Last week, Meredith shared a meal with friends at Sonny’s, and ever since then has been insisting that Map & Menu revisit one of her favorite lunches in town. Never one to say ‘no’ to a mid-day cocktail, and looking for another way to celebrate our recent Portland Phoenix nomination, I took her up on the suggestion, and we spent a leisurely lunch with some delicious drinks and fantastic food.

Our last post about Sonny’s largely revolved around sitting outside with Orvis (because why wouldn’t it?), but with the weather still being a little too chilly for outdoor meals, this time Meredith took full advantage of Sonny’s unique interior decor and relatively quiet late lunch hour, and grabbed as many shots as possible. We  were seated by the gigantic front windows, and Mere could barely contain her excitement about the soft lighting and beautifully presented drinks and dishes.

Back to those cocktails… I ordered a Root Ryot (rye whiskey, Root liquer, Fernet Branca, sweet vermouth, and rhubarb bitters) and Meredith, a Salty Dog (Cold River gin and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with an infused salt rim and a dash of peach bitters). Just like their sister restaurant, Local 188, the drinks at Sonny’s are fantastic – unique, flavorful, and leaning towards the stronger side. The fried sweet plantains we had to start are some of our favorite plantains in town – cut lengthwise, fried soft, and served with a chili sour cream. For our meal, Meredith had the taco salad (a dish she likes so much that she’s ordered it twice in a row, in less than a week), and I had the pulled pork burrito of the day. Judging by our smiles, clean plates, and full bellies, I’d say that we couldn’t have been happier with our Map & Menu afternoon!