The restaurant expert at the downtown Visitors Center recommended Higgins as the best restaurant in Portland. It’s an easy walk from the hotel to the corner of Broadway and Jefferson where Higgins is located. A first look at the somewhat limited menu had us a little concerned. There just wasn’t anything on it that tempted us. Menu items were pretty gourmet, and we’re meat-and-potatoes people. However, one of the specials was a flatiron steak, and we jumped at that offering.

The salads are a la carte, and we ordered the least expensive option. Fresh spring greens, shredded carrots, radishes that seemed to have come directly from the garden, crumbled bleu cheese, hazelnuts, and a nice vinaigrette made for a delicious start to the meal. Two kinds of rolls were served with olive oil for dipping.

Our steak was cooked exactly as ordered and wonderfully flavorful. Sumptuous gratina potatoes, fresh steamed broccoli, and onion strings rounded out the plate. We had almost considered leaving prior to ordering and ended up deciding it was the best meal we had during our trip.

Our service was on par with what you would expect at a dressy restaurant. I would not recommend this restaurant for children unless they have very discriminating taste.