Of all the restaurants I've been to in Oregon, this is the one that comes the closest to capturing the feel of the East Coast family Italian places. In fact, they started the place over in a lower middle class neighborhood; their intention was to provide a place that would be a neighborhood restaurant, and they were very successful. This required them to move to this location, which more than doubles the seating.\r
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All of the pastas, breads, pizza crusts, and desserts are made from scratch on the premises. The waitstaff is very friendly, but they also know that the best service is a blend of being there when needed without constantly hanging around.\r
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The interior isn't the same as an East Coast place, both for better and for worse. The decor is nicer, with slate floors, comfy booths, and nice wood tables, and the place feels like a nice spot for a celebration. In fact, there's one table in a side room that always seems to have a group of one or two dozen people at it. They have also done a nice job of adding little art objects around. The one disadvantage is that the ceilings are high, so that means it can get a bit noisy.\r
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The drink menu is great and reasonably-priced, featuring both Italian wine and a selection of local Oregon wines. They also have microbrews on tap and a fair array of regular beers, plus a full bar.\r
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The usual neighborhood-style offerings are a good bet; I'm partial to the Eggplant Parmesan and anything with sausages. However, the best things they feature may be the most ""northwest"" of all, and those are their specialty salads. They rotate various types through the menu, depending on the season, but all of them are heaped with fresh vegetables (often grilled), and topped with grilled chicken or salmon.
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