Portland - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 458

DOC ITALIAN$$$ $$$

( 503-946-8592; www.docpdx.com ; 5519 NE 30th Ave; mains $18-27; 6-10pm Tue-Sat)
Enter this tiny Northeast establishment and find yourself in the middle of the kitchen, a
purposeful way to introduce you to an intimate dining experience that marries Northwest
ingredients with simple Italian cooking. Expect tender pastas, perfectly cooked meats
and a memorable cheese course. Splurge for wine pairings and you won't be disappoin-
ted.

Ox STEAKHOUSE$$$ $$$

( 503-284-3366; www.oxpdx.com ; 2225 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd; mains $19-38; 5-10pm
Tue-Sun) Currently Portland's most popular restaurant is this upscale, Argentine-inspired
steakhouse. Start with the bone-marrow clam chowder, then go for the gusto: the grass-
fed beef rib eye ($38). Or if there's two of you, the asado ($60) is a good choice for try-
ing several different cuts. Reserve, and bring a fat wallet.

Castagna EUROPEAN$$$ $$$

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( 503-231-7373; www.castagnarestaurant.com ; 1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd; prix fixe $55/95, wine
pairings $35; 5:30-10pm Wed-Sat) At this elegantly upscale prix-fixe restaurant, chef
Justin Woodward transforms seasonal ingredients into works of art with truly amazing
textures and flavors (think hot-smoked halibut belly with lovage). Don't miss dessert,
which can include a blackberry-mezcal sorbet with corn mousseline. More familiar á la
carte dishes grace the menu at the attached cafe.

Nostrana ITALIAN$$$ $$$

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( 503-234-2427; www.nostrana.com ; 1401 SE Morrison St; mains $17-28; 11:30am-2pm &
5-10pm Sun-Thu, to 11pm Fri & Sat) Award-winning chef Kathy Whims makes meals special
at this gem of an Italian restaurant. Choose from wood-fired pizzas (served uncut for au-
thenticity), pap-pardelle with rabbit sugo and flat-iron steak with arugula, which round
out the classic Italian dishes. Happy hour runs after 9pm and offers good deals.

Simpatica Dining Hall AMERICAN$$$ $$$

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( 503-235-1600; www.simpaticapdx.com ; 838 SE Ash St; prix fixe $38-55; prix-fixe dinners
7:30pm Fri & 7pm Sat, brunch 9am-2pm Sun) One of Portland's most popular Sunday
brunch spots (hello, fried chicken and waffles!) also serves great prix-fixe dinners. Make