Pizza Fino
Portland, OR 97217
Phone: (503) 286-2100
10/14/2007 Posted by ddnorton
Our son attends UP, and after the soccer game last night we took him and a couple of his friends out for dinner. We wanted a nearby pizza place, and had read good things about this one. We were pleasantly surprised to find it was really more like an Italian bistro, than just a pizza joint. Pizza by the slice and a small bar out front, candlelight booths and tables in the back dining room. Very nice combo. As for the food, the fried calamari was some of the better in town, rings and tentacles, all very tender and served with a lemon alioli. The Caesar salad was way too underdressed, but easily corrected with a side of dressing and make sure to order extrra anchovies as these are superior to any others I've had. Someone ordered the potato and leek soup and said it was also very good. As for the pizza, it may be perhaps the very best pizza I've had. I know the rest of our group all agreed it was the best they've had. For those that are fans of Escape from NY pizza, you need to stop in here. Very similar pizza, with the addition of parking, a nice atmoshere, and excellent service. The Amnesia IPA on tap was the icing on a great dinner. With 18" pizzas under $20, it was very affordable as well. We also had the Chef stop by our table, a really nice guy and sets the casual tone for this place. He said everything is made from scratch, his Bolognese sauce being a classic example of taking 8 hours to make and using the tradtional beef, pork, and veal. It's also evident by the huge jars of assorted housemade pickled vegetables lining the shelf along one side of the dining room. He uses those vegetables as garnish for his sandwhiches. Who else does that these days? Perhaps we will eventually get to the other dishes on the menu, as I'm sure they are very good. However, it will be very difficult to come here and not order the pizza. It's that good.
Pros: Everything
Cons: Only open until 10pm on weekends.
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