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Montesacro Pinseria Romana

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We all love Italian food, but generally I’ve found that people in the United States tend to oversimplify the wide array of deliciousness that the country has to offer – too often reducing it down to pasta alone. Montesacro Pinseria does a wonderful job of showing off all of the other mouth-watering offerings of Italia.

I actually lived in the Northwestern corner of Rome for 6 months back in 2006, and since returning, had not found a single restaurant that transported me back to those times until sitting down for lunch at this unassuming spot in the Pearl district. However, one bite of the Gambuccio panini (not the pressed white bread variety you may be thinking of) and I was instantly back to a street-side bistro of Trastevere. Perfectly crunchy and soft bread, heaped with a generous portion of prosciutto and burrata, yet it was the zucchine sott’oli (zucchini marinated in olive oil and spices) that honestly brought tears of nostalgia to my eyes. I highly recommend getting the Sbagliato, a wonderfully bright and bitter combination of bubbles, Campari, and Cocchi Torino to cleanse your palate between blissful bites.

I cannot wait to return to try all of the deliciousness on this menu, and relive those days living in the epicenter of amazing Italian cuisine.

Have you tried this place yet? Let us know in the comments!

Ruby Jewel

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This week’s featured spot is the delectable Ruby Jewel! We are here to tell you that this is the best ice cream in Portland. They have amazing flavors that change regularly, they use only locally sourced ingredients, and you can get an ice cream sandwich, inside a COOKIE!!!!!

I don’t dislike the other ice cream shops, which shall not be named, but Ruby Jewel gives you classic flavors with a small twist that only makes them taste better. A current favorite is the Peanut Butter Dream. It is peanut butter ice cream, with peanut butter cups and swirls of chocolate. It is truly to die for. I would recommend getting it inside of some chocolate chip cookies. Some of their other offerings include The vegan Jewel which is made from chocolate coconut ice cream and a gluten-free cookie and the Pride-Which made from cereal milk ice cream, rainbow cookies, and rainbow sprinkles. They will donate 10% of sales to Q Center if you buy this cookie sandwich.

Since its first opening in Portland, Ruby Jewel has grown in popularity throughout the city. They currently have 3 locations that you can step into to create your own delicious treat!
1650 NW 23rd Ave
3713 N Mississippi Ave.
428 SW 12th Ave
If none of these locations is close enough to home, don’t worry! You can now find their ice cream sandwiches pre-made in most of our local grocery stores! You’re never too far away from the best Ice cream in Portland! Check out all the current flavors Here.

Do you have a place that you think we need to check out? Let us know in the comments!

Burgers

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Ahhh, the quintessential go-to meal, the almighty burger. There are many, MANY fantastic burgers in this city, and it would take more years than I have to attempt to eat all of them but a girl can try, am I right? For this post I did focus on the meaty rather than the meatless, but most of these establishments do have veggie or vegan versions for those who prefer their burgers sans bovine.

  • The Lutz – 4639 SE Woodstock Blvd
    • The Lutz has not one, but about 8 of the best burgers in Portland. I don’t know the secret of what makes this patty so delicious, but I do know that it is always perfectly cooked and incredibly juicy. It almost doesn’t matter the accoutrements, but a couple of my favorites are the Backdraft if I’m in the mood for SUPER spicy or the Lutz Burger if I’m looking for a classic.
  • Slingshot – 5532 SE Center St
    • Great drinks, rotating art collection, cheap bubbles, and a damn fine burger and fries makes this unassuming bar a fantastic spot for a low-key date night or head there for the happy hour to get the night started.
  • Slow Bar – 533 SE Grand Ave
    • At Slow Bar, a perfectly fluffy bun cradles a patty that is the perfect combination of juicy and crisply char-grilled, and best of all, you can get it until quite late.
  • Little Bird Bistro – 215 SW 6th Ave
    • All of the food at Little Bird is phenomenal, and the Double Brie burger is no exception. Tangy pickles and a spiced ketchup are a great counter-balance for the richness of the brie.
  • Yakuza – 5411 NE 30th Ave Suite 100
    • An izakaya isn’t exactly the place that I would look for one of Portland’s best burgers but happily, Yakuza delivers one. Piled high with truffled shoestrings, goat cheese, and spicy mayo, the Yazuza burger is always a deliciously messy and perfectly cooked treat. Add the fried egg for an extra dose of decadence.

Did we miss your favorite burger?? Let us know in the comments!

Acadia

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Our hotspot of the week this week has truly been one of my favorite restaurants in Portland for many, many years now. Acadia Bistro has such consistently wonderful food, drinks, and service that the only explanation I have for why is isn’t perpetually packed is that it’s longevity in a city obsessed with ‘new’ makes it almost like a well-guarded secret between friends.

The menu walks a wonderful balance of maintaining the classic New Orleans dishes that transport you immediately to the bayou, and introducing new innovations and seasonal ingredients from the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. It would constitute a cardinal sin to miss out on the BBQ shrimp as a starter, jumbo head-on Gulf shrimp bathed in a pan-sauce so decadent you will dream about it for weeks afterwards. The Hushpuppies are another wonderful opening, fluffy fried batter of cornbread and seasonings, doused with a spicy-sweet orange and horseradish marmalade.

The beautiful conundrum of the entrees is that I can never figure out which is my favorite, and so have learned that I have to bring at least 3 people with me so we can share everything family-style. On a recent visit we all thoroughly enjoyed the Fried Soft-shell Crab with Crawfish Etouffee, the impossibly tender Hangar Steak, the light and balanced Seabream topped with blue crab and brown butter sauce, and a Pork Chop that was practically the size of my head and juicier than I knew a pork chop could be.

The desserts and cocktails aren’t to be missed either. My Vieux Carre was perfectly rich and boozy, and the housemade ice creams are what Salt and Straw wishes they could be. My recent go-to ‘genius move’ is to get a scoop of the Sea Salt Brown Butter on top of the outstandingly delicious Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding. You can thank me later.

What should our next hot spot be? Let us know in the comments!