Pre-Theater
Whether you’re attending the theater, ballet, or opera of your own volition or being dragged by your more refined mate/friend/kind of weird guy at work you don’t know very well but swears his season tickets to the Oregon Ballet Theater let you see the whites of the eyes of twinkle-toed hotties like Brennan Boyer and Yuka Iino, one thing is certain: you must eat beforehand, because being culturally au courant requires suitable sustenance. Here are a few places within a playbill’s throw from Portland’s preeminent playhouses.
Higgins
Just up the street from the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Schnitzer Concert Hall, and a short jaunt from the Keller Auditorium, Higgins is perfectly poised for a genteel pre-theater supper. For 15 years, Higgins has been serving up meticulously sourced and prepared Pacific Northwest cuisine under the careful watch of one of the Portland restaurant scene’s most prominent kitchen veterans, Greg Higgins. Your meal might include the Higgins charcuterie plate with house-made pickles, marinated artichokes salad with quinoa tabbouleh and Moroccan spiced yams, hazelnut smoked Sockeye salmon risotto with leeks and chèvre in a horseradish-scallion vinaigrette, and/ or a trifle of rhubarb, shortcake, lemon cream and candied almonds. And when you push back from the white linen clothed table, bid your exemplary server adieu, take your date’s arm and ask if you may escort her to the ballet/concert/play, she will think you quite the well-rounded gentleman.
Carafe
Carafe French Bistro is a beautiful little taste of Paris that keeps to itself in the strip mall-esque base of the ??building on SW Market, directly across the street from the Keller Auditorium. It’s location makes it a natural pre-theatre destination, so I feel compelled to mention it here, but would urge you to dine carefully–I’ve experienced quite a few service and cuisine misses here over the years and have since refined my dining choices to the following–a carafe of wine, a frisée salad with poached egg and warm bacon vinaigrette and the moules á la créme–a heaping bowl of fat tender Black Mediterranean mussels with shallots, thyme, and crème fraiche. These gorgeous mussels are nearly usurped by their delectable broth, so you may want to request extra baguette for dipping before you even begin eating. Then it’s an order of profiteroles and off to the ball/opera/ballet you go.
- Location: 200 SW Market St. Portland Map it!
- Phone Number: 503.248.0004
- Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-9pm, Sat 5-9pm, closed Sunday
Clyde Common
Equidistant to both Portland Center Stage and the Artist’s Repertory Theater, this approachably sophisticated downtown gastropub’s beautiful high-ceilinged dining room is largely unadorned but never feels stark, and sports long wooden communal tables filled with happy, talkative folks all eating what Clyde calls simply “domestic and foreign cooking,” dishes like rabbit terrine with pickled beets, tuna salad with piquillo pepper and saffron sauce, or ravioli of sweetbreads, caramelized onion and bacon. Drinks are some of the best in the city, Clyde only employs the crème de la crème of the mixology world, the wine list is practially infallible, and on Sunday nights you can share a pre-show half-price bottle of bubbly. If you are feeling like a private moment with your bottle of bubbly and your theater date, by all means request a private table upstairs in the loft.
- Location: 1014 SW Stark St. Portland Map it!
- Phone Number: 503.228.3333
- Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30am-11pm, Fri 11:30am-2am, Sat 5pm-2am, Sun 5-10pm * Happy Hour Mon-Fri 3-6pm
Heathman
The Heathman Hotel is one of downtown Portland’s fine dining mainstays, if you’re seeking a French-influenced, white tablecloth affair a baguette’s throw from SW Broadway’s major theatre and event spaces. I’m more of a Heathman’s Happy Hour girl myself. The food is excellent and appallingly inexpensive, and is served in the restaurant’s less formal adjoining bar, which can be quite the scene on a busy weekday evening. Once Special Correspondent April even saw Jennifer Aniston there. And now that the Heathman’s happy hour goes from 2pm all the way until close, if you work up a late evening appetite while watching Flight of the Conchords perform, you can revisit after the show.
