Paley's Place

02/17/09

The Dining Standard in Portland and the NW!

by gbiggins at Citysearch

Everything was remarkable. Kimberly Paley greeted us at the door and it was like meeting a long time family friend. The atmosphere was picturesque, the service was warm and attentive. The food is definitely the best in Portland thus far. The only thing remotely wrong with the whole picture is that when you go to places like that "oyster" place on Alberta Street , you expect the same standards and welcoming attitude. Paley's is definitely untouchable in all areas of fine dining experiences.

• Pros: Vitaly Paley and Kimberly Paley
• Cons: Nearly every place after your visit will be a let down

01/30/09

Perfect Evening

by pdxrick at Citysearch

Thanks

Great Food, Great Service, Great night, Warm Hospitality, Great Decor

Escargot & Crab Salad were excellent.

Glad we came.

Company Catering!

01/14/09

Amazing restaurant--believe the hype!

by PDXurbangirl at Citysearch

I'm shocked to see so many recent negative reviews--I love this place. I have lived in New York for years prior to living in Portland, and I've had plenty of so-called "foodie" experiences. When booking my reservation, I let them know ahead of time that my sister is vegan, and was there something special that they could do for her so that she didn't feel left out during this amazing meal with the typical salad/pasta fare usually available at non-vegan restaurants. Paley's went above and beyond, tempting even us non-vegans with amazing tastes of food! The service was fantastic, and the food was other-worldly. I can't wait to go back.

• Pros: Amazing food, accomodating staff, great atmosphere
• Cons: People who don't know the difference between half and full orders.

04/03/08

Nice Choice for more "not your everyday" dinner fare

by BuddingFoodie at Citysearch

I'm only a "budding foodie" as my username suggests so I'm just starting to make more adventrous culinary choices. And Paley's Place was a great place for me to expand my food horizons. Even my more reserved husband partook in the feasting. We tried dishes such as marrow, sweetbreads, and escargot (among others). Many of the dishes come in half portions so we ordered quite a few dishes and shared everything. It was a while ago that we went so I cannot comment on the tastiness of any particular dish. But in my opinion I believe all of them were probably executed well. However, my lack of comparisons is limiting to my review. There were some dishes we really enjoyed (I do particularly remember the american kobe beef being excellent) and others we did not care for (the escargot). But overall we were both very happy w/ our experience there. The service was good; nothing spectacular, but certainly not sub-par. We took our time and as stated earlier tried numersous dishes in succession (not all at once) so our experience there took about 2 (leisurely) hours. We left hoping to someday return and try more of their offerings. We did make reservations for early in the evening, right after opening so when we arrived we were some of the only patrons. But by the time we left, the place was very crowded so I strongly reccommend reservations especially if you prefer to dine later that 6 or 6:30.

• Pros: Good food and service, decent selection
• Cons: parking could be an issue but we parked in the hospital parking

01/28/08

Fantastic

by lazerus at Citysearch

Four of us went to Paley's Place for a celebration dinner on a Sunday night. The whole experience was fantastic. The service, the food, everything was top notch. The American Kobe Beef Steak Tartare & Traditional Accompaniments was the best I have ever had. Pan-Roasted Black Cod, Bacon, Manila Clam, Dungeness Crab & Vegetable Stew, Crab Aioli was very yummy as well. The rest of my party totally enjoyed their choices as well. I cannot recommend this restaurant too highly.

• Pros: Great food, service and decor.
• Cons: Lack of parking and it was rather pricey.

12/30/07

Excellent Restaurant

by mychemgirl at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I found Paleys Place on accident. The first time we went there we had a very romantic evening with exquisite food. The wait staff was so nice and gave great reccomendations.

I highly suggest making reservations for an early spot on a Saturday night. That is when they serve their 30 day dry aged steaks. It melts in your mouth and every bite is an experience. If you go too late in the evening they are usually out of this. Their other food is also wonderful but this is truly an experince that must be had by all.

This is a great place for adults for small groups, special occasions or if you are just in the mood for a really nice meal. Please don't bring children. Dinners last atleast two hours and all the children we have seen there get very cranky from waiting so long since there is nothing there to amuse them.

