The Crawl: SE 7th and 8th Ave

Continuing the crawl series here at pdxplate is the well-traveled SE 7th and 8th Ave crawl. While those streets themselves aren't home to all the places on the map, they do form a neat axis down which one can traverse. The distance from E Burnside to SE Belmont is only half a mile, and one of the beautiful things about this itinerary is the great variety involved within such a short area. So get ready to mix it up food-wise and drink-wise, and be sure to carry a few dollar bills, you know, just in case.

Starting at the southern end, Green Dragon offers a nice selection of beer, as well as a nice side patio if weather permits. While Rogue now owns the pub, there are various breweries available on tap. The fries at Green Dragon are well regarded, but don't fill up as there's quite a long way to go.

After settling your beer tab, it's time to get your cocktail on at Beaker and Flask. It's a short walk across Belmont and Morrison to the 720 Building, and depending on the day of the week (and time of day), you might be greeted with a long wait to get into the Willamette Week's Restaurant of the Year. But your patience will be rewarded not only with great drinks, but excellent food as well.

If standing around while waiting for your table isn't your speed, you can grab a drink at the nearby Slammer Tavern. This cash-only neighborhood spot features a fun jukebox, lots of TVs showing the game, and cigarettes for sale if you're carcinogenically inclined.

Of course, you can bypass both altogether and continue walking north toward Biwa. While they're best known for their noodles, this Japanese restaurant excels most with their grilled yakitori items, from a meaty hanger steak to flavorful grilled shiitake mushroom. Biwa also features a full bar, in case you're looking for something beyond beer, sake and shochu.

The night might be drawing to a close, but there are still plenty of entertainment options nearby. Rontoms, Doug Fir, and Noble Rot all sit closeby on Burnside, but nothing puts a exclamation point at the end of an evening quite like some adult entertainment at Union Jacks. Truly, what's more Portland than an evening that goes from brewpub to craft cocktails to strippers?

It's possible to do this crawl in the opposite direction as well. Rontoms' patio, like Green Dragon, is best enjoyed in the summer, but at least it's partially covered in the event of inclement weather. The food at this bar is better than one might expect, but as before, there's plenty of excellent food options abound in this part of Portland.

In fact, Rontoms is a perfect place to grab a quick drink while waiting for a counter spot at Le Pigeon. The restaurant really typifies the youthful culinary movement here in Portland, where a tattoo'ed chef creates for you a sumptuous beef cheek bourgignon while a Beastie Boys CD plays over the room.

After such an elegant French dinner, the same middle cocktail options are available. Both Biwa and Beaker and Flask drop off almost precipitously to a surprisingly mellow state once the dinner crowd leaves, allowing for more thoughtful enjoyment of some after-dinner drinks.

Continuing the north-to-south tack, we once again find ourselves on SE Morrison. Green Dragon is still available, but there's also The Maiden and Sassy's, as well as Slow Bar just a few blocks west. Whether you want to stay low brow, go high class, or mix and match, this small area offers a slew of options to fill up any evening.

(Click here for a Google Map of this area, including links for all bars and restaurants mentioned. Photo of Le Pigeon taken from this NY Times article.)