For those of you in the mood to argue today (there seem to be quite a few), we have Phil Stanford weighing in on the Jim Dixon "not salty enough" Castagna Restaurant controversy. You may remember, Jim reviewed Castagna and claimed everything was under-salted. The owners were so upset, they delivered a 50 pound bag of salt to the Willamette Week offices. Phil ties the review … [Read more...] about Phil Stanford vs. Jim Dixon, The Salt Wars!
Review: The Gilt Club
Note that Gilt Club changed chef and menu in June 2006. New review will be posted this summerI face a bit of a quandary when a new restaurant comes to town. How long do I wait to make a review? On one hand, readers really want to know what the new places are like before they spend their hard-earned money. Since everything is new, they want to see what the menu looks like. … [Read more...] about Review: The Gilt Club
Review: Justa Pasta
Refreshed 06.21. Going back soon.One quickly learns, if you go to Justa Pasta and have the Caesar Salad, you are done for the night. Don’t go on a date; certainly don’t go to a movie. Do the world a favor and lock yourself in the house until the garlic goes away. We are not talking a subtle, balanced Caesar here, more a garlic bomb. That being said, when you know what … [Read more...] about Review: Justa Pasta
Review: Pour Winebar
Note: Pour Wine Bar has now closed. For the second time, I grabbed a friend and headed out to Pour on NE Broadway near Fred Meyer last night. The owners have taken a small space and made it warm and inviting with a modern touch. They have obviously spent a lot of time thinking about the interior, and for the most part, it succeeds. A portico with a curve has been … [Read more...] about Review: Pour Winebar
Review: Ciao Vito
Note: Ciao Vito closed in 2020Every so often I sit down to do a review and just don’t quite know what to say. That is why it takes me a while to get these out; sometimes, they have to percolate in my mind or else require an extra visit. This was the case with Ciao Vito. I had so many mixed experiences there, I ended up going four times before I could write this review. … [Read more...] about Review: Ciao Vito