Hotel deLuxe
You’ll wish you wore your best vintage Christian Dior gown when you walk into Hotel DeLuxe on SW 15th Avenue, a four-star boutique hotel done up in the style of Old Hollywood Glamour–and a stone’s throw from the Artists Repertory Theater. It’s not hard to imagine Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. sipping a glass of Jack Daniel’s in the corner of the darkly sumptuous Driftwood Lounge, and everyone feels like a star in Gracie’s dining room, with plush U-shaped suede banquettes, marble-topped tables, and lofty ceilings with ornately detailed gilded woodwork. The menu is organized into “Introductions,” which includes starters like the Smoked Roasted Chicken Chowder and Bibb Lettuce Salad; “Center Stage,” which has heartier small plates like the Gorgonzola Cheesecake and Dungeness Crab and Bay Shrimp Cakes; and “Featured Attraction,” including Pan-Roasted Alaskan Halibut and Carlton Farms Pork Chop. Quite frankly, I cannot promise that you’ll have a four-star meal here–I’ve had hits and misses, but the food is good and the proximity to the theater unmatched, so decide accordingly. And you can always test the culinary waters at the Driftwood Lounge’s superb happy hour–$5-$6 champagne cocktails and great food deals, daily 3-6pm.
- Location: 729 SW 15th Ave. Portland Map it!
- Phone Number: 503.222.2171
- Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30am-2pm, 5-10pm, Sat-Sun 8am-2pm, 5-10pm
Koi Fusion
Going to the theater can get expensive, and with ticket prices for Artist Repertory Theater shows coming in at around $35, you’ve nearly spent a c-note before you even walk in the door. You can’t very well go hungry though, nobody wants to hear your stomach rumbling in the midst of a particularly tense moment during Othello, and the larder is bare. Solution? If you’re lucky, Koi Fusion’s traveling taco truck will be parked at its PGE Park location, at SW Morrison and 20th, dishing out delicious Korean spiced fries, Korean fried chicken wings, Bibimbap burritos, and bulgogi, short rib, and tofu Korean tacos. How do you find out if Koi is gracing the hood during your theater tenure? Check on the Twitter icon below–these boys keep you apprised of their whereabouts at all times via tweet power.
- Location: Varies between PGE Park, SW 6th & College, and SW 3rd & Ankeny; check website/twitter for schedule Map it!
- Phone Number: 503.997.6654
- Hours: Koi has lunch, dinner, and late-night shifts that vary by date and location, check the website for details
Murata
Humble and gracious little Murata is practically invisible to the naked eye, tucked into a parking lot mini-mall across from the Keller Auditorium. Sushi Chef Murata-san works his magic quickly and quietly, and with a reverence for his craft that includes touches like sending out each piece of nigiri separately so it can be properly appreciated. The food is fresh and authentic, the little dining room and semi-private tatami rooms are serene and inviting, and the kimono-clad servers knowledgeable and amiable. Just remember–while Murata might be invisible to the unaware, it’s got plenty of loyal fans and it’s tiny, so try to get there early to avoid a wait that will leave you rushing into your seats, unable to have so much as one pre-show glass of champagne.
Nel Centro
Five blocks in either direction from Nel Centro, and you’ll be at either the Keller Auditorium, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, or the Schnitzer Concert Hall. The latest venture of restauranteur/chef David Machado, Nel Centro is a tony, uptown Italian Riviera cuisine-inspired restaurant located inside the fashionably remodeled Hotel Modera on SW 5th Street. A large sunny private patio is tucked into the center of the U-shaped hotel, its tranquil grounds accentuated by striking rectangular metal fire pits filled with rugged chunks of amber-colored granite that blaze brilliantly when turned on at dusk. The menu features perfect-for-sharing small plates like the Warm Hazelnut Crusted Chevre with Piperade & Olive Tapenade, Fava Bean, Pecorino & Shaved Fennel Salad, and Pommes Frites with Harissa Ketchup, light but gratifying pasta and meat dishes like Trenette with Basil Pesto and Roasted Halibut with Baby Artichokes and Preserved Lemon, and a compelling cocktail list that could have you stumbling to the theater.
