Welcome to June, and the start of Dining Month, where you can go to 90 various restaurants in Portland and enjoy 3 courses for $29. You can check out the official Downtown Portland Dining Month website here to see those restaurants and sort by location, cuisine, or view the details of the 3 courses that will be offered. They will always have their regular menu as well, so not everyone at the table has to eat the $29 prix fixe.

Also keep in mind that if you make reservations using the online restaurant reservation system OpenTable (click the link to see the 68  participating restaurants that are also on OpenTable), not only can you earn points that you can eventually use to get restaurant gift certificates (good for any OpenTable participating restaurants), but a donation will also be made to the Oregon Food Bank so you can feed yourself and others.

I usually will pick restaurants based on food options in their 3 courses that sound good, and then look at their regular menu to see if it is a good deal. It never ends up being less than $29 to order them a la carte if available, but some dishes are special for Dining Month, or you are getting a tremendous value on the price. Some particular ones that stood out to me as a value and/or had offerings for my taste that I will see if I can visit (remember that the menus are subject to change by the restaurant at any time):

• Clyde Common (downtown), whose main Second course is braised pork shoulder with farro, pearl onions, mushrooms. Usually their dinner entrees are already priced around $20 range so this is looking like a good deal, though beware that most of their seating is at communal tables if you are thinking of an intimate date night
• Country Cat (SE Portland) has a Second course of Molasses- and hickory-smoked duck leg with toasted pecan and bacon spoonbread. Enough said. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Fratelli (Pearl), who starts with a First course that includes a board of chicken liver mousse and a main Second course of Smoked Mt. Shadow pork loin (which as a regular dish here usually runs $22 just by itself). Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Genoa (SE Portland), with generous offerings of Guinea hen conserva, Cappellini with pancetta and broken egg, and third course of Braised elk shin! Another bargain since usually they have a 5 course prix fixe at $65 and you are getting more than half the courses at less than half the price. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Parish (Pearl) is tempting with their Second course of Creole duck gumbo followed up by either a Third course of strawberry red velvet cake layered with brown-butter frosting or Pecan pie, and ordering those two items along off their regular menu would probably already be at $25. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Departure (downtown), offering a duo of choices for each course: First course of Beet and mizuna salad with soy-cured egg, sesame vinaigrette, crispy seed cracker OR Chili spice shrimp with asparagus, black garlic, ginger miso, a Second Course of Steamed cod with ginger, scallion, chili, lime OR Marinated flank steak and avocado, red onion, pea shoot, mint, and a Third Dessert course of Rhubarb pâte de fruit and kalamansi sorbet with white chocolate puffed rice, raspberry OR Coconut milk chocolate bar with mocha ice cream, crystallized ginger, spiced popcorn. Don’t they ALL sound good, and the atmosphere here is very trendy cool. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Gracie’s Restaurant (downtown) has a lot of choices, with 10 options for the First course appetizer, 8 options for Second course main, and 5 options to choose from for Third course dessert. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Similarly, Tabla (NE Portland) also is offering quite the bevy of choices, with 5 options for each course, with the Second choice options including their beautiful homemade pastas, either tajarin or ravioli, among others. Not surprised to see them participating because they always offer a make your own 3 courses for $30 option as part of their menu. I covet their homemade pasta so I’m listing them anyway. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• H50 (Waterfront) has an intriguing selection for their 3, including a choice for Chilled strawberry soup with Champagne ice, pistachios and mint for their First Course, two choices also for their main Second course (Braised brisket crepenette or Fire brick-roasted half chicken),  and a Third course dessert of Frozen whiskey mousse. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Lincoln Restaurant (North Portland) has a First course that includes Watercress with pickled sultanas, crispy pig ears and bacon, and a Second course of Hanger steak with blue-cheese butter. Since their entrees are normally $20 and up, this is a great value to dine here with this $29 prix fixe. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Wildwood (Northwest Portland) combines classic with modern twist- their Second course main includes an option for Green curry lamb ribs. I love Wildwood- I often will direct visitors to Portland here as one of their stops to really experience Northwest cuisine.
• If you haven’t been to Imperial (downtown) yet to try Vitaly Paley’s latest place, go now and enjoy a well priced 3 courses that boasts Carlton Farms smoked pork loin for the Second main course. Or, hit up Paley’s Place (NW Portland) where the main is a Grilled pork loin.  Based on their regular menu prices, another great value to visit here. Reservations available on OpenTable.
• Relative newcomer Quartet (Waterfront) is also participating, so you can treat yourself to the views as well as four choices for the Second main dish that covers all the categories- vegetarian, chicken, fish, or beef. Usually an entree along is going to be more than the $29 3 courses you can get for June, so come get your fancy fine dining at an affordable price while it lasts! Reservations available on OpenTable.
• For something really different, visit Urban Fondue and have a cheese fondue, broth fondue with meat/seafood options, and a chocolate dessert fondue. Reservations available on OpenTable.

Yeah, I only picked 15 restaurants, that’s all! Other options include hot restaurants like Aviary, Biwa, Oven and Shaker, Riffle NW, Smallwares, St Jack, and classics like Ruth’s Chris, Ringside, and Salty’s. Check it out and enjoy June!

Check out my other Portland Dining Month escapades: I ate at Quartet, Accanto, Urban Fondue, Fratelli, H50 out of my initial list!