When you want a fresh pasta meal with solid cocktails or cold beer, in NE Portland - Montelupo…read moreItalian Restaurant hits the mark. They have a cozy indoor seating area with a classic bar backdrop. Or if you feel like sitting outside but being shielded from any wind, rain or coolness - there is a cute picnic table area out on a tree shaded side street. We had an out of town guest and we did not want to fuss with cooking at home nor sitting in a stuffy noisy (or super quiet) eatery! Sitting out side before sunset, was the perfect setting on our Monday night. Our waitress was super interactive and very genuine with her assessments of the dining & alcoholic beverage choices. For adult drinks we had an excellent Next Level IPA brewed & branded for Montelupo, Rose special and glass of House Red wine. I was starving so we ordered the LARGE Radicchio salad and it was Big & filling. A side of fresh Broccolini complimented our individual entrees. My hearty Italian dish was the Ricotta Cavatelli. I even had enough for lunch the next day! My two lovely lady dinner mates had meals of Mafaldine pasta and Spinach Fettuccine (with Grana Padano cheese added). We gladly finished our comfortable dining experience with a shared and inhaled Tiramisu dessert. If you have time, spend a few minutes browsing the Italian Market refrigerated food and alcoholic options. Plus the well stocked and reasonably priced Italy sourced dry goods are worth a view

I've been a customer at both the Montelupo & Focacceria in Sellwood spots for quite some time now…read more  I came into Montelupo recently with my wife to place a takeaway order. The woman with dark brunette hair at the register (who processed the transaction below) was extraordinarily rude & impatient with us. Candidly, I've never been treated so poorly by someone taking my money before.  We were at the register for a mere 90 seconds, and it was nowhere near as busy as it has been in prior times that we've patroned the establishment. We also shared with this woman that we'd only order 4 dishes to go - and by the time we were ordering the final dish, she literally asked us to step out of line & come back later to order once we'd figured things out. I've never had a cashier ask that before. We proceeded to put in our final order and complete the transaction. I made a conscious decision not to include a tip due to the way she was treating us, and when she saw that I hadn't included the tip she gave me a dirty look, turned around and said nothing to us. Not even a "thank you" or "your order will be ready in X minutes". I had to check myself with my wife to see if I was misinterpreting the circumstances, and she responded "no, that was horrible service." When I came back 20 minutes later, this same woman was at the counter and refused to acknowledge me. I was standing 5 feet away, and there was not a single other customer in the market area. She just stood there looking elsewhere & avoiding eye contact. I finally saw the bartender come over and ask me if the order was mine - he picked up my order that had been sitting there and handed it to me.  I've never had an experience like this at Montelupo nor the Focacceria before. To be honest, I've never had an experience like that anywhere. It's hard for me as a paying customer to feel welcome in an establishment where the mentality of the cashier is adversarial toward patrons. It's very clear to me that the customer service at Montelupo has a long way to go to catch up to the quality of the food being served there. When I shared this feedback directly with Montelupo's management team, they never even responded. Clearly, they don't care about their patrons. I sadly won't be returning to Montelupo again as a customer - I value the money I work hard to earn, and want to spend it at businesses that value me as a customer.

I was drawn into this place because of the really fun and colorful decor in their window, and…read morebecause the signs said chocolate! This place specializes in salt, and had popcorn available to try with their seasoning blends! There were also flowers for purchase too, a little bit of everything here honestly. The popcorn was very tasty with the seasoning they had on it! I've never seen so many unique chocolate bars in one space! It was a library of bars instead of books, each section separated by type of chocolate! I ended up purchasing a few of the truffles and one The Meadows chocolate bars that was popular called Bagel Milk chocolate. The truffles were delicious! I would definitely recommend taking a look inside this shop if you're nearby.

What a warm, magical little store!…read more Walking in feels like entering the cottage home of a French kitchen witch. They've got a table full of freshly grown flowers, shelves upon shelves of ingredients and pantry staples. And, perhaps most importantly, an entire wall of locally made or direct retail chocolate bars. Staff was kind and when the price rang up for less than what was listed on the tag, they gave the lower option. The goods aren't cheap, but you can tell that thought was put into their curation and sourcing.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Me personally, its the best Italian restaurant. Service was great, sat…read moreoutside, it was a beautiful Saturday late afternoon and the weather was perfect. Great atmosphere. The food was the best thing I had ever eaten. Perfect serving size you'll finish the whole plate lol. Drinks are also bomb bomb This place will definitely be a go to everytime.

