Pine State's $11 Reggie biscuit on SE Belmont in Portland: fried chicken, bacon, cheese and gravy on a buttermilk biscuit served fast at the morning counter.
Tip: Open 07:00 to 14:00 daily. Cash and card. Expect 15-minute weekend wait.
Address: 3640 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214
Nong Poonsukwattana's $12 khao man gai counter on SE Ankeny in Portland, the canonical Thai chicken-and-rice plate that put her name on the city food map.
Try: Khao man gai poached chicken and rice
Tip: The ginger-soy sauce is the point. Extra sauce is $1.50; order it.
Nong Poonsukwattana's $12 khao man gai counter on SE Ankeny in Portland, the canonical Thai chicken-and-rice plate that put her name on the city food map.
Try: Khao man gai poached chicken and rice
Tip: The ginger-soy sauce is the point. Extra sauce is $1.50; order it.
Sandy Di's jianbing cart in downtown Portland by Pioneer Square, savoury Chinese street crepes around scrambled egg and crisp wonton skins for $10.
Try: Jianbing Chinese street crepe
Tip: Cash or card at the cart. Add extra chili crunch for $1.
Matt Vicedomini's smoker on N Mississippi at Prost Marketplace in Portland, a brisket sandwich on white bread with pickles for $14, eat at the heated patio.
Try: Brisket sandwich
Tip: Order the sandwich or by the half-pound. Sides cost extra; the brisket is the meal.
Christina Luu and William Vuong's Vietnamese soup counter on SE 82nd in Portland, with two rotating soups daily and the city's most authoritative pho-shop pricing.
Try: Daily rotating Vietnamese soup
Tip: Open Wed-Sun 08:00-15:00. Two soups daily, each runs only one day a week. They sell out by noon.
Voodoo's $5 bacon maple bar in Old Town Portland is the canonical city doughnut, available 06:00 to 03:00 on weekend nights with cash or card.
Try: Bacon maple bar and coffee
Tip: Open until 03:00 Thu-Sun. The line moves faster than it looks.
Yair Maidan's $11 falafel-pita counter in the Zipper micro-restaurant pod in northeast Portland, Washington-grown chickpea falafel with chopped vegetables.
Try: Falafel pita sandwich
Tip: Order at the counter; share the dining room with four micro-restaurants and a bar.
