Best Banana Cream Pie Ever.
Everyone should have a neighborhood restaurant like 3 Doors Down. It’s the kind of place where, when you are a regular, they start preparing your favorite cocktail the moment you walk in the door. It’s the kind of place where you may have a favorite dish that you order 25 times in a row, but on that 26th time, when you decide to be adventurous, you are consistently blown away by just how fabulous the other menu options are. It’s the kind of place where you know you can bring out of town guests, and they will rave about their food, their drink, and their overall experience. It’s the kind of place where neighbors and friends can stop in on a casual weeknight and enjoy an all-night happy hour of affordable food on those days when cooking for yourself after a long day at work seems an impossibility. It’s the kind of place where we consistently run into Portland chefs on their nights off.
I have had the pleasure of being a 3DD regular for over 12 years now. Most of my visits are during the week or Sunday nights, but even when The Bud and I decide to go out on a Friday or Saturday night, 3DD is often our top choice. It’s close. It’s delicious. It’s like family.
The atmosphere early in the evening is quiet and laid back, but in no time at all, the place is bustling. There is a palpable energy running through the restaurant, and I personally thrive on that energy whether patrons are celebrating life’s milestones or the mere fact that it’s Wednesday. I love observing it and experiencing it with a bourbon blood orange sour nestled comfortably in my hand, and another one on its way just as soon as I am ready for it. It’s the kind of place that always knows exactly when I’m ready for it.
Do you have a favorite neighborhood hangout that just “gets you?” I’d love to hear about it!