Higgins has built a reputation as one of Portland's dining institutions, the kind of place regulars return to over years rather than visit once. The room reads as cozy rather than formal, and the kitchen's seafood dishes — mussels simmered in gingered plum sauce, a Sicilian fisherman's stew of mussels, calamari, clams and prawns, risotto built around applewood smoked salmon — are consistently pointed to as a strength of the menu.
Service here has developed its own following, with staff described as knowledgeable and steady, the sort that longtime guests come to recognize by name.
The kitchen's cooking has drawn repeated notice from the James Beard Foundation, including a Best Chef win in 2002, Best Chef finalist nods in 1999, 2000, and 2001, and an Outstanding Chef semifinalist nomination in 2008. Decades in, Higgins remains a steady anchor of Southwest Portland's dining scene.
Service here has developed its own following, with staff described as knowledgeable and steady, the sort that longtime guests come to recognize by name.
The kitchen's cooking has drawn repeated notice from the James Beard Foundation, including a Best Chef win in 2002, Best Chef finalist nods in 1999, 2000, and 2001, and an Outstanding Chef semifinalist nomination in 2008. Decades in, Higgins remains a steady anchor of Southwest Portland's dining scene.