One of the best restaurants in the Old Town/Chinatown district, Gilt Club (306 N.W. Broadway, 503-222-4458) serves food until 2 am, making it a favorite hangout with folks who have been partying at nearby gay clubs like CC Slaughters, Embers, and Casey's. It's a casually glam place to drink or eat - the duck-fat fries, bison tartare (pictured here), meatball sliders, and fried oysters are all delicious options from the early-evening happy hour menu. Savory cocktails are a specialty here - consider the BLT, made with house-made Roma tomato vodka, basil-lemon olive oil, and fresh lemon, served up with bacon salt. The list of cocktails and artisan liquor is impressive by any standard, and especially so in craft-cocktail-crazy Portland. You may recognize this spot from the "Colin the Chicken" bit on TV's irreverent
Portlandia
.