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

Very disappointing experience. We arrived at @ open time 5pm to a nearly empty restaurant but were…read moretold there wouldn't be seating until 6:30 with reservations After speaking with another team member the best they could accommodate were sidewalk seating--even though the dining room remained mostly empty for the next hour Unfortunately, the food didn't make up for it. The linguine was extremely acidic and overly citrusy, and the Bolognese was bland and forgettable. To make matters worse, our table was next to the trash and recycling area, so we spent the meal dealing with flies, bees, and constant foot traffic. The only positive was our server with dark hair and glasses. She was friendly, attentive, and provided excellent service. Overall, this was a one-star experience, and I won't be returning. If you're looking for Italian food, I'd recommend LUCE Restaurant down the street instead. Trust me!

This might be one of the cutest shops in all of Portland for food lovers, but especially salt…read moreenthusiasts. There is an entire wall of salt, featuring every flavor you can imagine. They even have a salt for making tofu taste like scrambled eggs! Along with the amazing salt selection, they also have more craft chocolates than I have ever seen in one place before, including a selection of truffles that even features vegan options! If salt or chocolate aren't your thing, then enjoy a whole section of bitters and mixers that are a home mixologists dream. All in all, this is the sort of store that you head to whenever you need a gift because you'll be able to find something here for everyone. The service is always warm, welcoming, and friendly with fresh samples of popcorn featuring their famous truffle salt available any time I've visited. I cannot recommend you pop by for a visit strongly enough.

I stumbled upon this shop while window shopping as a tourist in the neighborhood, and I'm so glad I…read moredecided to walk in. The store was full of cute and unique items, and it had such a fun, lively atmosphere. One thing that immediately stood out was how happy the employees seemed. They were singing, chatting, and genuinely looked like they enjoyed working there, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable. I also loved that they had four different popcorn flavors available to sample. They were all so unique and made it hard to pick a favorite. The chocolate selection was even more impressive, they had a huge variety of chocolate bars from both local and international makers, and I honestly had no idea what to choose. Thankfully, one of the staff members was more than happy to help and recommended the cinnamon chipotle chocolate bar, which ended up being such a fun and interesting combination. My favorite discovery, though, was the little chocolates by the checkout counter. They were almost too cute to eat! I picked up the raspberry chocolate, and I have to say it was one of the most unique and delicious pieces of chocolate I've ever had. Even if you don't plan on buying anything, I'd still recommend stopping in. It's such a fun store to browse, and I loved every minute of being there.

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.

the food was amazing but our waiter was obviously drunk and I could not understand him. he did not…read moregive his name. he also accidentally mixed up our tab with a different table and forgot to write down multiple food orders. he had a bun in his hair but yeah really funny/odd to be that drunk at work

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!!!

Went here for my Birthday dinner. It was amazing Italian food!…read moreThe appetizers were surprisingly good! Calamari, and the arancini!!! The service was exceptional and I loved how quiet it was. We could hear everyone at our table. I warm atmosphere.

Food was nothing fancy, straight forward simple, and tasty. Service was great! Attentive host and…read morewaiter. Ambiance was also great!

Have visited Nice Time twice now. They're making incredibly quality pastas, especially considering…read moreit's a food cart. The first time I visited was for dumpling week where I had their gochujang ravioli. The second time I visited I got their butter crab pasta. It's all very delicious and hearty. I wouldn't object to a stronger gochujang flavor, but you definitely taste it and it's quite unique. The complementary slice of bread is a nice touch. It's not cheap, at $17-19 for most dishes with a few at $12-13. Staff has been great, they are clearly quite passionate about what they are making. Located behind the Union on Hawthorne by Steeplejack, with four other carts. You can eat at the picnic tables outside or bring your food inside.

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!

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.

