Lorenzo's

I just celebrated my anniversary with my honey at Lorenzo's. It was one of the places we went on our first few dates, so we decided to revisit it in honor of the occasion. It had been too long! The food was still fresh and more than reasonably priced. I had the black linguini, swimming in scallops and shrimp, and he had the Puttanesca, all sour capers and anchovies. The bread is rough, the olive oil sits on your table in a jug, and the candle burns bright in a red glass jar.

I felt like we got the experience of a fancy meal without the pretension I don't care for. Our server, Maureen, was awesome. She was informed and attentive without being intrusive. The night we were there, it seemed as if they were down a staff member for some reason. But the server, busser, and bartender made sure we had every little thing we could possibly need. We love this place, and we're glad they are so successful. They deserve it!

A hint... If a meal is too salty, send it back! Don't you think the chef would want to know?

Pros: food, service, atmosphere

Cons: absolutely none

Posted 10/29/09

I've been to Lorenzo's in the past, and liked the food. My family were hoping to eat at Gravy, but it was closed. We thought we'd try Lorenzo's again. I ordered the dinner special--gnocchi with smoked salmon. It was delicious. However, another 's sauce was way too salty; the waitress explained that the gargonzola cheese is very salty so I guess others should be aware that this dish might not be to your liking.

The biggest drawback to our dining experience was the group sitting next to us. So loud, so vulgur, so utterly annoying. After listening to a loud conversation regarding subjects that Citysearch won't allow me to include in this description, my husband finally asked them to quiet down. It appeared that everyone in the small restaurant were quite relieved when the group left, because other people actually started conversing themselves! Our server told us that the party were friends of the owner; too bad they don't care about the atmosphere in their friend's restaurant. There are plenty of bars in the neighborhood for loud, boorish, drunks.
We'll think twice about visiting Lorenzo's again.

Pros: nice servers, great gnocchi

Cons: very salty, other diners

Posted 07/29/09

My husband and I decided to try Lorenzo's on our date night last Friday, and we were blown away by this unpretentious, wonderfully romantic restaurant which had us feeling as though we were inside a small open air restaurant in what could have been any number of Italian cities.

Based on some of the older reviews posted, it seems Lorenzo's is set up differently than it was a couple of years ago. It's now a sit down restaurant, and our service was incredible: attentive, unpretentious and educated on the menu and wines.

The portions are not monstrous in size, but neither are they small; in fact I had leftovers, which I can't wait to eat for lunch!

If you want a romantic night out or simply a relaxing family style Italian dinner with family and friends, I HIGHLY recommend you try Lorenzo's!

Pros: Incredible Food, Great Service, Romantic Ambience

Cons: None

Posted 07/12/09

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.

Pros: Great prices, Delicious food

Posted 01/31/09

The pasta was sub par and totally uninspired and WAY too salty. Servers were indifferent. We feel this is one of the least desirable restaurants on Mississippi Ave. Embience is so-so as wel. If you're on Mississippi, cross the street or walk a block or two to any number of fine restaurants.

Pros: location near Mississippi Studios

Cons: food,service,embience

Posted 01/19/09

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.

Posted 01/12/09

I didn't know what to expect when I walked in the door, but what a great surprise! the food is amazing! small portions but completely satisfying.I had some sort of odd pasta with a red meaty sauce that was very good. My boyfriend had a summersquash raveoli with this light cream sauce that was to die for! talk about melt in your mouth. Their zesty wines are served in tumblers and they have fresh hand made canolies on saturday. I can't wait to go back.

Pros: fantastic sauces bring your taste buds to life.

Cons: pricey wine list

Posted 09/21/08

Not wanting to drive downtown for some Italian comfort food last night, my husband and I walked down to Lorenzo's on Mississippi to try it for the first time and were pleasantly surprised at the food and service. I had some funky long noodles that I had never heard of with a fabulous bolognese sauce with a touch of cream, and my husband had the black fettucine with prawns and scallops in a spicy red sauce. We shared a Caesar salad to start - the salad was nice ... the lemon anchovy dressing was heavy on the lemon so it was more citrus than i'm used to in a Caesar, but it was still tasty. The bread they bring to your table was also really good and they brought us some more to sop up the yummy sauces on our pasta. Service was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back!

