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    Urban Bliss Life » Blog » Food Bliss: Q Restaurant & Bar in Downtown Portland, Oregon

    Published: January 19, 2017 / Updated: May 28, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Food Bliss: Q Restaurant & Bar in Downtown Portland, Oregon

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    Portland's Q Restaurant and Bar is one of the best things to happen to downtown Portland in a long time.

    Q Restaurant Portland, Oregon - Review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Downtown Portland, Oregon is an interesting collage of businesses. It's a mishmash of big business and tech startups, fine dining and old school diners, vacant spaces with seemingly forever For Lease signs and food cart pods. It's where people go to work but not necessarily to play.

    A few new restaurants opened in downtown Portland last year. My favorite: Q Restaurant and Bar, which opened in November of last year.

    Q Restaurant & Bar

    Q Restaurant Portland

    Located in the heart of downtown Portland, Q is open daily for lunch and dinner, and weekend brunch.

    Restaurant interior

    Stepping in from loud, busy downtown 2nd street, you are greeted by a warm, inviting atmosphere. There are two main dining areas: the first has a long bar (perfect for after work drinks and bites!) and row of tables. You then wind the corner to another dining room with tables for larger groups and chef's counter dining.

    Q Portland, Oregon Restaurant Review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Q is run by Executive Chef Annie Cuggino, who was the culinary goddess behind the 20+ year transformation of the former Veritable Quandry (VQ) into a Portland institution. Together with former VQ teammates Sous Chefs Victor Martinez and Natalie Gullish, Cuggino serves "hyper seasonal food, sourced locally."

    The menus change daily, based on what's available and in season. Each plate is a satisfying combination of flavors and artful presentation.

    Here's a look at what my friends and I enjoyed during a media dinner.

    Starters

    rabbit pate

    House Made Rabbit Pâté ($15) with prune jam, two different mustards (Dijon and a Stone Ground Mustard), house pickles, and toasted baguette. I definitely recommend this starter if you enjoy pâté.

    beef carpaccio

    The chef also brought out a plate of beef carpaccio for us to try. The thinly sliced beef was delicate and delicious.

    Q Portland, Oregon Restaurant Review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    There is usually a seasonal Artisan Cheese Plate ($22) available. During our meal, we enjoyed the winter burrata with roasted pumpkin, aged balsamic, honey, and crispy copa.

    Dinner Entrees

    Q Portland, Oregon Restaurant Review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    My friend ordered the Buttermilk Chicken ($27) which was served with white cheddar biscuit, candied pecans, and a warm bacon bourbon vinaigrette.

    Q Portland, Oregon Restaurant Review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Oh my. THIS was it.

    This was the dish that put me over the edge into the I HEART Q 4EVER category.

    My favorite dish, the dish that I have been dreaming about ever since devouring it in all of its delicious glory, is the lobster and scallops-filled ravioli. In a luscious cream sauce that probably made my dairy-sensitive self break out two days later, but I don't care. WORTH IT. I can't wait to suffer through this divine dish again and again this year.

    Once again, please keep in mind that the items pictured here may not be available the day you dine at Q because their menu changes regularly. However, they give you a good idea of the types of dishes you can expect to enjoy here.

    Lunch and Brunch

    The lunch crowd can look forward to soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as daily entree specials such as House Made Saffron Spaghetti alla Chitarra ($18) and Petit Hanger Steak with Asian Rub ($18).

    I also look forward to trying Q's Weekend Brunch someday. Brunch classics such as Brioche French Toast ($14) and the Q Burger ($15) co-mingle on the menu with Corned Beef Hash & Over Easy Duck Egg ($18) and Rain Shadow El Rancho Poached Egg* & House Bacon Salad ($15).

    Drinks and Dessert

    Q Portland, Oregon Restaurant Review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The wine, beer, and cocktail list is excellent. I enjoyed a glass of my favorite Soter Vineyards Brute Rosé, but just like the food menu, the wine list changes.

    And you MUST try their chocolate soufflé. It's the sweetest ending to an outrageously divine meal!

    Final Thoughts

    Q is the kind of restaurant I personally love and find myself recommending to anyone and everyone. It's refined elegance that still holds a casual Pacific Northwest vibe... upscale without being stuffy. Q is the ideal place to meet up with a friend for drinks after work, absolutely ideal for date night, and also an excellent spot to take out of town guests who want to enjoy local cuisine. Wear your best dress or wear your best jeans - just come hungry and you will leave happy!

    Now I just need to go back and take photos during the day so you can see the food in better lighting :) When I do, I will come back and update this post! 

    Visit Q Restaurant & Bar

    828 SW Second Ave.
    Portland, Oregon 97204
    503.850.8915
    www.q-portland.com
    HOURS:
    MON - FRI: 11:00am to 10:00pm
    SAT-SUN 9:30am to 10:00pm

    Reservations accepted online for parties of four and under; for parties of five or more, call the restaurant directly. 

    Many thanks to Q Restaurant and Bar for the invitation to a media preview of Q's grand opening. As always, all opinions and photos are my own. I think you will LOVE Q as much as I do! 

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Agness of Fit Travelling says

        January 21, 2017 at 6:11 pm

        Your pictures are absolutely stunning, Marlyn, This restaurant is stunning!

        Reply
      2. Erin (Platings and Pairings) says

        January 19, 2017 at 6:54 pm

        These dishes all look fantastic - I can't wait to give Q a try, and love the fact that there is another downtown option for a great lunch!

        Reply
      3. Jenni says

        January 19, 2017 at 4:41 pm

        I love it when restaurants feature a daily changing menu....it cannot be easy to update and produce each day, but the commitment to fresh seasonal ingredients is very much appreciated by this diner. Q looks great!

        Reply
      4. Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says

        January 19, 2017 at 4:25 pm

        You are SO right that downtown Portland has needed something just like Q! A while back I met an out of town friend downtown and he was shocked that it becomes a ghost town at night and on weekends. Glad to see Q is turning that around.

        Reply
      5. Mary says

        January 19, 2017 at 2:19 pm

        You had me at "Q". One of my favorite restaurants when I lived in San Francisco was named Q. Now this was years ago, and I know they have nothing to do with each other, but that name will always carry fond memories!
        And those lobster raviolis sound out of this world!
        Putting this on my radar to try asap!

        Reply
      6. Create/Enjoy says

        January 19, 2017 at 2:12 pm

        I've driven by that place! Wow, everything sounds fantastic! I love when restaurants have traditional/revival dishes like pate on the menu!

        Reply

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      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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