Liepzig Tavern/Gino's Restaurant -- 8051 SE 13th Ave., Portland (503-233-4613)
My favorite is a bowl of fresh mussels in a spicy fish broth coupled with a small Caesar salad (which is big enough for two). The portions are huge, so you might want to share. Also, great appetizers, pastas and just about everything. Try a bottle of San Felice Chianti with appetizers or entree. Delicioso!!
Gubanc's Pub --16008 SW Boones Fry., Lake Oswego (503-635-2102)
This place has been around for a very long time and I never get tired of it. The food is general American fare, and it's all good. They have a special menu every day with three different items. Every Friday there is cream of mushroom soup. Mmmm-mmm good! Be prepared for a wait at both lunch and dinner; they don't take reservations.
Marie Callender's -- 16261 NW Cornell Rd., Beaverton (503-439-8771)
305 NW Burnside, Gresham (503-669-8440)
It's a chain, but it has great food and the best store-bought pies around. I haven't found anything I don't like. They have the best pot pies bar none. I've even started buying the frozen entrees at the grocery store. They're not quite as good as the restaurant fare, but they're heads above many of the other brands. Try the cheesecake for dessert (or just about any time) for a real treat. Seasonal pies are also exceptional.
Jack-In-The-Box -- Check the Yellow Pages for Addresses
That's right...Jack-In-The-Box as in the little character with a golf ball for a head with a little dunce cap. This is my fast-food restaurant of choice. The salads at $4.99 ea. are large and filled with goodies. The Chicken Ciabatta and any Pannido sandwich are both low-fat and delicious. But it's hard to pass up the curly fries or the caramel milkshake. Not good for the ole diet -- but ohhh so good. Try it; you'll like it.
Gustav's -- 10350 SW Greenburg Rd., Tigard (503-639-4544)
5035 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland (503-388-5503)
12605 SE 97th Ave., Clackamas (503-653-1391)
This is perhaps Horst Mager's best effort and preferable to The Rhinelander (IMHO). Rotisserie chicken, pork, turkey and prime rib are mouth-watering. True to his German heritage there is an array of schnitzels and sausages. But my favorite are the potato pancakes. I could never eat any potato pancakes that weren't made by my mother, grandmother or myself. Gustav's are as close as it gets to home-made and so much easier for them to make than me.
Pal's Shanty -- 4630 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland (503-288-9732)
I've been to Pal's Shanty when the waiting line was out the door, but most of the time it's a pleasant wait at the bar with one of their famous shrimp cocktails. This is the place for fish in Portland. It's been around longer than I have, and you can't stay in business that long if you aren't doing something right.
Helvetia Tavern -- 10275 NW Helvetia Rd., Hillsboro (503-647-5286)
This is the place for burgers. They're as big as a dinner plate and made from fresh ground beef -- no fillers added. French fries are so-so, but add a pitcher of beer and you have a king-size meal. This is no-frills dining at its best.
Burgerville -- Various locations.
This home-grown fast-food chain has the hearts of Oregonians new and old. You don't have to go any farther or pay any more for the best halibut fish-and-chips than right here. And don't miss their French-fried Walla Walla sweet onion rings in season. They are oh so good!
John's Family Restaurant -- 110 SW Hwy. 99W, Dundee (503-538-1522)
If you're going to the coast or out for a ride in the wine country, go early and stop by John's for one of their famous breakfasts. Home-made sausage, cottage-fried potatoes, chicken fried steak are but a few of the AM delights. Whatever you do, come hungry!!
Dundee Bistro -- Hwy. 99 & 7th St., Dundee (503-554-1650)
Owned by the famous Pozzi family of Oregon wine fame, this restaurant has some of the finest cuisine I have had at a restaurant in a long, long time. Flavors are fresh and innovative. Their truffle fries are one-of-a-kind. The menu changes daily, so return often. You won't be disappointed.
Beach Pancake & Dinner House --1725 SW Hwy. 101, Lincoln City (541-996-2226)
I had one of the best breakfasts here that I've had anywhere -- hashed browns so light and fluffy they almost floated away, homemade pork sausages, eggs done just right -- and some of the best prices you'll find at any coast eatery (or anywhere else for that matter). If you aren't looking for "The Beach House", you might drive right by it. This is a place you have to "know" about, like in locals.
Veganopolis -- 412 SW Fourth St., Portland (503-226-3400)
I never thought I could be a vegetarian much less a vegan. How can you live without eggs and cheese? Well, if I were the gourmet vegan chefs that George Black and David Stowell are, it would be very, very easy. A roasted eggplant sandwich with a soy feta that you'd swear was the real thing is to die for, and their soups are exceptional.
