Finally getting the hang of Portland restaurants

I started to think we had bad food luck in Portland.

There was the "legendary" riverside spot with mediocre $35 salmon platters. 

The "authentic" longtime Chinese place off 82nd that, for what it lacked in flavor and freshness, rocked a lively karaoke and lounge scene. 

A three-hour wait for a table at a tiki bar.  

The inedible greasy burgers and fries at a much-lauded dive bar. 

The Indian restaurant that refused to let us order off the menu and instead demanded we eat from the buffet, where oil seeped and pooled from each dish and the stale, acrid odor of layers of fried food in the alcove should have been the first flag to deter us. 

The chicken and rice place that, just as we stepped up to order, ran out of...chicken and rice. 

And there were more! So. Many. More. 

Until there weren't. For months Scott and I slogged through some bad choices, purposely avoiding the cool new spots for what we'd heard were local mainstays or hidden gems. Sure, we enjoy a helping of history, kitsch, and time-tested fare, but instead we missed the mark with most of our weekend food jaunts. We must have exhausted the bad options, because lately we've had a solid run. 

Here they are, in no particular order - the winners in our good luck streak!

XLB

Xiaolongbao are soup dumplings, and this place serves them up fast and fresh, with a light ginger sauce. There's a helpful diagram at each table to help novice diners navigate their first XLBs - it's a dance between your soup spoon, chopsticks, and your mouth. The shrimp and pork noodles are also very tasty. We visited at about 6pm on a weekday and were seated before the dinner rush.  

Master Kong
No website, no problems. We visited with two friends and, like you do when a group of hungry dumpling eaters get together, you overorder. I think the server was embarrassed for us, making faces as she kept bringing plate after plate to our table. The favorite dish: the jian bing, a crepe studded with black sesame seeds and filled with egg, cilantro, pickled veggies, and fried wontons. Affordable and fast and delicious. I want to live there now. 

Yonder
It's the kind of preciously-crafted place I want to dislike (hello yet again, mason jar everything), but I can't, because the food is very good. And since the chef is from North Carolina, the food achingly reminds me of home: "dusted" fried chicken, creamy pimento mac and cheese, and collards cooked with the right amount of pork product. 

Apizza Scholls

My favorite pizza place in Gresham closed, and I'm feeling salty about it. Luckily Scott heard about this spot, where we did wait about 45 minutes on a weekend evening for a table. The pies here are wait-worthy, and there's a three-topping limit to ensure even baking. We respected the limit, ordering the Salami and Green Olive pizza. Bonus: the Green Goddess dressing takes their Wedge Salad to another place. 

Tortilleria Y Tienda De Leon's

Come for the extensive fresh salsa bar, stay for the, ah, decor (see below). Scott ordered a tamale platter, and I sampled a chile relleno and carne asada taco. Add cold bottles of Topo Chico and Coke, and lunch is served! I'd go back again and again for the salsas, which are available in larger to-go containers.  

We're making dining out great again! Here's hoping it continues.