Portland, Oregon is an appealing city for golfers to visit, because it has several good courses and many other attractions for visitors. For example, it has several shopping centers, lots of boutiques, parks, a waterfront path, rose gardens, Japanese gardens, museums, art galleries and fine dining. In fact, there are several award-winning restaurants in Portland that are in convenient locations for golf tourists.
Pok Pok Restaurant
Pok Pok is a Southeast Asian restaurant, and most of its cuisine comes from Thailand, specifically Northern Thailand. It won the 2007 "Restaurant of the Year" award from the major Portland newspaper The Oregonian. It has also been recognized by a lot of other publications including various blogs, The New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine and GQ Magazine.
Pok Pok is not a typical Thai restaurant in America, and, according to their website, they do not serve many common Thai restaurant items such as pad Thai and penang curry. Their dishes consist of many meat entrees and noodle and rice dishes with meat and veggies. Although their menu changes depending on seasonal ingredients, they usually have about six items that can be made vegetarian and vegan. Pok Pok also does not use MSG. They have several Asian desserts and can prepare takeout as well. The restaurant accepts reservations for groups of up to 28 people and has a private upstairs dining room. They are open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and for dinner Saturday and Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m. Their food is inexpensive to moderate in price.
Pok Pok is conveniently located in Southeast Portland, a short drive from downtown Portland and its many hotels. It is also within short driving distance of several golf courses. Eastmoreland Golf Course is around 3 miles away, and Rose City Golf course is around 5 miles away. Both of these courses are public 18-hole par-72 courses with lots of large trees.
Pok Pok Restaurant
3226 Southeast Division Street
Portland, OR 97202
(503) 232-1387
pokpokpdx.com
Andina Restaurant
Andina is a Peruvian restaurant, and it was named "Restaurant of the Year" in 2005 by The Oregonian. It has also received good reviews in several local and national publications. Andina is in a great location for golf travelers, because it is in Portland's trendy Pearl District, which most visitors to the city like to experience. Since the Pearl District is adjacent to downtown, it is also very conveniently located for golfers staying in downtown Portland hotels.
Andina has both a formal dining area and a casual bar, called Bar Mestizo. They cook traditional Peruvian food but incorporate modern culinary techniques. This restaurant serves larger lunch and dinner entrees, as well as tapas (small plates), salads and soups. Many of their main dishes consist of some variety of meat, vegetables and sauce over quinoa or different types of rice. Andina can accommodate a variety of dietary needs, because they have both a vegetarian menu and a gluten-free menu. They also have a special happy hour menu from 4 to 6 p.m. every day, which features reduced-price drinks and appetizers. Andina has a full bar, a wine list and a dessert menu. It can host private events for up to 65 seated guests or 100 standing guests.
Andina Restaurant
1314 NW Glisan St
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 228-9535
andinarestaurant.com
The Heathman Restaurant and Bar
The Heathman Restaurant and Bar is located in an upscale downtown hotel called the Heathman Hotel. According to its website, the Heathman's Chef won a James Beard award for "Best Chef of the Pacific Northwest" in 2001. Wine Spectator Magazine also gave the Heathman the "2008 Best Award of Excellence."
This restaurant serves Pacific Northwest cuisine with a French style. For example, some of the items on its menu are beef tartare and apple glaze, Anderson Ranch Willamette Valley lamb with baby squash, and potato confit and herbed lamb jus. Some menu items change as the chef incorporates different local seasonal ingredients. The environment in the restaurant is very versatile, and guests seeking a variety of different experiences can be satisfied at the Heathman. This range in dining experiences is created by multiple dining areas within the restaurant. Besides the normal dining area, they have a relaxing Tea Court, a Marble Bar, an upscale Mezzanine area that overlooks the Tea Court and eight private dining rooms. Dress is generally business casual. In the Tea Room on Wednesday through Saturday, there is live jazz music. The Marble Bar features many local wines and beers and the Mezzanine area is furnished with lounge chairs and tables and provides a very intimate setting. The Heathman's many atmospheres can accommodate all types of occasions from business and romantic dinners to parties of up to 150 guests.
The Heathman is in a good central location for tourists who want to drive to golf courses in different areas of Portland. They have valet parking, but some guests staying at the Heathman Hotel or other nearby hotels might prefer to walk to the restaurant.
The Heathman Restaurant and Bar
1001 Southwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 241-4100
portland.heathmanhotel.com/html/portland-oregon-dining.asp
About The Author
Lisa Chinn recently graduated from University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science with honors in psychology and is currently writing up a manuscript of her honors thesis for publication. After two years of working in a library, Chinn has very strong research skills. She also writes articles about nightlife in Portland, Ore.