- Location: 1408 SW 6th Ave. Portland Map it!
- Phone Number: 503.484.1099
- Hours: Mon-Thu 6:30-10:30am, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5-9pm, Fri 6:30-10:30am, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5-10pm, Sat 7:30-11:30am, 5-10pm, Sun 8am-2pm, 5-9pm
Ristorante Roma
If you’re in the mood for a casual Italian dining experience before you take in All My Sons at the Artists Repertory Theater on SW Morrison, Ristorante Roma is only three blocks down the street. Tucked inconspicuously between a piano store and a consignment shop, Ristorante Roma looks out over the lovely First Presbyterian Church, so you can almost pretend you’re actually in Italy, where pretty much every restaurant looks out over a duomo. Ristorante Roma dishes up fresh salads, antipasti and hearty plates of uncomplicated pasta in a low-key, authentic atmosphere that’s enhanced by the gracious service from the young Italian couple who owns and runs the restaurant. Pour a glass of Sangiovese while you try and remember the last time you saw an Arthur Miller play, then ruefully toast your embarrassing lack of culture and resolve to be less of a Philistine in the future.
Southpark
You can practically touch the back balcony of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall from a patio table at Southpark Seafood Grill and Bar, which makes it a logical spot to enjoy a pre-event glass of sparkly with a dozen Pacific oysters before the John Tesh Diana Krall concert. Or, sip a selection from Southpark’s impressive wine list and sample the sauteed crab cakes with citrus saffron or a bowl of manila clams with salsa verde in the restaurant’s comely little wine bar.
Teardrop Lounge
Stylish, seductive Teardrop Lounge will put you in the mood for your upcoming Portland Center Stage theater experience. The sexy setting includes a unique circular island bar and cool industrial touches, a Pearl District clientele that’s as dramatic and attractive as any show’s cast, dashing and brooding bartenders, passionate drink-making, and of course, alluring small plates like stuffed fried peppers with chipotle bourbon peach sauce, heirloom tomato panzanella, and lamb ribs. And since happy hour goes until seven and you’re only two blocks from the Armory Theater, you can linger until just before the Grande drape parts.
- Location: 1015 NW Everett St. Portland Map it!
- Phone Number: 503.445.8109
- Hours: Mon-Sat 4pm-1am * Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7pm
Ten 01
Sleekly beautiful Ten 01 restaurant is located just around the corner from the Pearl District’s Armory Building–host to the Portland Center Stage, which is responsible for local theatrical hits like Frost/Nixon, Grey Gardens, A Christmas Carol, and Storm Large’s popular one-woman show Crazy Enough. Enjoy decadent pre-theatre dining, with oysters on the half shell with a jalapeno-champagne vinaigrette, a light arugula salad with corn, fennel, pecorino and mint, smoked salmon brioche, and a rich torchio pasta with braised lamb and peas–and that’s just the happy hour menu (Monday-Saturday, 3-6pm). Since you’ve already splashed out a bundle on your front row tickets to The Importance of Being Earnest, save with Ten 01’s $35 three-course Chef’s Market tasting menu, offered nightly. Don’t hesitate to order wine with dinner–the 3,000+bottle cellar is one of the finest around.
- Location: 1001 NW Couch St. Portland Map it!
- Phone Number: 503.226.3463
- Hours: Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30am-3pm, Dinner Mon-Sat 5pm-close * Happy Hour Mon-Sat 3-6pm
Veritable Quandary
You’ve got 7:30 pm tickets to La Bohéme at the Keller, and since the opera takes a lot out of a person, you need pre-show fortification. Somewhere elegant and relaxing, the sort of place Mimi and Rodolfo might go for wine and a long chat after they sort out all that business with the matches and lost keys. Veritable Quandary, located only three blocks from the auditorium, should do quite nicely.
