The frozen pastas and sauces from Paciarino, sold all over town, are staples for our freezer – making for a quick & delicious meal in no time at all; but why it has taken us nearly three years to actually have a meal at one of Portland’s most-loved Italian eateries is a completely unsolvable mystery. Now that we’ve made time for a sit-down meal at Paciarino however, I am confident that we’ll be back often. Probably too often!
I spent the spring semester of my sophomore year abroad in Florence, Italy, and fell in love with the sites, sounds, and definitely, cuisine of the region. I am by no means an expert on Italian food (although I do know to pronounce bruschetta with a hard “c” sound), but ever since returning to the states, I’ve found myself dreaming of another trip to Italy, largely for the meals that I so dearly miss. There are a few Italian-inspired restaurants in Portland that we’ll always love, but we both agreed that the food at Paciarino just felt more Italian than that of any other restaurant in town. The ingredients are simple, wholesome, and fresh, which, in my mind, only further supports Paciarino’s authentic Italian cuisine and motto: ‘Eat well… live long.’
We slipped into Paciarino for an early lunch on Saturday, chose our meal from the menu at the door, and grabbed a rustic dinner table by the front window. We began our mid-day feast with the bruschette and a plate of bread and their pomodoro and pesto sauces (if you’ve ever had Paciarino, you know how much of a treat this is). The bruschette was heaping with fresh tomato, basil, onion, and garlic, and had us fighting over the last piece. I was overwhelmingly excited when my ravioli milano alla bolognese arrived, and Michael loved his gnocchetti al pesto. Both meals were simply perfect.
Our original plan was to stop by Gorgeous Gelato (post coming soon!), to complete our authentic Italian lunch, on the way back to the car, but we ended up needing a walk around the Old Port (with a mandatory stop into 2 Note) to make room for dessert.
I’m so glad that we finally made the time to grab a bite at Paciarino, and cannot wait to visit again soon!
Paciarino is one of my favorites! The Maccheroni Paesani is something that dreams are made of. As an interior designer I love the space, especially the colandar pendant lights. Beautifully captured as always.
Thanks, Sarah! We’ll certainly have to try the Maccheroni Paesani!
Thank god! I hate it when people mispronounce bruschetta!! ;) Great review!
Mmmmm…again, another reason to come into Portland from the farm to eat!
Love the space and the food, again , looks scrumptious!
Thanks for sharing! Can we go here the next time we’re in Portland?? Yum!
Go for dinner and leave room for the tiramisu!!
We will definitely leave room for the tiramisu, Elizabeth. Thanks for the recommendation!
The food is great there and we too stop by to grab the frozen ravioli for a quick, tasty dinner. The only compliant is that wine list is very uninspiring considering it represents one of the great win-making regions and there are so many local grapes that Americans should be exposed to.
Thanks for the C-Hill recommendation.