Piazza Italia

Last night I ate at one of my favorite places in the Pearl, that I realized I have never reviewed, so better late than never, dinner at Piazza Italia. The restaurant is in a small store front that you could easily pass by, except in the summer when they have some outside seating. Apart from the great food, the main draw is how over-the-top Italian the staff are. They all have strong accents, and the owner is liable to break out into song at any moment. I often suspect that at closing time, they all sit around chatting in non-discript Pacific Northwest accents. They also have soccer on the TV at all hours and Italian flags and scarfs draped around to make sure there is no mistake who they were supporting in the World Cup.


Back to the food. They mainstays here are the simple pasta dishes, they are numerous and the trick is to find a combination you like and go for it. The salads and the minestrone soup are a great way to get started, and if you have a crowd you should order some antipasto. Also leave room for desert, the tiramisu is excellent, and plan to linger a while over an espresso. This is the most authentic Italian restaurant we have in Portland, I think.

Mon-Sat 12-10pm, Sun 12-8pm


Piazza Italia
1129 NW Johnson St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-478-0619