Pros: Open-air seating, small and cozy, bolognese sauce is a must-have!

Cons: Seemed to take a while to get our entrees, but it was worth the wait!

Posted 08/21/08

Lorenzo's is a very nice, authentic resturant. I really like the daily special, because i can look forward to soemthing new every day. In my opinion the best dish is the Giant Rustic Ravioli, which is basically a large sheet of pasta with goodies inside. The sandwich selection is nice, with excellent vegetarian and meat sandwiches. They also have a very nice wine selection. The service is great. everyone is always cheerful and gracious. Lorenzo (the owner/founder) is there as a chef some of the week.

PS. that picture is really old, they have since remodled!!!

Pros: Food, wine selction, sandwiches, authenticity.

Cons: no parking, construction across the street.

Posted 07/10/08

New to town and not made of money, I stopped in here for a reasonably priced ($9) lunch combo and was pleasantly surprised. The owner said they had recently switched from counter to table service and it was great, the server was pleasant and the atmosphere relaxed. Be sure to hear the daily specials.
I was really surprised to see hardly anyone there but the rain probably didn't help. I'll definitely be back (especially since they just put in a full bar!) for food and gelato!

Pros: Great service and food

Cons: Not open past 10

Posted 06/07/08

I really liked the food at Lorenzo's and I took my mom here for lunch since she was visiting from Italy and she liked it as well. Good lunch special with soup and pasta, not huge portions but big enough for an average person. They used to have a nice Italian conversation group meeting here but I'm not sure if it still takes place.

Pros: sauces, homemade pasta, Italian ambience

Cons: parking

Posted 12/19/07

So often I have had over done foo-foo in Italian restaurants, not here. Lorenzo is a master at matching flavors without huge portions or complicated ideas. Each dish represents exactly what is stated. His salads are organic, fresh and perfect, the pasta is local !!, and rustic, the entrees(my favorite - the N.Y. Steak, on a bed of baby spinch, with roasted potatoes, topped with red sauce and fresh mozzarella) are magnificant! BRAVO !! Great cockails to boot! Thanks

Pros: atmosphere, dessert, fresh pasta, hand made individual tiramisu

Cons: not open Sunday

Posted 12/13/07

What a surprise! Amazing soup, salad, apps, and dessert. We need to go back for more. Great atmosphere and staff. Very cozy.

Posted 10/20/07

Lorenzo's is a nice little spot for a quick, light lunch. The "lunch combo" includes an organic green salad (just mixed greens with light oil & vinegar dressing), some good crusty bread, and a choice of pasta dish. The Baked Gonocci was delicious. There are no printed menus. The selections (regular on the chalkboard and specials on the whiteboard) are behind the counter, which is also where you place your order. If you're not familiar with Italian cuisine the menu can be a bit confusing. The staff was very friendly and willing to answer any questions. The ambiance is strictly "no big deal" but is as comfortable as your grandma's back porch. Dessert is an absolute must!

Pros: friendly service, delicious pasta, dessert!

Cons: smallish portions (at least at lunch), very plain salad

Posted 10/17/07

The first time I ate here it was fabulous!! Couldn't wait to go back.

The second time - very disappointing. My pasta and my friends pasta were completely undercooked and parts of it were refrigerator cold. It was like they had partly heated up leftovers of undercooked pasta.

Posted 10/03/07

I have been to Lorenzos many times. Lorenzo a great guy, has more than once made a special meal for me when I was sick. Yes, you have to get your own silver and glases and order your food at the counter, but that isn't any big deal. The food is exceptional, the ingredients are fresh and everything is made from scratch. In the summer you can get fresh made gelato. Go for the bibi cafe float. MMM MMM good. Everything I have had there is so good. There are different specials daily. There is always a vegetarian or vegan plate and a main meat. My friends and I love to go get lunch, which is more affordable than dinner, but we still make it for dinner once in a while. Lorenzos has the best pasta I've ever had. I usually don't like spaghetti becuase of the stringy icky noodles, but at Lorenzos it is exactly as it should be, meaty, chewy, and al dente, cooked to perfection. Yes it can be a little expensive, but compared to other gourmet restaurants I have eaten at in the city (and I've been to a lot, we love to eat well) it is well worth it. If you love gourmet italian food, don't miss owner-operated Lorenzos.

