Getting a spot at many of Portland’s restaurants during high season was a challenge even before Bon Appètit crowned our humble seaside home its Restaurant City of the Year. Now, mere days after the great, tourist-laden weight of that honor settled over the peninsula, it’s already getting harder.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`Qm%92?<7F==J[ E96C6’D @?6 !@CE=2?5 5:?:?8 D64C6Ek^DA2?m k6>mq@? pAAèE:Ek^6>m kDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`Qm5:5?’E =6E @FE @7 E96 328] pD H2:E =:DED DEC6E49 @? 2?5 AC:46D 4C66A FA 36J@?5 E96 A@:?E H96C6 A6@A=6 H9@ 24EF2==J =:G6 96C6 42? 277@C5 E@ 8@ @FE[ :E H:== C6>2:? 277@C523=6 WFDF2==J 7C66PX 2?5 2446DD:3=6[ D@ =@?8 2D J@F’G6 8@E D@>6@?6 H:==:?8 E@ D92C6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`Qmx 2> E2=<:?8[ k6>m@7 4@FCD6k^6>m[ 23@FE 62E:?8 AFDDJ] w6C6 2C6 D@>6 E:AD 7@C 62E:?8 @FE =:<6 2 C62= !@CE=2?56Cik^DA2?mk^Am
k@=mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmkDEC@?8m(2E49 @FE 7@C E96 Wy2>6DX q62C5 u24E@C] k^DEC@?8mk^DA2?mpG@:5 E96 49276 @7 AC:46 :?7=2E:@? 3J DE2J:?8 :? 2?5 D2>A=:?8 2 5:776C6?E <:?5 @7 C68:@?2= 7=2G@C] qFE :7 J@F 7:?5 E92E J@FC^J@FC A2CE?6C’D 724:2= 92:C 42FD6D D@>6 CF8 3FC? 27E6C @C2=[ E96C6 2C6 D@>6 D@=FE:@?D J@F 42? ECJ] &D:?8 362C5 @:= @C @E96C 362C5 4@?5:E:@?:?8 EC62E>6?ED 42? D@7E6? 724:2= 92:C 2?5 >:?:>:K6 7C:4E:@?[ 2?5 D@>6 7@=<D 2=D@ 7:?5 E92E 8C@H:?8 @FE E96:C AF3:4 92:C 42? 4C62E6 2 3F776C 36EH66? E96:C D<:? 2?5 E96:C A2CE?6C’D 362C5]k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mkDA2?mkDEC@?8m{6E E96 q=F6 #@@DE6C 42H 7@C D@>6@?6 6=D6] k^DEC@?8mk^DA2?m(96? E96 4@33=6DE@?6D DEC66ED @7 E96 ~=5 !@CE 2C6 DEF7765 H:E9 36==:86C6?E 32496=@CW6EE6X A2CE:6D[ ECJ BF6==:?8 J@FC =2E6\?:89E >F?49:6D H:E9 2 =:EE=6 42CA6E >F?49:?8 :?DE625] '28:?2= 7=F:5 :D 2 >F49 =@H6C\42=@C:6 2=E6C?2E:G6 E@ E2E6C E@ED 2?JH2J]k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmkDEC@?8m#6DA64E E96 @C:8:?2= @JDE6C] k^DEC@?8mk^DA2?m$F>>6C H2:ED 2E tG6?E:56 42? E6DE 6G6? E96 >@DE A2E:6?E @7 7@@5:6D] qFE J@F <?@H H92E 6=D6 <:?5 @7 =@@<D =:<6 2? @JDE6Cn 'F=G2DP $<:A E96 =:?6 2?5 ECJ @?6 E@52J]k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmkDEC@?8mw:E FA J@FC ?62C6DE 5:G6] k^DEC@?8mk^DA2?mw2D J@FC 72G@C:E6 5:G6 32C 366? @G6CCF? H:E9 E@FC:DED D66<:?8 2 “=@42= 6IA6C:6?46”n %CJ >F77 “5:G6”\:?8 :?DE625P yFDE =:<6 2?J @E96C <:?5 @7 5:G:?8[ D@>6E:>6D 3C62E9:?8 42? 