Super cozy inside! I got the Pennoni Con Pancetta and added shrimp. I wish it had more sauce to it,…read moreit was pretty dry. The bread that they use for bread service was so delicious and fresh. The garlic bread was yummy too. Service was great..both attentive and fast.

Cibo was a good time, our waiter Shannon has been phenomenal, we trusted him and his…read morerecommendations with the wines, meals and deserts tonight, he did not disappoint. The food was exceptional! We came here for Portland Dining Month.

What a delight!!! Tonight was my second time visiting here (first time was restaurant week-…read moreeverything was great) and I can't wait to visit again. For restaurant week I made a reservation, but this time (on a Saturday) we just popped in after visiting All Good, the beer/wine/cocktail next door (they also have an awesome antique spot). I don't leave reviews, normally, unless it's super great or horribly bad, and I would 1,000% like to shout out some positivity for this Italian spot. Massive Plus: - told we had to wait at least 30-45 minutes wherever by a very nice and sunny redheaded host (I did not get their name, but they were really nice and had a super cute dress and I just want them to know that they're awesome- hence being more descriptive). We got a text in about 10 minutes that our space was ready!!!! We had gone back to All Good to wait (BTW, if you're waiting for Cibo and go next door to get a beer, your drinks are $1 off!). We tried to chug, but we decided that our burpfarts would be best saved for after dinner than delicious IPA chugging, so we left the majority of them on the bar. -Food: Just order everything. We were sat at the bar and had a front seat view of the kitchen. Although everyone on the line was awesome, I asked the bartender/server the name of the person at the head of the line. His name is Gayo and he is a f***ing bad***!!! The restaurant was busy as heck and he just...did it. Watching him (as well as the rest of the kitchen staff, bar staff, and servers) work, was a pretty gorgeous ballet that I would suggest you pair with a bottle of wine. -That being said- our server/bartender was Christine and she was such a delight!!! I CAN NOT stress enough how many amazing people you get to meet when you're relaxed, calm, and have a sense of humor when you're out dining. Christine suggested an amazing Rosé (I definitely could chug that...nbd) was kind, funny, sweetly sassy, and you could really tell that she had dealt with busy days many many times before. There is almost zero space between the bar/kitchen/pass and everyone does such a great job dealing with it. Myself and my husband have already decided this is our new Italian spot and we hope you will love it too!!!

I stumbled across La Buca one night when I had a serious craving for Italian food. I live in…read moredowntown Vancouver, so Portland spots pop up all the time when I'm searching. Usually I realize it too late, but by the time I noticed this one was across the river, I was already sold. I ordered the penne tossed with spicy Italian sausage in a Parmesan roasted garlic tomato sauce and added chicken because protein is non negotiable for me. When I say it was crazy good, I mean it. Rich, flavorful, perfectly spicy, and completely worth the drive. I have gone back several times since. The food is consistently delicious, the service is great, and even the bread is excellent. And yes, bad bread exists. This is not that. I usually grab takeout, but one day I plan to dine in. If you love bold, spicy Italian dishes, this place absolutely delivers. Highly recommend.

Affordable, delicious, chill vibes. Would recommend! We had their Arancini (amazing), Verdi salad…read more(a must-have), pomodoro pasta (basic in a good way), and the pork with polenta that was a real standout! The service was very attentive and timely. Would recommend for a date night or small group of 3-4. The food is affordable for the quality they provide. It won't outdo the nicer pasta places in PDX but provides great quality and variety in a small menu.

I was very impressed with Nice Time PDX during my first visit, fortunately timed during Dumpling…read moreWeek in Portland. Although they have a focus on handmade pasta, their menu included dumplings that "may be part of their regular offerings" in the future. I certainly hope they will be because the dumplings were fantastic! Do yourself a favor and order a variety of dishes to share if you can. This way you can sample the menu and plan future visits, just like me! My co-worker and I ordered far too much food during our midday visit, but it worked out in our favor - leftovers for dinner! Our favorites included the white ragu pasta, the Korean-inspired Gochujang Ragu, and the lemon butter fish. Great pasta is unmistakable; the noodles have enough oomph to provide both delicacy and bite, the sauce isn't overpowering, and quality doesn't necessarily mean quantity. These folks delivered on all counts. Nice Time PDX produces delicious noodles, provides excellent customer service, and I'm happy to say I'll be returning for more!

