March in Portland means Portland Dining Month, where over 100 local restaurants offer a three course meal for only $29. Meals at some of these restaurants can set you back substantially more, sometimes just for an entree, so trying out new places during this month is a great way to experiment, find new favorite places, or get a great value at an otherwise expensive restaurant.

I already have two set plans for dining month- Mother's with some girlfriends, and St. Jacks with David. I haven't been to either but they have both been on my list for awhile, so I'm really looking forward to sampling some fantastic new dishes!

Below are some great restaurants that I would love to go to this month- all feature vegetarian options and courses that sound delicious to me. Check out the full list on the Travel Portland website, and start planning your schedule for the month!

3 Doors Down Cafe

Hawthorne, SE Portland, Italian, 1429 S.E. 37th Ave., Portland, OR 97214

3 Doors Down offers a doff of the hat to Mother Italy and a harmonious affair with locally procured Pacific Northwest and American cuisine. A playful, thoughtful and engaging dining experience begins with the dynamic wine list and cocktails on tap, flowing effortlessly to the inventive starters, big bowls of pasta and shellfish, perfectly grilled fish and meats, and spaghetti-and-meatball Sunday suppers.

MENU
First course (choose one):
Fried cauliflower tots
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Roasted beet with easter egg radish, gorgonzola cheese and a beet micro green salad
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Pork rillette with pickled vegetables and grilled focaccia
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Soup d'Jour

Second course (choose one):
Baked eggplant polpette with ceppo pasta in a San Marzano plum tomato sauce with kalamata olives, mozzarella and bread crumbs
-Or-
Painted Hills short rib ragu with potato gnocchi
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Espelette dusted baked sole with lentils, horseradish beurre blanc and spinach

Third course (choose one):
House-made cannoli with chocolate chips and pistachios
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Meyer lemon semifreddo sponge cake
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Ice cream and shortbread cookie

Al Amir Lebanese Restaurant

Downtown, SW Portland, Mediterranean/Middle Eastern, 223 S.W. Stark St., Portland, OR 97204

The food is largely traditional Middle Eastern fare, but each dish is surprisingly subtle, complex and full of flavor. The lentil soup is lighter than you’d expect and resonant with lemon. To get a good idea of what Al-Amir is all about, the Lebanese Tour comes with hummus, smoky baba ghanouj, impeccable grape leaves, tabbouleh, falafel and a choice of entree.

First course (choose one):
Al-Amir sampler platter of hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, grape leaves and falafel, followed by grilled lamb kabob, grilled chicken and shrimp service with house special rice and baklava for dessert

Second course (choose one):
Hummus and fattoush salad followed by roasted lamb shank on the bone, grilled fillet of chicken with house special rice and baklava for dessert

Third course:
Lebanese tour of vegetarian hummus, baba ghannooj, tabouli, grape leaves and vegetarian falafel, followed by khudar sauté of cauliflower, zucchini and carrot topped with garlic and tahini sauce and baklava for dessert

Autentica

Alberta Arts District, NE Portland, Mexican, 5507 N.E. 30th Ave., Portland, OR 97211

The aptly named Autentica serves traditional, authentic Mexican cuisine inspired by chef/owner Oswaldo Bibiano’s hometown, Guerrero, Mexico. Using fresh, local ingredients Autentica creates rich and flavorful sauce and tortillas individually handmade with a traditional press. Vegetarian options are available, and many dishes can be made vegan upon request. Pazole is served each Thursday (a Mexican tradition).

First course (choose one):
Vetabel: roasted beets with cilantro, queso fresco, radish and a habanero vinaigrette
-Or-
Orejona with chopped romaine, avocado, red onion, spicy peanuts and spicy cotija cheese dressing

Second course (choose one):
Traditional house made autentica guacamole served with fresh corn tortillas
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Ceviche aguachile of daily fish, habanero aguachile, cucumber and fresno peppers

Third course (choose one):
Carnitas de puerco:roasted pork shoulder with grilled tomatillo salsa and salpicon
-Or-
Huarache de nopal: grilled cactus with seasonal vegetables, wild mushrooms and a pinto bean puree
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Pozole blanco traditional braised pork and hominy stew (Thursday Only)

Bar Avignon

Division / Clinton, SE Portland, French, Wine Bars/Tasting, 2138 S.E. Division St., Portland, OR 97202

This neighborhood European-inspired bistro has a market-driven menu that changes daily, featuring such dishes as oysters on the half-shell, house-made pasta and charcuterie. Hand-crafted cocktails, eight beers on draught, a beer engine and an award-winning wine list (with 25 wines by the glass) help quench your thirst. Bar Avignon also features outdoor seating and a weekday happy hour.

First course (choose one):
Kohlrabi and potato soup with horseradish, bacon, brown butter and leek oil
-Or-
Butter lettuce with radish, hazelnut, herbs and green goddess dressing

Second course (choose one):
Pork shoulder confit, creamy polenta, charred radicchio, fried shallot and pork jus
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Tagliatelle with rabbit ragù, escarole, rosemary, roasted garlic and Piave
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Risotto with winter vegetables, foraged mushrooms and ricotta salata

Third course (choose one):
Saffron panna cotta, blood orange, pistachio, biscotti and yeasted Chantilly cream
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Earl grey mousse with vanilla sponge cake croutons and dark chocolate shavings

Bit House Saloon

Central Eastside, SE Portland, Bars/Pubs/Taverns, 727 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97214

This Southeast Portland bar features single-barrel spirits on tap, barrel-aged beer and cocktails from a powerhouse local bar team. In total, the bar has 28 drinks on tap — from spirits to beer to wine to cocktails and beyond.

