Picks for Portland Dining Month 2020

March is almost here, which also marks the start of Portland Dining Month 2020. With this post I’m sharing with you my personal picks for Portland Dining Month 2020 based on what I think are the best offerings in terms of $ value and food on the menu being offered by the restaurant. I’ve covered Portland Dining Month/PDM for multiple years, and as before, I have done the homework of reviewing the fantastic list of 130+ restaurants in the Portland area and the dining month menus they will be offering from March 1-31 2020 that count for three courses for $33.

You can pick your dinner destination just based on wanting to visit that particular restaurant on the list of course. This 3 course dinner deal is a great rationalization to go and finally cross a restaurant you’ve wanted to check out off your dining wishlist. Keep in mind that for further justification, you are supporting local businesses and employees, so it’s a win for everyone. And, you are helping people even more so if the restaurant takes online reservations via OpenTable. This is because Travel Portland donates money to the Oregon Food Bank for each reservation made through the OpenTable links from the Portland Dining Month website.

With 141 restaurant options, you also might want to use the Portland Dining Month 2020 website filters by neighborhood, type of cuisine, gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan options. My method is to read the menus to see what each restaurant is offering, and my criteria are that I look for an excellent savings from the restaurant’s regular prices, or they offer intriguing menu items that are special just for this month.

All of these options on my list are also all OpenTable partners, so make the reservation off the Portland Dining Month site to make sure the donation is given to Oregon Food Bank!

As an additional bonus this year, on March 5^th & 6^th, Seattle-based artist @Dozfy will be making a surprise appearance at an east-side and west-side restaurant where he will give away art he creates on the menus of each. If you haven’t seen his art before, here’s an example:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4PpjxEFHra/

He will be there for the first 100 people at Bullard on Thursday March 5th and Kachka on Friday March 6th, 5-8pm!

Now into my top picks list we go. Please note that based on my selection criteria, just because a restaurant is not on my picks for Portland Dining Month 2020 list doesn’t mean it’s not a good place for you to go- go to any of them! This list is just my humble opinion and my taste, and to spotlight my list for March that you may see me dining at.

• Headwaters is the first on my list this year (I’ll be going here soon!) because you had me at lobster. No options on their dining month menu as it is only 1 choice for each course, but I’m happy with the selection Stay tuned for my next post when I recap the dinner.
  
  • First course: Shrimp-stuffed piquillo peppers with goat cheese, mint, almonds and frisée salad
  • Second course: Maine lobster in chili verde with tomatillo, avocado crema and crispy rice
  • Third course: Yogurt cheesecake with pineapple, passionfruit curd and granola crust
• Hairy Lobster also is offering – well, lobster. The cracker jack’d rice on the sundae also has me curious.
  
  • First course (choose one): Roasted butternut squash bisque with cranberry, orange and shallot confit (vegetarian) (gluten free) –or–Lacinato kale salad with pickled wood ear mushroom and coconut habanero (vegetarian) (gluten free)
  • Second course (choose one): Lobster ‘n jalapeño cheddar biscuits with Maine lobster, spring root vegetables and wilted greens –or– Breakfast for dinner with grilled asparagus omelette, lemon crème fraîche and creamer potato (vegetarian) (gluten free)
  • Third course (choose one): ABC sundae with housemade vanilla ice cream, whipped butter caramel and cracker jack’d rice (vegetarian) (gluten free –or– Key lime parfait with key lime custard, roasted graham and toasted marshmallow
• Every year Aviary makes my list because the food is always excellent, and it’s a superior value – the entree alone listed as an option for 2nd course usually is $27. The below photo is a version of the 2nd course rib from the Portland Dining Month menu of 2018.
  
  • First course (choose one): Kabocha squash, black trumpet and Lollo rosso salad with black radish, pumpkin seed, green apple and horseradish dressing –or– Hoisin braised lamb ribs with turnip cake, green papaya, Thai chili and mint
  • Second course (choose one): Sakura pork short rib with chili bean paste, celery root and lacinato kale –or– Pan seared salmon with sunchokes, romanesco, haricots verts, trout roe and sorrel sabayon
  • Third course (choose one): Chocolate brownie with passion fruit cream and cherry sorbet –or– Lemon chiffon cake with blood orange crémeux and fresh citrus
• Every year Fogo de Chao Portland also makes it on my list as a no-brainer of value. After all, this is all you can eat dinner, with an unlimited salad bar and black bean stew with rice, sides, and most of the meat parade – 10 options of meat to be brought to your table and carved until you can’t take it anymore. Although you don’t get access to every single meat option, the picanha (prime top sirloin) my favorite cut is included. It’s worth it – just make sure you are clear that you are doing Portland Dining Month before you turn the coaster to green.
  
• 23 Hoyt offers enough second course options to fit most dining group tastes – I know I perked up at chicken-fried rabbit.
  
