Is there anything more Portland than exuberant pride in your own neighborhood? City Cast’s Bryan M. Vance has it bad for Montavilla. And he’s sharing the places that make the case for his neighborhood really is the best place around:
You can find dinner, drinks, and a movie all in one spot. They serve: Bipartisan Cafe’s cookies and other baked goods, Miyamoto Sushi’s veggie sushi rolls, and Flying Pie Pizzeria’s slices, with beer from local brewers. You can pay a visit for just the food, but there are the movies too. If you can’t find current releases you want to see, they also show classic films.
🥢 Yaowarat
If you’re up for spending some money on dinner, this Bangkok-style Chinese food is in the running for best restaurant in the city and offers unique flavors.
This is the best banh mi in the city, says Vance. Bonus: It uses Bui’s Natural Tofu (from next door).
The woman-owned cocktail bar has a Star Trek trivia night. Also: “Blank Slate just spits out some of the best cocktails I think you will find in Portland, hands down,” says Vance.
It’s a place where neighbors come to hang out for hours at a stretch. “When we had that giant ice storm, back in the winter, it was like the only place in the entire Montavilla area that was open,” says Vance. “We were playing a board game with some people we had never met before because it's just that kind of place.”
It’s a dive bar that’s routinely on the lists of best in the city.
If you need another reason to visit, summer is coming and the neighborhood has one of the city’s outdoor pools.
Plus, there’s ready access to Mount Tabor Park. Technically it’s not in the neighborhood, but Montavilla can claim it too.