First Course (choose one):
Butter lettuce salad with Green Goddess dressing and pepitas
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Posole de pollo with fried tortilla and grilled lime

Second Course (choose one):
Marinated and grilled Ota tofu with blueberry hoisin sauce and a sesame-sake vinaigrette
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Black tea fried chicken with sweet potato jo jos and molasses

Third Course (choose one):
Chocolate brownie with Mexican hot chocolate ice cream
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Grilled orange cinnamon and cilantro sugar with reposado tequila Pecan chocolate brownie with Mexican hot chocolate ice cream
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Grilled naval orange withcinnamon, cilantro sugar, Roca Patron Anejo tequila

Blossoming Lotus

Lloyd District, NE Portland, Vegan, Vegetarian, 1711 N.E. 15th Ave., Portland, OR 97212

Blossoming Lotus serves organic, freshly made, world vegan fusion cuisine with cooked and live food options.

First Course (choose one):
Tangerines and blood oranges with shaved radishes, fennel, rutabaga, toasted almonds and a spicy mandarin mojo
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Roasted tandoori cauliflower with a mint-cilantro chutney

Second Course (choose one):
Roasted broccoli rapini, sunchokes with a cumin-spiced chickpea fritter in a Meyer lemon tahini-harissa vinaigrette
-Or-
Wild mushroom risotto with melted leeks, spring greens, hazelnut parmesan and truffled crema

Third Course (choose one):
Lemon custard trifle with lemon curd, chia, lemon-poppy seed cake and oatmeal streusel
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Chocolate hazelnut mousse cake with hazelnut praline and caramel

Mother's Bistro & Bar

Downtown, SW Portland, American/New American, Portland Essentials, 212 S.W. Stark St., Portland, OR 97204

Chosen as Willamette Week’s “restaurant of the year” after opening in 2000, Mother’s Bistro & Bar serves comfort food classics made from scratch, perfected in the hands of four-star-restaurant-trained chef Lisa Schroeder. With melt-in-your-mouth biscuits, pot roast, chicken and dumplings and a different decadent macaroni and cheese daily, home cooking is elevated to a high art for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Mother’s.

First course (choose one):
House salad
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Caesar salad
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Cup of soup

Second course (choose one):
Any entree (excluding steak frites)

Third course (choose one):
Any dessert (excluding the crisp cobbler)

Produce Row

Central Eastside, SE Portland, American/New American, Bars/Pubs/Taverns, Brewpubs/Breweries, 204 S.E. Oak St., Portland, OR 97214

This venerable Portland beer institution has been serving up local pints since 1974, when it was owned by the McMenamin brothers before their McMenamins empire began. After a brief closure in 2015, Produce Row is once again open, with an easily accessible menu and great patio space.

First Course (choose one):
French onion soup with Swiss cheese and baguette
-Or-
Fried cauliflower yellow curry with cilantro and lime yogurt
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Farm chop salad of house greens, bacon, tomato, cheddar, egg and crispy onions with a buttermilk dressing

Second Course (choose one):
Bistro filet with beer battered fries, baby kale and porcini mushroom butter
-Or-
Bourbon maple glazed steelhead with fingerling potatoes and vegetable hash
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Kale pesto linguini with delicata squash, kale, turnips, hazelnut kale pesto and smoked olive oil

Third Course:
Bourbon apple bread pudding with Cointreau whipped cream and candied hazelnuts

Saucebox

Downtown, SW Portland, Asian, Japanese, Thai, 214 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97205

Since 1995, Saucebox has maintained a reputation in the city as the place for the finest in pan-Asian and Pacific Island cuisine with its insider vibe and unique presence. Unforgettable dishes and innovative cocktails have garnered national attention for Saucebox national in The New York Times, Bon Appetit Magazine, Travel & Leisure and The Wall Street Journal – but its local popularity makes this a landmark of Portland restaurant and lounge scene.

First course (choose one):
Pork belly shumai with shrimp, XO sauce and bean paste
-Or-
Crispy Brussels sprouts with sweet dashi, poached egg and scallions
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Green papaya salad with pineapple, cherry tomatoes and peanuts

Second course (choose one):
Oxtail chow fun with garlic chili paste, scallions, and fried garlic
-Or-
Saké-steamed mussels and clams with cherry tomatoes, garlic, tsuyu and grilled baguette
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Vegetarian miso ramen with mizuna, kimchi daikon and soft-boiled egg

Third course (choose one):
Fried coconut rolls with coconut rice pudding and miso caramel
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Green tea cream puffs
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Red bean ice cream

Tusk

SE Portland, African, Mediterranean/Middle Eastern, 2448 E. Burnside St., Portland, OR 97214

This highly-buzzed-about Middle-Eastern restaurant and bar comes from lauded Ava Gene’s chef, Joshua McFadden. The Israeli and Moroccan-inspired menu at Tusk features small plates and lighter fare, highlighting local veggies and whole grains, like house-made pita, unique salads and skewered beef, along with surprises, like soft serve sundaes.

First Course:
Mezze: a selection of a small seasonal salads, olives, pickles, hummus and house made flatbread

Second Course (choose one):
Pork shoulder braised with greens, cumin, aleppo pepper and sumac
-OR-
Chickpea and hominy stew with garlic, parsley, yogurt and frizzled onions

Third Course:
Semolina, apricot and orange blossom layer cake