• Pros: Ambience, romantic, excellent food and drinks.
• Cons: Depending on the day it can be hard to find parking

12/07/07

Great food, great service, great experience

by rnick821 at Citysearch

My wife suggested that we try this restaurant for our 7th wedding anniversary. We have recently moved to Portland, and don't know where the really 'great' spots are, but we saw this one in Portland Monthly and decided to give it a shot.

I am not sure if I have ever had such a great dinner.

We each splurged for a cocktail to start...not something we normally do, but I very much enjoyed my lemon drop and she really liked her martini. The waiter also promptly brought a basket of the most crusty and delicious bread I have had in a long time. The butter was a little hard to spread, as it was cold, but that's minor.

We then each had salads. I don't remember what my wife had...it was some kind of mixed green salad, but my salad was just incredible. It was similar to a hot German potato salad, but with apples in it, very thick pieces of bacon (that is cured right there in the restaurant and delicious) and topped with a vinegarette dressing, as well as a poached duck egg that mixes in with the dressing to create a unique and delicious flavor.

For the main courses, I had a 1/2 portion of the pulled pork ravioli, which also had a poached duck egg in it, and was just awesome. My wife had the pork tenderloin and cheeks, which was so very very tender. Melted in your mouth, and had a great flavor.

We finished by sharing a chocolate sufflet (sp?) that was on the house due to our anniversary. Many thanks to our waiter.

Overall, I thought that the service was great and the food better.

• Pros: Service, menu, fresh food.
• Cons: Parking can be an issue, but that's the case with most good restaurants in Portland. We found a spot right in front.

11/28/07

I wish there was an option for 10 STARS!!!!

by marc2989t at Citysearch

First, my fella flew in from California and I wanted to take him somewhere "special". A good friend suggested Paley's Place....thank you Lisa!! We were given a great table, and the ambiance was gorgeous. BTW, the hostess' vintage looking black dress was stunning! Back to the restaurant....my guest is a bit of a chef (home trained) and vegetarian so it's always a struggle for him to find a great fine dining experience. We ordered 3 or 4 appetizers...and then we ordered 3 different entrees in the "small" size. Brilliant idea folks! We were able to nibble so many flavors and sincerely it was a cuisine journey! The sommelier was incredible bringing us great wines and the perfect ports with the desserts we ordered.

Bravo all the way around! Next time though...I really want the red velvety corner seat on the inside left....ask for it if your making reservations....or don't! I want it available for my next visit!

• Pros: Incredible knowledge, charming servers, perfectly astute sommelier
• Cons: parking...but who cares when the food is this good....really?

09/03/07

Don't believe the naysayers

by mikefran03 at Citysearch

My wife and I dined at Paley's last night for our 23rd anniversary and while I understand that any good restaurant can have an off night, our experience was nothing like the detractors would lead you to believe. Our experience was excellent! I made reservations four days ahead of time and received a confirmation call on the afternoon of our reservation. We got to the restaurant right on time and were seated immediately-it was almost completely full. Our waiter Rick, was very professional and other than a small lag after we placed our drink order, was very attentive. He answered questions very knowledgeably, made suggestions and was very apologetic when our steak tartare appetizer was taking a while to arrive, explaining that it is made fresh to order. In my opinion, it was not long at all and was worth the wait. The rest of evening was delightful - the dishes were expertly prepared, very hot, fresh and well seasoned. When I dine, I want food with flavor and staff that is genuine and not aloof - harder to find than it should be - Paley's did not disappoint. This was probably the best meal I've ever had in Portland and we will definitely be back. Kudos Chef Paley to you and your team!

• Pros: Service, food, value for the price
• Cons: Tables a little too close for romantic conversation

04/24/07

Quite literally, world class.

by marshall_wells at Citysearch

Had a meal here with friends.

Cute building. Exceptional service. And food that compares - favorably - with the French Laundry and Trois gros in Roanne.

Not as elaborate a presentation - although I'm sure they are up to the task - but impeccable. The local ingredients really shine.

• Pros: Serious food. Great place to eat it.
• Cons: I just can't afford to eat like this that often.