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Castagna Cafe, Portland, OR P326
 
A Top Pick in the Area
 
The "mother" restaurant, Castagna, opened over a year ago and received the "Restaurant of the Year" award from the Oregonian in 2000.  Castagna Cafe opened earlier this year and follows the same excellent traditions. 

FINALLY...a real Caesar Salad...not a hint of "white gloppy stuff", anchovies, no "boat sized pieces of Romaine lettuce", and quite a good dressing...the REAL THING!  I'd give it maybe an 8 on a scale of 1-10.  Maybe a bit pricey at $7 for a pretty small salad, but I'm desperate for a REAL Caesar Salad and tend to overlook the cost.

The cheese tray with a tiny, tiny piece of Petite Bichon, 3 pieces of fig and 6 cherries was a bit of a disappointment for $6.  I mean, really...this poor thing was just slightly larger than the tiny foil wrapped pieces served on transcontinental airliners. 

The pizza with pesto is excellent, as is the water cress salad with fruit and
feta cheese. 

But...serving Burgundy in a Bordeaux glass made me cringe just a bit.  An excellent selection (not huge, but good choices) of French wines at $6 makes one want to try more than a glass. 

All in all, a restaurant with solid foundation and excellent credentials...I'll definitely go back. 

Food:  A
Ambiance:  Excellent, shady, not too noisy outside dining (or inside if you prefer)...A
Attitude:  A
Parking:  On the street.  I would imagine it could get a bit crowed, but it wasn't when we were there. 
Service:  A
Value:  A-

 
Castagna Cafe Overall grade: A
1752 S. E. Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214
Phone: (503) 231-7373  
Date of visit: 8/2001 Rcvd: 8/11/2001
Submitted by: HCG, Tualatin, OR C2 R347
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