Portland, Oregon -- Sunday "supper"
 

OK, now that I'm staying at the Westin thanks to Priceline -- corner of Alder and Broadway, tell me a nice rather casual but neat place to have dinner alone on Sunday evening preferably within walking distance. (If I find a free place to park on the street, I'd hate to lose it.)
By the way, the recommended restaurant at the Westin is closed on Sunday evening. I've noted South Park near by.
I'd kind of prefer a place to eat at a bar, or at least a place where solo dining alone at a formal table isn't required -- not too comfortable for me yet.
Any kind of food -- and open to price, other than VERY expensive.

Southpark is good, and the bar area has some small tables that you would be fine eating alone at. And if it is nice, they have tables outside.

Jakes Grill is only about 2 blocks from the Westin and is good. Casual and a bar area as well.

Another place is Henry's. A few more blocks away, but still very easy to walk to. Great ice trough in the bar, and lots of small tables. Again, if it is nice out they have an outside area as well.

All of these are open on Sundays and everything here is casual, so you will be fine:)

If you like Thai food, my friend (who used to work at the Vintage Plaza a few blocks down) highly recommends Typhoon at 401 SW Broadway, a quick few blocks from the Westin:

http://www.typhoonrestaurants.com/locbroadway.htm

Andrew--We were just at Typhoon last night:) Love the place!

Oh, yes. We ate at Typhoon last time in Portland. It really was very good.

Just looked at Henry's and I like the sound of it. Now if I could just get all the way to Portland for lunch and then do a later light dinner that night. . .Mapquest shows just under 4 hours to Portland from Port Townsend, and that is by going the necessary more "western" route. That Tillamook cheddar cheeseburger with crispy onions from Henry's is calling out to me.

Yea, right around 4 hours for that trip. Once you get to the cutoff at Olympia you don't make as good of time as you do on I-5.

I love Henry's. DD loves that burger and the gorgonzola fries. Plus over 100 beers on tap, what's not to love?

If you'd be comfortable at a communal table, you might enjoy Clyde Common. Very Portlandish. But I agree, Henry's is a good choice anytime.

Yes, I'm fine with communal tables (pretty much what I did in New Orleans), but why when I go to the clyde common website to I keep getting an "invalid hostname" message?

Heathman Hotel has a cozy bar next to the dining room...I'm pretty sure you can take your meal in there and the food is good (and reasonable).

I recommend Jakes Grill too- beautiful old bar and it feels so old Portlandish- you can eat at the bar or there are small tables in the bar area- I like the bar myself because I nearly always find someone interesting to talk to. They have great crab cakes - and I love the garlic mashed potatoes.

You might check out the top of the Hilton - bar with beautiful views and last time I was there, had great kind of jazzy music (but not the kind that blasts you out)

I also like the Veritable Quandry but it does get VERY crowded

Good question, Patrick. Their phone number still works, but in this economy, restaurants around Portland are dropping like flies. Hadn't heard that of Clyde Common though.

NeoPat;
I had dinner at Clyde Common (no S) and really enjoyed it.
SW 11th & Stark 503-228-3333

I also recommend
fenouilinthepearl.com because of the ambience. It is so nice to spend the afternoon or evening overlooking the neighborhood park (Jamison Park I believe it's called) with a beach tide type pool, and watching the people. It reminds me so much of being in a European town. It's especially nice if it's a warm day. The food is exceptional.

Also LePigeon (communal seating) is fantastic if you really want great food. Reservations in advance are necessary.
lepigeon.com 738 East Burnside 503-546-8796

The Red Star Tavern at the Monaco is great for single dining.. bar dining, they have booths in the bar area too.

Henrys Tavern is great ! very comfortable solo dining, any time of the day.. the food is all good.

Mothers.. I think that is a great place to eat solo... they all wait on you nicely ..
Mother's Bistro & Bar
www.mothersbistro.com

We used to have drinks and fries at the Heathman Bar before a concert or show at the Schnitz but I never really enjoyed a dinner there..


Clyde Common http://www.clydecommon.com/

Do I remember that when we stayed at the Monaco (then Fifth Avenue Suites) that when we went to the bar -- Red Star, we were surrounded by smokers? Has that ended now? I'm thinking that was two, but maybe three years ago? Smoking was allowed in the bar, but not the restaurant, so everyone lined up at the bar to smoke.

I looked at the website for Le Pigeon and it looks great -- but how funny if I ended up spending more to stay "downtown" then ended up driving across the river for dinner when I could have stayed over there for less. LOL.

Clyde Common looks good too -- how funny that their website now works again. Same address I tried and tried before.

Smoking was outlawed when we lived there so I doubt there will be any problem with that ..
But the bar was a part of the restaurant, at one end of the room, that would have been awful!
We have lived here 2 years, we lived there almost 2 years so you are thinking more like 4 years ago?

No more smoking in Portland bars and restaurants as of January 1, 2009.

Wow. I'm so bad remembering when things were. I looked though my journals (which is good because I wanted to look up a couple restaurant names from Vancouver from that trip for my upcoming return). The "smokey" night at the bar at Red Tavern was July 26, 2005! More than two years ago. . . I remember being surprised by smoke allowed in a restaurant, but the bartender told us then people could smoke in bars, but not in restaurants -- the Red Star Tavern AND Grill (I think that was the official name) was considered separate bar from the restaurant for that purpose -- even though they shared a common room. We stayed for dinner and refused the first table they offered somewhat near the bar and were seated far away from it. Glad to know it's now all smokeless.

This might be more info than you're looking for, but you seem to enjoy researching. This is one of my favorite local restaurant review websites and this particular page is a map with the locations:
http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/review-map/

pdx
The portland food and drink site is fantastic!!
I spent about 30 minutes reading some of the reviews.
Thanks for posting it.
:)

Isn't it a nice site? People of like-mind so you can really get a good review.
By the way, nanabee, did you go to Ned Ludd? Someone mentioned it somewhere and I figured it was you.
Pardon the hijack, NeoPatrick.

NeoPatrick - where did you end up eating and how was it?