Pros: FOOD IS OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS

Cons: MORE CASUAL THAN GOING TO A FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANT

Posted 06/29/07

We wandered in because it looked cute from the outside and am so glad we did. This place is the real deal. Not what many in the US stereotypically think Italian food is, but REAL Italian food. The place is charming, the service is nice and friendly, the food is wonderful. The bar set-up is truly authentic to the type of experience you find all over Italy. I grew up in Southern Italy as a kid and this place made me homesick. I love it!

Posted 05/19/07

Wow, my fav spot for italian food so far. First time I thought, where's my big plate of pasta? (de rigeur for most "Italian food" in America).... but I keep coming back for the sauces. There is really a unique flavor here that I can't seem to get anywhere else and satisfies without uncomfortably filling you up. Perhaps it's because the food is created on the spot instead of precooked, just like in old Italy.

Charming order at the back and get your own utensils means (to me at least) that they spend themoney they save on the food. I'll shlep my fork and napkin anyday for this kind of flavor.
Jerry

Pros: food taste flavor sauces, what are we there for, right?

Cons: If you want to be waited on hand and foot, not for you...

Posted 05/13/07

We had our first experience there this past weekend. It was a first in this cute (somewhat trendy) area. My first impression when I walked in was this was an absolute cute little spot for a restaurant. Things seem to be on a slant once I found we had to get our own silverware and glasses (a bit confusing) . They also came around the corner to take my order. I would have rather them come to my table instead. The glass of wine was served in a really small 'glass'. I felt like I was taking communion at a church (though it wasn't quite that small). The food portions were small (and spendy). My salad was good (even though I didn't actually order it). My entree seemed to be the filling from manicotti. The two of us walked out with a bill of over $40. I ate a bit more once I arrived home. Really disappointing. I'd go back if I wanted to try their espresso but not to eat dinner again. My friend is still feeling sick since our dinner night before last. Really sorry to give negative feedback as this. Hopefully it can be used as constructive critisism.

Posted 02/18/07

I had a hunch the food would be good at this spot since you often have actual Italians frequenting Lorenzo's during lunch. Every dish I've had here has been tasty and the rosemary bread that comes with the lunch special has been enough to convince me to eat here several times. Ambience is a bit cold - kind of industrial - so, in general, it's not a spot that encourages you to linger. But bring a few good friends, and in particular during the summer months when the restaurant's garage door size window open up to a warm breeze, and it's a decent spot to hang a while.

Pros: Tasty lunch specials - great value

Cons: Ambience

Posted 12/16/06

I have been here many times for full meals, snacks or just espresso/lattes. It has always been a great experience!

The anti-pasto plates are fantastic! Pasta is excellent-try the puttanesca! The service is friendly.

Lorenzo will make sure you and your party are taken care of.

Additionally, there usually a rotating exhibition of different artists on display. Paintings, photography, etc...

Check it out!

Pros: Food, coffee, wines

Cons: Closed Sundays?

Posted 10/17/06

The atmosphere here was nice. Our server, who looked like Sideshow Bob, was abrasive and unpleasant. At first we just thought he was kinda sassy, but it wasn't in a funny way.

My salad was $7, which is a lot for a very small and very poorly made and seasoned salad. It was missing a couple of the ingredients the menu said it would have and wasn't nearly as interesting as it sounded it might be.

Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food. Someone had me try one of their "delicious" gnocchi, but I found it less than good.

Basically, the prices are like those that you'd find at a nicer restaurant, but the quality of food is below that. Also, there were so many ceiling fans going in this place that many people in our party were annoyed by having their eyes dried out by the wind.

Pros: umm...

Cons: poor service, sub-par food

Posted 09/30/06

I felt compelled to write a review of this fabulous North Portland hideaway when I read the previous review. For someone to say that the place had a "unique Italian touch" and then complain about timing and service in the fashion of a typical uptight American seemed more than a little contradictory to me. Either you want to be on a date and enjoy your food in a unique atypical setting (and that's a compliment in this stuffy foodie town!), or you don't. If you don't, by all means go to Pasta Bangs and enjoy substandard Americanized Italian food with over-done cocktails reminiscent of the mixology boom that had its hay-day about 4 years ago. But if you're the type of diner looking for perfectly prepared trattoria fare paired with a wonderful selection of Italian wines in an environment where time seems to melt by, then Lorenzo's is the place for you.

