ChileVerde

Best sushi anywhere. Period. Not to mention the value. Even the $1 bowl of miso soup seems like a steal. Nowhere will you get larger cuts of fish atop a mound of rice. You’ll take at least two bites to eat any piece, only the chefs at the counter will rib you for not downing them in one mouthful. Worth the inevitable hour wait.

There’s a reason this place has been around for a dozen years. Like being transported to a European bistro. Great wines by the glass. Salads, a good yardstick of great restaurants, are fresh and flavorful. Go back if you’ve not been in a while. Where Lance Armstrong goes when in town.

With butter or pork products gracing virtually every dish, you can’t go wrong here. Among Portland’s best.

OK, the filet mignon was succulent and as thick as any steak I’d ever seen. The service was attentive, with waiters coming at you like staff sargeants. But for the value—$50 a steak— I’d rather have Ethiopian, Greek, Thai or Spanish food for less than half the price. The mashed potatoes? Skip ’em. Would never have set foot in the place without a gift certificate and likely never will again without one. We had a memorable 2.5 hours, but the company had most to do with that.