In PDX: Dinner @ Grassa

Last week we decided to drive into the city for a date night. When I say drive into the city, I'm talking about like 5 miles or so, haha, hardly a drive. We had been craving something fresh, something local, something Portland-y. We landed on Grassa. Owned by the same folks that operate Lardo, we knew we'd be in for a treat since we're both huge Lardo fans.

When you step inside Grassa you get the feeling that you're in a small, yet upscale cafeteria - complete with lockers on the wall, communal seating and an open view of the pasta kitchen. It's chaotic yet comfortable.

The food at Grassa is the definition of handcrafted comfort food and fresh ingredients. I had the Spaghetti 'Aglio Olio' and Luke had the Carbonara. Both were fantastic dishes. We had a side of garlic bread along with some beer and house red wine (tip: if you don't like the limited beer selection, you can order a beer next door at Lardo and bring it over to Grassa). Our total dinner came to just around $30, pretty awesome for a Friday night out on the town!

We'll definitely be back here soon; I hear their meatballs are to die for!

Carbonara

bucatini, pork belly, fried egg, pecorino

Spaghetti 'Aglio Olio'

garlic, chili, olive oil, grana, bredcrumbs

*In PDX is a series where I feature local Portland establishments. If you would like your business to be featured, please contact me here.