Seafood

When it comes to serving seafood, Bay 13 (701 NW 13th Ave., 503/227-1133, www.bay13restaurant.com [1], 5–10 p.m. daily, $13–24) goes the distance. This converted warehouse has one of the best outdoor seating areas in the Pearl District [2]: a former loading dock that’s wide enough for ample table service, plus alfresco couches and chairs for cocktails and appetizers. Over half the menu is dedicated to raw or chilled seafood, with a sushi bar and excellent sashimi, rolls, and nigiri plus a selection of oysters on the half shell. Then there are traditional shellfish platters and salads featuring chilled shrimp, lobster, and crab.

Certainly not an afterthought is the menu of cooked New American seafood preparations, ranging from diver scallops with squid-ink gnocchi and lemon sabayon to grilled swordfish topped with braised fennel, Niçoise olives, and bordelaise sauce. The large U-shaped bar area has a chic, industrial feel, while the more formal dining room is flanked with moss-green curtains.