Executive Chef Thomas Dunklin leads his team at the incredible Three Degrees restaurant inside the Riverplace Hotel. Romantic in setting, Three Degrees is set on the beautiful riverfront in the heart of the city. Here, he uses fresh, seasonal and local ingredients to offer guests casual yet thought-through food that will make a lasting impression on their taste buds.
The restaurant is located in the lobby of one of the city’s preeminent hotels. The earthy tones are perfect to set the mood for the local and, often, organic food, which will make-up your menu. Candlelight makes for an elegant atmosphere and soft music plays in the background.
Upon entering the restaurant, the staff make it clear that they are there to make your stay comfortable. Leading you to your table with a smile and offering a seasonal cocktail from the get-go is a nice way to arrive. The sun sets over the river as your oysters on the half shell arrive fresh from Oregon’s coast. The meal to follow falls in line with the welcome, warm, satisfying and beautiful.
The menu is so well put together that your selection suddenly becomes truly difficult. You can find options like deviled eggs stuffed with dungeness crab, Kobe beef carpaccio, bacon-wrapped oysters, hamachi sashimi or a variety of salads. Entrees lean heavily towards seafood, which makes sense, as halibut, salmon and others surface from the “specials” list. Dessert is a “wow” moment with espresso custard, chocolate and fig bread pudding and chestnut butter cake – sinful.
Chef Dunklin knows how to please his guests – and that’s not easy in a city being touted as a place that is revolutionizing America’s dining scene. Three Degrees does an excellent job on all fronts and not one guest left unsatisfied the evening of my visit. I would return again and again, when in Portland.