Portland, Ore.
In notoriously food-centric, brewpub-infested Portland, sometimes a refreshingly straightforward menu leads to enlightened eats. Newish, wood-clad pub house Grain & Gristle, a venture between Upright Brewing owner Alex Ganum and chef Ben Meyer (formerly of Ned Ludd), boasts just eight carefully curated (local) taps, with a constantly evolving, rustic menu created to match the kegs of the moment. In addition to pub favorites like fressen pretzels and a super-juicy (and cheeseless) house burger, Meyer’s “vegetables” section focuses squarely on honest-but-upscale takes on mustardy brussels sprouts, acorn squash drizzled with molasses and radicchio-and-bacon salads. Still, it’s tough to beat his mussels frites paired with Upright’s #4 Wheat.