We stopped by on Sunday and we were the first in line. We saw an exciting post promoting the cart…read moreon Instagram and made it an important to do. We decided to order one from each sauce category. The Tomato Ragu with Steak, the Aglio e Olio, the Gochujang Ragu, and the Lemon Butter Fish. They let us know it would be a wait for 4 dishes. We said, no problem we'll walk around Fred Meyer. They normally give you a buzzer but since we would be out of range, they took my number and texted us 20 min later. Ok yes we went home and plated it. But then we warmed it up and loved it. #1 is the Gochujang Ragu, such emotional flavor. #2 Aglio e Olio, classic dish done right and then Lemon butter fish but shrimp would be good too. Surprisingly the steak Ragu was intially our least favorite BUT as leftovers two days later it was 10/10. The flavor builds. We're fans, we'll be back!!

Just ate here for the first time and really enjoyed…read more My young adult daughter, who's a picky eater, demolished her gnocchi, corn on the cob, and creme caramel. My husband loved the penne with vodka sauce. I ordered the risotto and bread pudding, both of which were among the best I've had. My Aperol spritz was maybe a tad too watery (I'm used to them in Europe, with no ice), but my kid enjoyed her blood orange cocktail. The ambience is sort of casual elegant? Upscale casual? In other words, nice but not at all stuffy. Our waitress was excellent. It wasn't a hurried meal, which was fine with all of us. The restaurant is located just off Hawthorne (three doors down, of course) on 37th. That block has been made into a plaza, which may or not be a permanent change. But for now it's pleasant and there was live music. We live in the neighborhood and will definitely be returning.

We had a lovely dinner (early Valentine's Day). I had the special (sole) and my hubby had his fav -…read morepenne with vodka sauce. Service was excellent! I was sad to learn a week later that they are closing at the end of this month. So sad to lose this high quality establishment.

I have never had a bad time here. Baked and steamed buns, donuts, Bahn Mi, butter rolls, cookies, I…read morecould go on and on! Truly a wonderful spot. Extremely fast service, and everyone is always kind. You can find me here every couple weeks!

Basic bahn mi. Skimpy on the filling. Lemongrass pork. Quickly made. Fresh crusty bread. Partition…read morebetween workers and customers. Masks worn. Little parking. Overpriced desserts. Cheap sandwiches. Busy place with food packages up inside for grab n go. Not really much seating. Worth it for the bahn mi.

If your craving pasta. You have to go try Ooh Pasta! We ordered the Wooing Asparagus carbonara…read morechicken and it was so good! The staff and owner is very pleasant to talk to and if you're not sure what you want they can suggest which dish to try. I have told my friends and families to check them out and they now this is our to go spot for some good ooh pasta. You will not be disappointed.

We ordered the wooing asparagus carbonara for our first visit here. The truck looked great with no…read moreobserved issues. Lots of table space under cover for the rainy days. The gentleman who assisted us was friendly and helpful. Food was ready and back home in 10 minutes. The chicken was tender, pasta done well, asparagus crisp and lots of cheesy creamy goodness. I called ahead to make sure they were open on time - they weren't and was told when they would open.

ROCKET BREAKFAST: the absolute BEST. Lemon ricotta pancakes every Saturday - yum! The manager…read moreand employees very efficient and friendly.

Can't recommend this place enough. Came here twice during my time in Portland and had tacos (twice…read more- carne asada and pastor and) and with the salsa they were some of the best I've ever had. Ask for the habanero one for some extra heat. Also HIGHLY recommend the Hawaiian bbq in the back. They have a smoked chicken 'ceviche' like dish that's amazing and the sample plate I had with chicken and ribs with rice was out of this world. Also tried a chicken schwarma and it was great. Needed spicy sauce and more garlic sauce but easily a 5 star experience and the prices were very reasonable. Never spent more than $20 bucks for multiple trucks, multiple dishes and drinks. Parking can be challenging but there is a lot on the tiny side street just past the entrance. Loved this place!