86E 2 =:EE=6 EC:4<J] p5;FDE:?8 E96 2?8=6 @7 J@FC A2CE?6C’D 9:AD 3J AFEE:?8 2 A:==@H @C 3@=DE6C F?56C E96:C 3FEE 42? 96=A J@F 7:?5 2 DA@E E92E’D 3@E9 4@>7@CE23=6 7@C E96> 2?5 =62G6D J@FC 2:CH2J 4=62C 7@C 2 C6=2I65 5:?:?8 6IA6C:6?46]k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmkDEC@?8mtIA=@C6 5@H?E@H?[ !@CE=2?5] k^DEC@?8mk^DA2?m%96 ~=5 !@CE >:89E 36 E@@ 4C@H565 7@C J@FC E2DE6[ 3FE :E’D ?@E E96 @?=J H2J E@ E2<6 E9:?8D 5@H?E@H?] tIA=@C6 E96 ?6:893@C9@@5 2C@F?5 J@FC A2CE?6C’D 4=:E@C:D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96:C :??6C =23:2 2?5 E96 2C62 2C@F?5 E96:C G28:?2= @A6?:?8[ 86EE:?8 2 766= 7@C H96C6 E9:?8D 2C6 2?5 H92E 766=D 8@@5] *@F >:89E 6G6? H2?E E@ G6?EFC6 @FE :?E@ E96 D6?D:E:G6 D<:? @7 E96:C :??6C E9:89D — E96C6 2C6 D@>6 5646?E A=246D @? ~FE6C u@C6DE[ 27E6C 2==]k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk^@=m
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`QmpD :D E96 42D6 H:E9 8@:?8 @FE E@ 62E :? C6DE2FC2?ED[ 962=E9 :D 2 4@?46C? 7@C >2?J 4@?D4:6?E:@FD 5:?6CD] %96C6 2C6 D@>6 D6IF2==J EC2?D>:EE65 :?764E:@?D E92E 42? 36 A2DD65 E9C@F89 @C2= D6I @? 2 GF=G2[ D@ E2=< E@ J@FC A2CE?6C 23@FE J@FC DE2EFD 367@C6 49@H:?8 5@H?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`Qmu@C 25565 AC@E64E:@?[ J@F 42? 2=D@ FD6 2 56?E2= 52>] s6?E2= 52>D 2C6 E9:?[ 7=6I:3=6 =2J6CD @7 =2E6I @C A@=JFC6E92?6 E92E 4C62E6 2 32CC:6C 36EH66? J@FC >@FE9 2?5 J@FC A2CE?6C’D GF=G2 @C 2?FD 5FC:?8 @C2= D6I] %96J 4@>6 :? 2 G2C:6EJ @7 7=2G@CD 2?5 4@=@CD[ D@ E96C6 2C6 @AE:@?D 7@C 6G6CJ A2=2E6] Ww@E E:Ai &D:?8 2 =:EE=6 5@==@A @7 =F36 @? E96 C646:G:?8 A2CE?6C’D D:56 @7 E96 52> 42? 96=A :?4C62D6 D6?D2E:@?]Xk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2? 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`Qmq@? 2AAèE:E[ !@CE=2?5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmk6>mw2G6 2 BF6DE:@? 7@C z2J=66n t>2:= 96C 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i<2J=66H@=76EHDDo8>2:=]4@>Qm<2J=66H@=76EHDDo8>2:=]4@>k^2m 2?5 J@F >2J 86E 2? 2?DH6C :? 2 7FEFC6 65:E:@? @7 %92E’D (92E $96 $2:5]k^6>mk^Am
kAmkDA2? :5lQ5@4D\:?E6C?2=\8F:5\f3fghhc4\f777\a_gf\6a32\_dcga5ad_`h5Q 52E2\>46\>2C<lQ`Qmk^DA2?mk^Am