  • First course (choose one): Sweet corn bisque with pine nuts and pickled raisin gremolata (vegetarian) –or– Crispy pork belly with grilled corn caponata and chipotle gastrique
  • Second course (choose one): Pan-seared salmon with mussels, clams, roasted fennel and onion, Prosecco broth and spring broccoli pistou –or– Chicken-fried rabbit hindquarter with casarecce, broccoli rabe pesto, pickled rhubarb and spring onion relish –or– Smoked eggplant alla Norma with orecchiette pasta, basil-chili salsa verde, burrata and fried chickpeas (vegetarian)
  • Third course (choose one): Dark chocolate crémeux with date caramel, oat streusel and vanilla-espelette aquafaba –or– Grilled chestnut cake with vin santo crème anglaise, blackberries and smoked pine nut brittle
• Estes at Dame’s trout dish option for third course is usually priced at $32. I recommend going with several other diners so you can get the cacio e pepe too which may not be the best monetary value but the deliciousness and emotional feels value is off the charts – it’s the best in the city IMHO. Everything on this menu is incredible. They also are offering a wine pairing for $30 extra, or to swap a dessert for a savory course (or add on as extra fourth course).
  
  • First course (choose one): Grilled flatbread with ricotta, fennel pollen and olive oil –or– Marinated olives with bay leaf, thyme and orange zest (gluten-free) –or– Cauliflower soup with leek, grilled bread, pecorino toscano (gluten-free option available)
  • Second course (choose one):Brussels sprouts with olive, caper, pickled pepper, glazed radish and herbed ricotta –or– Squash and apple salad wit Mountain Rose apple, chicories, hazelnut, dried sour cherry and culatta (gluten-free) –or– Romaine and braised farro salad with leek, fennel, aged balsamic and feta
  • Third course (choose one): Cacio e pepe with Grana Padano and black pepper –or– Ravioli with ricotta, lacinato kale, bottarga, breadcrumbs and goat butter –or– Trout with fennel, citrus, green herbs, potato, carrot and grilled lemon –or– Mushroom risotto with chanterelle, pecorino al tartufo, aged balsamic and Oregon black truffle (gluten-free)
    
• Departure is always a wonderful experience and with 4 entree options this would be a good one to go in a group especially if some have dietary restrictions to try all all the Portland Dining Month dishes family style. Here the atmosphere is a bonus too- you just feel cool in the restaurant it has such a hip vibe.
  
  • First course (choose one): Charred carrots with chili, orange, cashew and sour coconut cream (vegetarian) –or– Cauliflower and romanesco with sesame shoyu, garlic, chili, ginger and negi (vegetarian)
  • Second course (choose one): Coconut seafood broth with scallops, shrimp, rockfish, chili, coconut and cilantro –or– Grilled pork shoulder with yu choy, red chili, tamarind and lime –or– Red curry eggplant with late winter vegetables and basil (vegetarian) –or– ”Duk Bo Ki” – Korean rice cakes with shitake, scallions, sesame and gochujang (vegetarian)
  • Third course (choose one): Banana split with miso caramel, smoked cashew cracker jack and toffee ice cream (vegan option available) –or– Dark chocolate ganache with passion fruit, brittle and pistachio ice cream
• Although the food options at Ecliptic Brewing may not the biggest price deal at the $33 PDM price, their Portland Dining Month menu adds in a pint of beer for you to enjoy with dinner, and you take home a $10 gift card redeemable upon future visits. If you have kids or dogs, this restaurant is very family and dog friendly so you can bring your lil ones (whichever forms or both…) with you for your Portland Dining Month dinner. I really like their burger and I’m not the only one – it won the bracket back of the Burger Madness: Top Brewery Burger in Portland by Willamette Weekly
  

As honorable mentions, check out LeChon which is offering 6 dishes instead of 3 for your $33. Additionally, these picks are not OpenTable partners, but also would be ones I would like to point out as great choices to round out my list to top picks for Portland Dining Month 2020.

• Clyde’s Prime Rib has a 12 ounce prime rib for their second course – usually a 10-oz is $28 and a $14 oz is $34, just for reference – and you are getting a first and third course with your Portland Dining Month dinner as well for $33
• Cross off a fun low brow comforting nostalgia upgraded with excellent ingredients and execution restaurant off your list at Canard whose Portland Dining Month menu includes Griddled cabbage salad with ranch, cheddar and herbs, Thai fried trout with green curry guacamole, herbs and butter lettuce, and dessert choices like as shown below Paris-Brest cookies and cream with chocolate sauce or go for the Bananas “Foie-ster”
  
• Renata whose Portland Dining Month menu includes Dungeness Crab Legs as a starter, their terrific pasta for second course, and mains for the third course instead of dessert: Maiale al latte with milk braised pork, polenta and chicories –or– Porchetta spiced chicken with salsa verde and fennel

Also come back to the blog and follow me on my Instagram social media stories and feed to see where I am eating at @pechluck– I will be dining at one Portland Dining Month restaurant at least once a week through March.

It’s a wonderful month – many other cities only do this prix fixe promotion for a week, but Portland gets to live it up every night of the week for a whole month! So go ahead and make those dinner dates with your friends, coworkers, family. Pro-tip: places can get pretty busy so to avoid an annoying wait, do make reservations with whoever takes them to spend less time waiting and more time dining.

The Portland Dining Month Menu is generally a separate printout from the regular menu – so you may be able to choose from a regular menu while your fellow diners pick the Portland Dining Month menu. If you don’t see the deal marked on your menu, don’t be shy about asking. And, try to offer little patience at those restaurants that get in the weeds trying to serve all the Portland Dining Month tables at the same time as you!

What are your picks for Portland Dining Month 2020?