Halo Shoes Blog

These are some restaurants I visit fairly often and have a good time and a tasty meal.  And, coincidently, many of the staff visit Halo.  This list represents my current quick picks and there are really so many good options in Portland it's ridiculous. 

NAVARRE is where I go most often.  It's tapas style, a bit quirky, but always good.  John (chef/owner) was one of the first in town to take the idea of farm to customer to the most extreme.  He receives morning deliveries from the farm he contracts with and literally doesn't  know exactly what's going to be delivered.  His food is super clean and tasty.  Lighter flavors and more vegetarian options which are always yummy.  He also has a really nice wine list which is, again, a bit quirky, but very well selected. John is highly regarded within the Portland food scene.  Everytime I've been there, there's a chef from another well known restaurant, someone from the wine industry (wine makers, etc) food writers, and teachers of food schools.  The best nights to be there are thursday thru saturday.

TORO BRAVO is similar to Navarre with its tapas style.  It's more meat-centric and the sauces are heavier but everything is super delicious and maybe a bit more adventurous.  It gets super busy with only a wait list.  I hate waits so hit it early or later.  Its bigger and noisier than Navarre with a full bar but less of a wine list.  It has a great super indie wait staff.  Very portland that way.

KEN'S ARTISAN PIZZA is another favorite and it's an easy place to visit.  Must haves are a salad, oven roasted veggies (from the wood burning oven and always excellent) and a pizza or two.  Nice selection of wine and beers.  During the warmer evenings they can open up their giant windows to let the breeze go through the restaurant.