Pros: raviolo, arugala caesar, great ITALIAN wine

Cons: n/a

Posted 07/15/06

I walked into Lorenzo's one evening with delighted surprise -- a nice open venue, the air fragrant with a spice infused Putanesca. I thought the counter service was a added, unique Italian touch -- until we were ready to place the order. A somewhat annoyed wait staff person (they don't really wait on you) took her time taking our order. Once we got over that bump, things got progressively worse. If it had not been for my charming date, the hour-long wait for a 2 simple bowls of pasta would have seemed an eternity. Even the strangers at the next table conveyed concerned about our plight. When we talked to annoyed wait staff person, we were told that they had been "very busy" that night and we needed to be a little more patient (athough we spied a few open tables). The pasta was good, perfectly cooked. But do yourself a favor. Walk across the street to Pasta Bangs where Ms. Bangs will personally fix you a fabulous cocktail and make you feel like a customer should --valued, appreciated and well-fed.

Pros: On hip Mississippi. Nice diverse crowd. Unique open setting.

Cons: Long, long wait for pasta as good as mine.

Posted 07/14/06

coming from nyc recently, it was an amazing thing when my friend introduced me to lorenzo's...even this cynical former new yorker was wowed by the simple yet so tasty italian food...great lunch spot! good prices! go go go...

Posted 05/25/06

perfect place for a quick inexpensive meal at lunch time. the food was wonderful. the salmon salad was perfect. the staff was very friendly and efficient. nice touch to have lorenzo himself come out w/ our food. seems like an intense guy. glad he's got his own place. will be back. definitely telling everyone about it!

Pros: seating, staff attitude, pricing

Posted 05/13/06

I cant believe that more people havent discovered this place! I have been eating here since it opened and love every part of it. It is true that it is quite a large open space but I think it is quite refreshing in the summer when the front is open and there is outdoor seating. I an not at all bothered by the fact that it is 'order at the counter' restaurant, I think it is a nice change from the usual. After Reading the Review in the National Geographic Travel magazine, I felt like my secret place wasnt so secret anymore! I even took my parents here and they loved it (and my mom loved Lorenzo!)

Pros: outdoor dining, North Mississippi, great food

Cons: closed on Sunday, parking

Posted 04/04/06

The food was good - my salad was perfectly dressed and my husband liked his beef ragu w/ fresh pasta - but the confusing ordering system is not working. When you enter, you have to go up to the counter to order, and on a busy night there are people milling about trying to figure out what's going on. Then, inexplicably, a guy comes around the counter to take your order (if he's going to do that, why not just come to our table?). Then you gather up all the utensils, etc. After a long wait, a harried staff person finally brought us glasses of wine, and then an enormously long wait for our food. Then, trudge back up to the counter to pay, where they rather surprisingly provide you with the 15-20% tip guide on the receipt.

I'll go back when they switch to table service.

Pros: good food, good neighborhood, comfortable decor

Cons: weird ordering system, long wait for food, harried wait staff

Posted 02/19/06

The Citysearch reviewer who apparently walked into Lorenzo's, scanned the place and walked out to write their overdue review missed out on an excellent meal. Focusing on the color of the walls and the chalkboard menu is a shallow summation of a restaurant whose food is outstanding. The Putanesca was wonderful, the special ravioli (with potato and mozzarella and a light cream sauce) was delicious, and the "plain" spaghetti with tomato sauce and tina mozzarella balls made me jealous because I thought I made a mean tomato sauce. The delicate tiramisu is made in individual servings unlike the slices served elsewhere. Nice touch. But it's not just the food that makes Lorenzo's worth visiting. Lorenzo himself greeted us, served us, and actually runs an Italian "immersion" evening on Wednesday evenings. This was an all-around food and community experience that is disserved by the 8.4 rating

Posted 01/22/06