Category: Reviews

The Portland Phoenix has published a review of The Salt Exchange.

And Salt Exchange is good enough if you are going to treat the little people who make your life meaningful to a nice dinner out. They even open early for dinner — at five — a family-friendly touch. For adult fare, Salt Exchange could do with a bit more seasoning. Children like to experiment, and the cuisine at Salt Exchange is experimental as well. Sometimes that method is slow to achieve its best results. The Salt Exchange clearly has, as Brooks would appreciate, grand designs and high ambitions. It may take a bit more time to get there.

Diet for a Small City has published a review of Bonobo.

The Verde was just as good as other Bonobo pizzas I’ve sampled. The crust was crispy on the outside, just kissed by the smoked flavor of flames. The toppings were ample, with generous globs of ricotta cheese piled atop the pie. The roasted onion and leeks worked nicely with the cheeses. Though this could be considered a white pizza, it was still plenty moist, for the fresh pesto and roasted onions ensured that this was not a dry dish.

Type A Diversions has published a review of Kon Asian Bistro.

Bottom line: With excellent choices for Japanese and Thai in Portland, I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat at Kon for either. But if I’m in the mood for Chinese this is my new go to spot.

Portland Food Heads has reviewed Otto.

I’m not going to go into too much detail, as this is pizza we’re talking about here, but I have to say that I really enjoyed it. The crust had a nice, crispy exterior with fluffy insides (mmm…fluffy insides), and the sauce was nicely balanced without being any bit astringent at all. Perfectly baked pie, too, which is usually a problem around here for some reason.

Diet for a Small City has written a review of Bresca from a vegetarian’s point of view.

I do wish there had been a few more choices on the vegetarian front, but what we did have was delectable.  In the end, our bill came to around $150.  It was a pricey meal.  Yes, there are places in Portland where one could have a comparable meal for less money, but I’ll be honest: this was an excellent dining experience.  I’ll be back.

Diet for a Small City has written a review of Bresca from a vegetarian’s point of view.

I do wish there had been a few more choices on the vegetarian front, but what we did have was delectable.  In the end, our bill came to around $150.  It was a pricey meal.  Yes, there are places in Portland where one could have a comparable meal for less money, but I’ll be honest: this was an excellent dining experience.  I’ll be back.

Soooo…You Really Don’t Like Cats, Do You? has published a pair of reviews for The Corner Room

Overall, the dining experience was lovely with only the minor salt snafu with the veal. The waiter and hostess were incredibly friendly and professional and as the night went on with more diners filing into the room, the waiter never forgot us. Chef Smith did a great job with the old documentary institute space, using the airy, spacious feeling to his advantage…Oh, and yes, the authenticity was mostly on par with the real deal in Italy. Maybe it was a good idea to go to The Corner Room right after coming back from Italy after all!

and Grace

I’m not sure why my expectations for food was so high, but since The Corner Room and Grace opened on the same night, I guess I expected the level of food quality to be exceptional, especially since Grace received an extra 3 weeks after my visit to Chef Smith’s new establishment. But Chef Eric Simeon may just be ironing out the kinks in his new digs…Nonetheless, the experience was quite enjoyable, the setting breathtaking, and the food still delicious.…At $45 for my meal of only an entree and dessert (plus 20% gratuity added in), Grace may be worth it as soon as they work out their issues with the dishes, but I’m not quite sold on it yet. I wouldn’t mind another visit to monitor their progress.

Soooo…You Really Don’t Like Cats, Do You? has published a pair of reviews for The Corner Room

Overall, the dining experience was lovely with only the minor salt snafu with the veal. The waiter and hostess were incredibly friendly and professional and as the night went on with more diners filing into the room, the waiter never forgot us. Chef Smith did a great job with the old documentary institute space, using the airy, spacious feeling to his advantage…Oh, and yes, the authenticity was mostly on par with the real deal in Italy. Maybe it was a good idea to go to The Corner Room right after coming back from Italy after all!

and Grace

I’m not sure why my expectations for food was so high, but since The Corner Room and Grace opened on the same night, I guess I expected the level of food quality to be exceptional, especially since Grace received an extra 3 weeks after my visit to Chef Smith’s new establishment. But Chef Eric Simeon may just be ironing out the kinks in his new digs…Nonetheless, the experience was quite enjoyable, the setting breathtaking, and the food still delicious.…At $45 for my meal of only an entree and dessert (plus 20% gratuity added in), Grace may be worth it as soon as they work out their issues with the dishes, but I’m not quite sold on it yet. I wouldn’t mind another visit to monitor their progress.

Otto Pizza received 4½ stars from the weekly Eat & Run column in today’s Press Herald.

If I had thought about it very long, I might have decided that a pizza with mashed potatoes and bacon was not really my idea of pizza.

Thankfully, as with most food-related queries, I did not think. I just ate.

So for $3, I bought one of the best slices of pizza I’ve ever had – from the new Otto Pizza on Congress Street, about a block from Congress Square. The place opened in June.