Something has been fishy in the Pacific Northwest for over 110 years. And that’s exactly how Oregonians like it.

Since 1892, Jake’s Famous Crawfish has been serving excellent oysters and seafood dishes that can rival any big city restaurant at small town prices. You wonder how they can do it. But that is just how it is in Portland. Without blinking, garages in New York City or San Francisco charge $38 to park for the night. People in downtown Portland apologize for the $4 valet charge.

I remember years ago tipping a bellhop at the wonderful Portland hotel The Benson $5 for doing manual labor. I might as well have given him a winning lottery ticket. I remember on that same trip giving a Portland cab driver a $20 bill and hearing him say “Man, the big money is in town this week!” That’s the charm that is Portland, and it carries over to its famous seafood restaurant.

Jake’s looks old, but has aged well. The pleasantly cluttered wooden bar and professional staff greet you upon entering. Tables are randomly scattered in the bar and on the sidewalk patio. One can eat at the bar but it feels a bit cramped. A table is a better choice. The back rooms are filled with tables and booths for dining. The veteran servers are friendly and efficient.

Shrimp, crawfish, clams, oysters and fresh fish are the staples. For around a hundred dollars or the price to park two cars in the big city, two people can have a pre-meal cocktail, share a dozen oysters, enjoy entrée’s like salmon or tuna, split an excellent Oregon Pinot Noir, and finish the night with an Irish coffee. A hundred bucks gets one person laughed right out of San Francisco’s Aqua or New York’s Balthazar.

While GreatJoints tends to shun chains, one dependable restaurant group is McCormick and Schmick’s. They always offer an excellent bar experience and solid if not spectacular shellfish and seafood. Something tells me that when McCormick and Schmick’s set out to build a group of restaurants over 30 years ago, Jake’s was the prototype. And alas, the over century old Jake’s is now part of McCormick and Schmick’s yet the prices are more reasonable than at their other properties.

One may start across the street at Henry’s 12th Street Tavern for some great people watching and to sample one of their 100 beers on tap. Oregon is the tap beer capital of the US because, well, tap beer is cheap. Henry’s will tempt you with an appetizer menu at happy hour that ranges from – get this – $1.95 to $3.95. But save your appetite for Jake’s. This is one place that you can afford not to miss. – D.M.