Top 5 Things Portland, Oregon Restaurants Need to Fix

I love Portland--in fact, I moved here almost four years ago just because I love it--not because of a job, family or otherwise. However, the restaurant scene here is definitely lackluster. Sure, we can't really compare ourselves to more culinary-focused U.S. cities like Chicago, New York or San Francisco, but there are easy things Portland restauranteurs can and should fix to help elevate The Rose City to the next level.

1. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Pick something and do it really well. There are way too many restaurants that feel 'generic.' What I mean is that you can't figure out how to identify some of them by a specific cuisine--it's just boring old 'American.' Or some appear to one thing (e.g., Mexican), but their marketing refers to them as something else, e.g., 'West Coast Fare.' What the frick does that even mean? I typically avoid restaurants that offer boring, predictable menus or have an identity crisis.

2. Take online feedback to heart (Yelp, Google, etc.). Sure, there are some douchebags on Yelp and other review sites, but there is also legitimate feedback that can be valuable in improving your food, service and atmosphere. Read and respond--even if it's negative. Of course, ignore the trolls, and don't 'feed' them. However, thank other reviewers and be professional. As a Yelp Elite (10 years and counting!), I always appreciate not only the responses I get, but seeing professionally written responses to others' reviews. When there are no responses at all, that tells me the owner/manager never reads the reviews, which  shows that they don't care. I also refuse to patron businesses where owners/managers have left retaliatory feedback. They don't deserve my money.

3. Remind your hosts/hostesses that they are not better than everyone. I've come across a lot of rude, snotty hosts and hostesses here in Portland, which really goes against what Portland is all about and why I moved here. Hosts/hostesses: If you don't like your job, find another one. Owners/Managers: If you see a consistent theme of people complaining about your hosts/hostesses online, do something about it. Remember, these people are a customer's first impression of your restaurant.

4. Don't water it down with "fusion." It's very hard to find specific kick ass cultural cuisine restaurants in Portland and I'm not sure why. Sure, we are (unfortunately) a city dominated by us boring white people, but this is (thankfully) changing. Enough with the Asian fusion restaurants! Stop homogenizing everything! I would love to find one stand out, awesome, (more) authentic Japanese or Chinese restaurant in this town.

5. Stop catering to hipsters. If you love and kick ass at making Mexican food, keep it simple, use quality ingredients, and make it delicious. Don't feel obligated to change things to make them trendy to appeal to tourists and hipsters. Give me a good quality carne asada burrito, not lavender-infused carne asada burrito with sea salt (you get the picture). Trends come and go, but if you keep it real, you'll develop a loyal customer base that will keep coming back for more!