The High Ground

The Cocktail Heatmap: Where to Drink Right Now in Portland

"As the mind behind XO Bar and June, Sanjay Chandrasekaran is no stranger to opening a cocktail bar. The High Ground, however, marks the first one of his establishments to serve meat, an undertaking for which he enlisted the help of food cart owner Bryan Veal. Among Western-chic decor, diners tuck into tacos filled with tender cochinita pibil or carne asada with rajas while sipping on tequila and mezcal-centric cocktails like the Where There’s Smoke (mezcal, chile liqueur, tamarind, annatto, barbecue spice) and a namesake cocktail sporting a fluffy hat of salted vanilla egg white. The ultra-moist chocolate mole cake, filled with chocolate rum pudding, is not to be missed." - Rebecca Roland, Janey Wong, Eater Staff