Gilda's | Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Portland

During our trip to Portland Oregon in June, we visited a few classic spots. One of them was called Gilda’s Italian Restaurant. From their website, it is stated that “for Grandma Gilda, food was love.” Now, her legacy continues on, by her grandson Marco. We got to meet Chef Marco, he was extremely nice, welcoming, and really fun.

We arrived just 10 minutes before they close between lunch and dinner. With that, the restaurant was empty, and we were worried that we were too late. But the server Stephen welcomed us with excitement. Thank you! Stephen was extremely friendly and talkative. He gave us recommendations on not only what to order, but what to see in Portland. He was simply awesome!

The dish he recommended above everything else was Pappardelle “Alla Panna.” To be honest, it didn’t sound like much, not something I would've chosen over other really tasting sounding dishes. Guess what? It was super delicious! Every bite was heavenly. Creamy white sauce that I might say the best I’ve ever had. I could have a huge bowlful of this every day…

We also wanted to try another dish, so we ordered Spaghetti with Grandma’s Meatball & San Marzano Tomato Sauce. It comes with one HUGE meatball. The meatball was juicy and packed with flavor. Sauce was earthy and tomato-y. We enjoyed this dish a lot also. But if I have to choose between the two, I would have to say Pappardelle takes the center stage.

To finish off, the server Stephen recommended us to try their house-made ice cream or sorbet. At this point, we had 100% trust in Stephen. LOL. We got Strawberry Mango Sorbet with his recommendation. It was refreshing, with such strong fruity flavor, as if you are eating the actual fruits. What a way to end the epic lunch!

We had a fantastic lunch here. Stephen and Chef Marco made the experience extra fun. Food was excellent, we enjoyed every bite from the beginning to the end. I definitely recommend vising Gilda’s if you are in Portland area. And If you don’t know what to order, just ask Stephen for recommendations, and he will set you straight, and you will sure to have...

In Portland with another couple seeing the sights and sampling the local flavor. Love this town, and we really need to visit here more often. Our friends suggested Gilda’s based on reviews they had read, so we took a chance on a Sunday night to see if we could get a table for four. We were happily greeted by the hostess and a lovely guy named Bill and immediately noticed the small venue was well packed for a Sunday evening. Good sign. People like this place.

The staff was actually apologetic that they didn’t have a place for us right away, even though we were without a reservation and they were well within their rights to shrug and say “oh well, you’re going to have to wait”. Instead, they made it work and they got us seated within a few minutes.

There’s something to be said regarding a real Italian restaurant. A real Italian dining experience involves authentic cuisine. It’s a place where you order from the menu and only from the menu. You don’t make demands that they tweak recipes or, as a wise man once told me, add ranch to your salad. Italian restaurants that are authentic will make you feel like you are family. They show you that they are appreciative of your business. It’s a place where you can and will chat with a friendly staff who gladly wait on you. And maybe when you’re done, the owner or manager will stop by and personally say hello and thank you. I love that. Every restaurant should strive to be like that.

Also, I hope when you go you meet the aforementioned Bill. At the time we met him he said he had only been with the place for a few months, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. He is extremely professional and highly attentive to customers. He clearly has a passion for this kind of business and it doesn’t go unnoticed. His kind personality, aside from the excellent cuisine and venue is why a person would recommend this place to others. He made the entire evening for us very memorable and Gilda’s should be very proud to have him on...

Overall, this was an absolutely delightful Italian food experience. At first, the service and atmosphere felt iffy. We were on a special date, but most of the time, we could overhear the staff talking and laughing really loudly in back, which was cheerful, but not super professional. There was also a guy being interviewed for a job at the only occupied table. (Note: we had an early reservation and we were the first guests.) Unfortunately, we were seated right next to that table, so the ambience wasnt quite what we were hoping for. It is a pretty space, but also pretty loud once more guests arrive, so don't plan for an intimate date or quiet conversation. Otherwise, its located in a clean, safe area with plenty of parking and it's comfortable and clean.

Now for the real winner: the food! If these are recipes from Nonna Gilda, she should have been chef'd up from day one. We enjoyed the bread service (4 slices of como) and a smooth, homestyle butter (could have used a touch of salt). The bread was chewy and delicious. (I think the como bread may be from Grand Central? If not, its crazy similar.) We also shared the classic Caesar as an appetizer--so, so good with a perfect balance of flavors and layers. We were relieved that they didn't drown the salad, as well. The portion size was a little small, but it was probably me - it really was that good, and I wanted seconds to enjoy with my dinner. Unfortunately, we didnt see any fresh, cracked pepper, but that would have been next level. We tried two entrees: #1 - the boar braised in a savory sauce with whole green olives on fresh papardelle, and #2 - a creamy, slightly spicy red sauce over fresh tagliatelle with prawn and lobster. Both were chef's kiss. I'm dying to go back and try the other dishes and the happy hour items,...