OREGON, USA — Two Oregon eateries earned spots on The New York Times' prestigious "26 Best Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2024" list that was announced on Tuesday.
The Times food critics, who visited more than 30 states and hundreds of restaurants throughout the year, recognized Sugarpine Drive-In in Troutdale and Portland's Heavenly Creatures for their standout dishes.
At Sugarpine Drive-In, a historic 1920s building that once served as a gas station and bait shop along the Sandy River, food critic Sara Bonisteel praised the seasonal Cherries Jubilee Sundae. The $9 dessert features vanilla soft-serve topped with sour-cherry Jubilee sauce, almond brittle and cherry almond baba rhum.
Bonisteel called the sundae "a startlingly excellent entry to the cherry dessert canon" and deemed the restaurant a Columbia River Gorge destination comparable to Multnomah Falls.
In Portland, the wine bar Heavenly Creatures earned recognition for its $18 Mussels with 'Nduja Butter. Critic Brian Gallagher highlighted the dish's unexpected combination of seafood and spicy sausage, with each mussel shell carefully filled with a crimson butter sauce accented by fresh mint and lime.
The annual list typically includes a separate roundup of New York City establishments, making the inclusion of two Oregon venues particularly noteworthy.
