Boccis Peace and Pasta — Restaurant in Portland

Oh boy, this is gonna be long.

My girlfriend and I were excited to try Boccis because we were attracted to the eclectic design and generous portion sizes.

When we first walked in, we were carded before even sitting down by the co-owner because it turns into a bar at 9pm. It was 8pm… worse yet, she didn’t even ask to see our IDs, just told us that it turns 21+ at 9pm and then just blank stared at us until we got the message.

After being led to our table, they gave us some bread which was homemade, and delightful. It was the only good thing about Bocci’s, to be honest. They eventually took our drink orders, and both drinks were about 80% ice, and horribly diluted, averaging about $15 for a plastic cup – effectively coachella or outside lands price/size/quality.

We ordered the chicken parmesan (for her) and the chicken piccata (for myself). The chicken parmesan came in around 30 minutes, while my chicken piccata never came. We sat as the waiters ignored us, finally asking where my dish was, as my girlfriend’s got cold. They responded awkwardly, to say the least, and didn’t take any blame or make any effort to apologize, all the while serving tables that came in 20-30 minutes after us.

Finally, they brought my Chicken piccata, claiming that “they just had to finish making the sauce” (after we had watched at least two other people receive the same dish who had walked in after us). The caper sauce was overly reduced, almost like a gravy, and enveloped the dish like a soup. It tasted extremely flat, like the ingredients were not given time to bind to each-other which made it clear that they cooked this sauce in a rush, and only after I complained that I had not received it. The noodles themselves were fine, but my portion of breaded chicken was measly and because the sauce was effectively a soup (if you are familiar with the dish, you know that it should be a light drizzle), the breading from the chicken was soggy and falling off upon me receiving the dish. My stomach also hurt after eating not even a quarter of it, probably because caper sauce is not intended to be consumed like soup broth.

Worse yet, two older male customers began staring at my girlfriend and making inappropriate comments about her. Of course, the staff have no control over this, except for the fact that, as the men got seated, they began complaining to the staff that we took their seats (they are presumably regular customers), and the staff APOLOGIZED to them. I was astounded. We had been sat a full hour before these men even entered the restaurant.

In the end, the staff offered no concessions for forgetting my food and preparing it poorly and we had to request it ourselves. We had already tipped at this point because at Bocci’s you pay beforehand at the counter so we couldn’t even reflect our dissatisfaction in the tip. Worst of all, we were not just complaining to normal service workers, these were the OWNERS of the restaurant.

We will never be returning to Boccis, and we urge you to try one of the many great Italian places in Portland instead because this is not...

This was an outstanding dinner experience from start to finish. Every part of the meal was delicious and the service was excellent.

Service: We were greeted warmly and offered our choice of available tables. The waiter was patient and willing to discuss menu options to help us select drinks. A notable kindness was that when we let him know we'd be ordering food to go after our meal, that he asked which food items so that he could place the order at the right time to ensure the food came out hot as we were leaving. This kept us from having to wait around on the food and from having cold food waiting for us to finish our meals. That's customer service and consideration that goes above and beyond expectations.

The appetizers: The food was prepared very well in every dish we had. The sausage minestrone was delightfully close to a chili in terms of meatyness, well seasoned, spicy but not overly, and everything was cooked to a soft and lovely texture. We were served bread and oil. The focaccia was perfectly salted, the extra virgin olive oil was mild tasting and aromatic, the balsamic was nicely aged such that it was both sweet and tangy.

The entees: the alfredo was thick and delicious needing just a little table salt and pepper to be perfect. The chicken sliced on top of the Alfredo was crispy and seasoned on the outside and wonderfully juicy inside. The chicken parmesan was memorable. The chicken breast was big enough for two and pleasantly paired with a traditional spaghetti and red sauce.

The atmosphere: We were pleased to find few frills to the atmosphere. The music playing was an assortment of American classics from the 60's and 70's with a few hits from the 90's added in at times. This place and this food could easily be matched with classic Italian music, but we enjoyed the lack of pretension.

We've dined at a few of Portland's highly rated restaurants and been let down in terms of quality, value, and service. Not here! Bocci's is our new favorite spot...

‘Twas a dark and stormy night, somewhere a door slammed, a scream rang out!

It’s true, it was dark and wet and my wife and I had finished a long visit to OMSI and we were tired. I discovered my wife had not had lunch, this is always a dangerous moment. We start to search for places nearby and as I prevaricate she gets frustrated and impatient. We have been in this situation before and it does not always end well.

I know the clock is ticking. She refuses to give me any feedback and if the place is closed or the food is bad, it falls squarely on my shoulders. Every marriage has its foibles.

But whatever I choose, I have to do it quick and I don’t want to panic. So I stab my virtual pin into my electronic device and decide Boccis Peace and Pasta is the place. My wife hears the name and is skeptical.

Right choice! I am the hero of the story! Boccis P and P is perfect in every way! It is eclectic and fun, the staff are beyond nice, and there, like a cherry on top, the food was excellent!

It’s run by hippies and I say this with the utmost respect and love. They are the best kind of hippies, friendly and relaxed. Doing something they love and believe in. The place dripped with sincerity. It is a destination.

Chain restaurants have their place, they offer a standard product that people recognize, whether for good or bad. But almost all of them are missing one thing and that is heart. It’s a bit like the velveteen rabbit that turns real when it gets loved on for a long time. Boccis is real. The people, the venue, and of course the food.

Boccis Peace and Pasta definitely goes...