Lorenzo’s is truly one of Portland’s best Italian restaurants. The food is honest, simple, and fresh. Lorenzo cares deeply about your taste buds and truly wants you to eat well and enjoy yourself. These days you will find him back in the kitchen, cooking every dish, with the love and attention that you can see and taste in every plate.
The salads are dressed to perfection, the pasta is toothy, and the sauces are fantastico. The restaurant itself has undergone a few changes for the better, growing up and into it’s own. The deli style counter service has changed to full a full sit down service and the chalk board of specials is now given to you table side by a waiter, making the whole Lorenzo’s experience more relaxed and yet, somehow, more formal.
The addition of a full bar in the back, where the deli case used to be, is great for watching the action in the kitchen. The drink specials are straight forward and absolutely affordable.
My lunch of an organic salad tossed in red wine vinaigrette, bread with oil and vinegar, a giant rustic raviolo of the day, and a glass of Montepulciano was perfect. The raviolo had roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, prosciutto (added for $1 more), a silky cream sauce and fresh sage and toasted almonds. No kidding, all of this for $13.50! I was full, happy and relaxed and spent a little time just taking it all in on the big comfy couch.
Besides the great food, no one seemed to mind that my son, 10 months old, was with me. In fact, you might say that Lorenzo’s and Lorenzo himself are quite child friendly.
I highly recommend the food here.
to remember 