Beautiful street walking day in Hawthorne, relaxing in the makeshift outdoor seating off the…read moresidewalk. Enjoyed some lite bites ~ beets, meatballs. Gnocchi a bit too soft. Cavatelli Bolognese $29 & Sea Scallops $32 were tasty. Service was reasonable but expected more from a $$$. Kept us from ordering dessert and opted to pass. Yes, there are actually 3 doors ;)

Great selection of delicious and unique baked goods, and sandwiches. French coffee is offered,…read moreeither hot or iced. They will make unsweetened (black) coffee as well. We arrived about 2:45 pm and found a fairly slow-moving line of 5 or 6 individuals; imagine longer lines at earlier times. Lone person taking and fulfilling orders was doing her best to keep things moving. Note: They accept credit cards, but a sign advised that they prefer cash. 5 tables outside, including 3 in a shaded area, were a welcome sight. Enjoyed med our lunch and treats in comfort. The pork in the pork bun was sweet and good. I was not a big fan of the hotdog in the hotdog bun, but the bread in which it was baked was fantastic. The giant black and white cookie was good, but not cookie-like; much like chocolate cake. We also sampled an almond frangipane tart and that was delicious! Prices were very reasonable.

Great prices for creative baked goods!…read more We dropped by shortly after their 7AM opening to pick up sandwiches and snacks for a big hike day. We shared multiple sweets as well, highlights included the mochi black sesame donut ball - nice amount of sticky mochi filling with a nutty flavor; the pandan coconut croissant, was flakey and large, just enough sweet. The raspberry pistachio frangipane was a lovely (and not so delicate - good for travel) tart. We also bought a coconut bread and the ube mochi bread (latter was fantastic) and both were shareable and great for a few days afterwards as well. The sandwiches also did just fine lasting until midday in a hiking backpack - the combo, BBQ pork, lemongrass pork, lemongrass chicken, and pulled pork sandwiches. We wished the latter three didn't all have the same pulled meat texture and that the lemongrass flavor came through better. Otherwise, reasonable and cheap meal.

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.

Our family of six embarked on a Pacific-Northwest trip and this was day one, a Friday. There are…read moreapproximately nine food trucks. We arrived around 10:30 am but half of them were not open. They also did not have a sign indicating their store hours. I managed to find one store owner who was preparing to start the day and she said most of them open at 11 or 11:30 am. We went down the street to grab donuts and returned to try three different food trucks: 1) At the Momo House, we had the pan-fried vegetarian momo and chole samosa with a side of curry chickpeas. We are big fans of momo, especially when they are handmade. These did not disappoint! 2) At Chochu Local Island BBQ, we had the barbecue chicken plate with a side of rice and salad. This was a popular one with a line at opening. I am glad we waited because the barbecue chicken was really tender, juicy, and flavorful. 3) At Ocean Sushi, we had the tempura shrimp and vegetable spring roll. There were seven pieces of shrimp and five pieces of spring roll. One can never go wrong with fried food! This was plenty of food for us to share. The wooden picnic tables and benches are clean and pleasantly shaded. It was an overwhelmingly hot day so the shades really helped to alleviate that and make it a comfortable setting.

Rose City Food Park ended up being the very first place we ate after landing in Portland, and we…read morewere so hungry that we completely forgot to take a picture before digging in. One day we'll learn, but apparently that day wasn't this trip. We decided on Guli Kitchen and ordered the chicken shawarma. The portion size was massive and easily enough food to satisfy two travelers who had spent the better part of the day getting to Portland. More importantly, it was delicious. The chicken was flavorful, well-seasoned, and packed into a meal that felt like a great value for the price. What really stood out, though, was the hospitality. The owners were incredibly friendly and patient. When they heard this was my first meal in Portland, they took the time to recommend sauces, sides, and other menu items to try. Those little interactions always make a place memorable, especially when you're visiting a new city. Portland's food cart scene gets a lot of attention, and after starting our trip here, I can definitely see why. Great food, generous portions, and genuinely kind people. If you're visiting Rose City Food Park, I'd absolutely recommend giving Guli Kitchen a try.