Where is the Best Outdoor Dining in Portland, Oregon?
Mingo is at it’s best when it keeps true to it vision of simple Italian food — house infused olive oil with a perfect chunk of bread, a trio of rice croquettes with just a touch of red sauce and a sprig of Italian parsley, a glass of wine and a little plate with 2 slices of perfect cheese and a sliced apple, tomato soup, a sublime cream of garlic soup, a perfect burger with a cold Italian lager, grilled polenta drizzled with olive oil, and on and on with any number of plated marvels. The lovely bartender, Monica, is kind, attentive, knowledgeable and makes beautiful cocktails, whether she is mixing the perfect Manhattan or one of her own design with fresh juices, or making a very knowing wine suggestion, it is not just a drink but an extraordinarily civilized end to the day. All these little wonders make this the greatest train stop in Oregon. I do not just enjoy Mingo, Mingo sustains my faith in the human experience.
I hosted my husband’s birthday party at Sweet Basil recently. There was a group of 12 of us plus one toddler. We started out the evening on the patio which was wonderful, a great outdoor dining location. It started to rain though and they moved us inside very quickly. The food was awesome (we love the crab wontons!) , the service was great and we really appreciated how hard they tried to make this a great night for my husband’s birthday. They helped me get his cake ready and even dimmed the lights when the candles were lit. We were a loud , rambuncious crowd and they took it all in stride. Thanks! We highly recommend this location for a special occasion.
Found this restaurant on Trip Advisor and boy am I glad I did. The nicest waitstaff, very knowledgable. Yes, it is a small menu but good and carefully considered(want a big menu – go to Applebee’s) and it does lean on meat more. The waitress told us that the chef had been a butcher and knew how to get the…
Took the parents here on the way to the airport. Had a fabulous time!!! As soon as we walked in we were greeted and brought to a table. Went for cocktails and the $3 bar menu. Got what we came for and more. First of all, our drinks were amazing. Strong, creative, and smooth. Deep fried pickles and sweet potato fries, fun, fun, fun. The food was fine, especially for $3 plates. Not a fan of the fried chicken that was on my Poor Fat Boy Salad, but the Jack Daniels molasses vinaigrette was phenomenal. We actually had two people waiting on us and they were both very kind and attentive. We’ll be back and with friends in tow. Try the TennesseeTruffle, amazing!!Pros + cocktails, wait staff, bartenders, fried picklesCons – only 1- the cut of fried chicken on salad, and that was it!
Atomic pizza.The prices are cheaper than my spot down the street…sorry normal spot but i need the whole pie tonight.The crust was amazing, a bit more mealy than the wannabes and more crisp than the wannabes and more taste than the wannabes. The toppings are fresh tasting, even the peperoni tasted halfway between normal and uncured. The cheese, I know this taste…it’s called good… If your planning on opening a pizza place or saying other local favs are good, try here first for a slice or a pie, then look me in the eye and tell me it didn’t put the others to shame; that’s right, you can’t! The fact there isn’t a line out the door is shocking, but they are still “new.” I also ordered a pizza beyond the regular peperoni. The garlic sauce with chicken was insane!Thank you atomic, thank you for making me not continue to suffer through the established local chains, and letting me enjoy what i treat myself with once a week, and that is a delicious pizza. Pros + Easy loca
