🇺🇸 Portland | Arden – A Must-Try Italian Experience 🍝

Recommended by the owner of a Japanese restaurant we love! I originally had a reservation at Bellpine 🌰, but after seeing Arden’s menu, I canceled immediately and called last-minute to book here instead. Thanks to a friend who knows the owner, we got a table! An incredibly delicious summer Italian meal 🍅🌿. The menu leans creamy yet balanced with fresh, locally sourced seasonal ingredients—rich but bright and refreshing 🌼. The absolute best dish was the first one: Chilli Oil with Blood Orange and Goat Cheese 🧀🍊. I know it sounds unusual—but it was amazing! Second favorite: Wild Berry Tart 🍓🍯. Made with berries delivered that afternoon, local honey, and cream with a hint of goat cheese (I know… I used to dislike goat cheese too—now I’m starting to get it!). The only okay dish was the Smoked Salmon 🐟. The skin was crispy, super smoky, and the meat was tender… but the emulsified sauce had split slightly, making it a bit oily. Also, the smoking process filled the whole dining room with haze—kinda teary-eyed through that course 😶‍🌫️. Also, I didn’t read closely when ordering the foie gras—I expected seared foie gras, but it was pâté served with bread 🍞. Not a must-order. We tried a bit and left the rest. The bread service was delicious though! Baked fresh across the street 🤤. Served with salty butter, olives, and spicy crunchy nuts (those big Peruvian ones… forgot the name! 🌶️). I don’t drink much wine, but my friend insisted: “You have to try it—it’s either super good or very terrible here in Portland.” 🍷 So we did! All wines were from a local winery owned by Oregon’s first female winemaker (kinda a PR move, I know…). The first Sauvignon Blanc was light and aromatic 🍈. The Chardonnay was their first vintage—not great 😬. Then we tried two Pinot Noirs from north and south of the river—I couldn’t tell much difference (what did I expect? They’re from nearby regions 😅). But the whole meal was only $200 for 4 courses ($75 per person) – basically stealing! Wine pairing was $45 extra + foie gras supplement. We left a 30% tip – worth it! I had a really great time 🥂. Thank goodness Michelin hasn’t come to Portland… After eating in New York for so long, Portland restaurants feel so genuine and fairly priced 💖. #Portland #PortlandEats #PortlandFood #TravelPortland #ItalianFood #HiddenGems