I am a born and raised Los Angeles native that tries any new restaurant that's deemed worthy by the professionals. I research Michelin rated restaurants before traveling to any city and will sometimes even plan a vacation around a hard-to-get reservation. I have made the food pilgrimage for both French Laundry and Per Se. I spent last week with my husband in Portland. I had so many incredible meals there that by the end of the week, I was completely blown away by the culinary culture of Portland. Most of the meals I had in the Portland restaurants far surpassed the uber cuisine meccas I have eaten at in New York City. One of my last meals in Portland was eaten at Lorenzo's on Mississippi. We just spotted it and went in. We started with a gorgeously simple, yet perfectly balanced, Antipasto della Casa flushed with a nice glass of Sangiovese. I ordered the pasta special, the Giant Rustic Raviolo. It was not giant in size, but massive in taste. The sauce was bright, a thin sheet of pasta perfectly blanketed over a a gauze of prosciutto, a layer of bubbling fresh cheese and glimmering emerald broccolini. Healthy, warming, delicious and memorable. I made my husband order the Basil Casarecci because it sounded so interesting; a homemade long and twisted noodle that folded into itself, embedded with fresh basil and bathed in an incredible spicy Italian sausage ragu with a touch of cream and spinach. This pasta was in a word, sublime. I basically wrenched the plate away from my husband and waxed poetic about every humming bite. Luckily, he's used to my food-induced dramatics. Next time I go to Portland to visit my in-laws, I am making the trek to Lorenzo's because his food is fantastic and he's a seriously talented chef who makes it all himself with careful attention and a true love for food and great results. I know all this because he told me so when I complimented him in the kitchen before I left. You MUST go there!
Pros: Fantastic food and great prices.
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