. Yenbamroong’s stew, Hanglay Hang Moo Teen Moo, stars tails and trotters slow braised in a flavorful red oil slick seasoned with palm sugar and pickled garlic cloves, infusing the skin until it becomes almost candy-like. Textures vary as gelatinous cartilage and juicy meat hide behind the dish’s many bones. The topping of crisp, julienne ginger, gives a nice counterbalance to the unabashed richness.

On Lee Noodle
When you find a tiny noodle shop that is still running a thriving business after 50 years, you suspect it must have something pretty special. You can’t go wrong with any of their fishcakes or the beef brisket noodle soup from their menu. But if you are going to try just one thing from this place, it simply has to be the lo mein (which is soup and noodles served separately, so you can eat them alone or do some noodle dipping). In particular, the soy sauce “lo cho” (lo mein but using thick egg noodle) and request both fish cake slices and beef brisket on top. You might think that their brisket is rather on the lean side, but never fear. Together with the al dente fish cake and the noodle, it’s a winning combination! Also, though it’s a bit offbeat, their simple toast and butter is highly recommend by locals. Made with thick bread, perfectly toasted with a layer of rich butter, I would be surprised if you can find a better one anywhere.