portland

[kpatick]

will be in portland soon for several days. have not seen any of these restaurants on the chowlist. cocina nuestra, lovely hula hands, ned ludd,ciaovito,nostrana and lincoln. anyone familiar please give it up

[Alba]

These are very different restaurants on your list. Ciao Vito and Nostrana are both Italian but Nostrana is by far the better of the two, in my opinion -- it's more authentic Italian cooking, better techniques, bolder flavors, and higher quality ingredients. They also have a superb, well-priced wine list. That's not to say I haven't enjoyed dining at Ciao Vito, but it's just classic, old-school Italian-American fare -- think red and white checkered table cloths and dishes that have not changed in 20 years.

I have nothing but good things to say about Ned Ludd; it's a menu crafted of seasonal, local ingredients, and the dishes are very tasty. Kind, attentive & knowledgeable service is also a hallmark of this restaurant. I recommend it highly!

-----
Nostrana
1401 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214

Ciao Vito Restaurant
2203 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

[Befuness]

I disagree with your characterization of Ciao Vito. While I do agree Nostrana is a tad better (the pizzas alone are great). Ciao Vito is not "old-school Italian-American fare -- think red and white checkered table cloths and dishes that have not changed in 20 years." You are thinking maybe Nona Amelia's? This is not spaghetti and meatballs with over buttered garlic bread. IMO Ciao Vito is far more than that. Dishes like the razor clams in season and the pork sugo are awesome.

-----
Nostrana
1401 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214

Ciao Vito Restaurant
2203 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

[Nettie]

I agree--I wonder if you are thinking of a different restaurant. Ciao Vito has only been open since 2004 and is not at all a red and white checkered tablecloth sort of place.

-----
Ciao Vito Restaurant
2203 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

[Nettie]

Lovely Hula Hands is now closed, FYI. I am pretty fond of all of the others that you have listed. Ciao Vito is pretty straight up Italian--the menu is somewhat small, but I've been pretty happy with what I've had. I guess I've had a different experience at Lincoln than some others who have posted: it's generally somewhat straightforward, very seasonal food, but I find the quality to be very high.

-----
Ciao Vito Restaurant
2203 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

[Starlag]

Nostrana is a good NW classic. My favorite of your list is Ned Ludd.It's just...good. The only one on your list that I haven't tried is Lincoln.

[MyNextMeal]

Lincoln is fine but not overly exciting and overpriced IMHO. You should check out their happy hour though if you are in the area.

[JillO]

I really like Nostrana. Good food, good wine list and drinks, good prices. If they have a whole fish special, it's a sure bet. Love their salad (which you mix yourself adding as much salt/pepper/oil/vinegar as you want) which is enough or 3-4 to share. And I love the butterscotch budino on the dessert menu. I think it is one of the best places in town at its price point.

[sophiamaria]

Nuestra Cocina and Lovely Hula Hands are both very good. Nuestra is upscale Mexican and one of my favorites in town, I have never had a bad experience there. I haven't tried Ned, or Nostrana. Ciaovito is just OK in my opinion, I've eaten there several times and nothing really won me over. I have only had apps at Lincoln and while the atmosphere is gorgeous, I did not love the food. The portions were very small and the menu was just a little off to me, nothing really sounded great (unusual combinations) whereas Clyde Common is a similar concept but the menu and food are really great. So there is my opinion for what it's worth!