Isa Bistro — Restaurant in Portland

This Sunday night, we had the best meal in a long time dining out - A+ and five stars across the board for several reasons. First, shout out to Justin, our waiter for giving us a wonderfully warm, conversational and attentive level of service. Tonight, my partner and I split three appetizers, an entree and dessert. We started with the salt cod fritters, which was a plate of four "pillows" of deliciousness. The salt cod and potato mixture was unbelievably light and full of flavor with a moist, creamy texture on the inside and deep fried on the outside. They were plated with homemade tartar sauce which held a flavor that complemented the fritters and did not overpower them because these pillows of goodness would be overpowered with strong flavors - kudos to chef and staff for a great mix of balanced flavors. We then had the caesar salad, which was the best I have had in a long time because the dressing was perfect in its amount. In my experience, restaurants tend to drench salads in caesar dressing so you taste more of the dressing and less of the salad. Not the case at Isa Bistro. There was a nice balance of dressing to romaine lettuce, the croutons too were perfect and not greasy. The white anchovies were a delight because they were not in heavy oil and they tasted fresh as if they were preserved in water instead of oil - for that fresh fish taste with no smell. Next was the Tagliatelle Bolognese and this is not your standard Italian fare - thank you chef! This was such a delight because the sauce tasted so rich in a deep flavor I would associate with the Italian gravy, but it was light in texture - how they mastered this I do not know! My only regret is we didn't ask for two orders. The sauce was made with a stout and fresh shredded fennel on top - it all worked well and blended together where each mouthful was savored. We finished with the scallop appetizer - 4 scallops on pineapple puree, basil oil and guajillo pepper oil - my partner was savoring each bite of the seared scallops with the sauce so the experience would not end. The pineapple sauce was delicate - just enough in strength to allow you taste very evenly the seared scallop, the pineapple, the basil and the pepper as 4 separate flavors at one time - how enjoyable. We ended with the coconut cream pie. We set our expectations low because we often experience dessert as the weakness of a good restaurant. Not the case at Isa. It was delicious. Again the theme is balance of flavors and textures. The toasted coconut crust was covered with a thin chocolate ganache, followed by a custard that literally and completely melted in your mouth and topped with a whipped cream. The thin ganache layer was perfect, because you could taste the chocolate right away on your palate, but it did not take over - you could savor the melting custard and the crunch of the crust and coconut. We asked the waiter if people ask to buy the entire pie to take home it was so good. If you are seeking a casual dining environment with a great staff and high end food where you are not eating but savoring your food, Isa Bistro is a must visit on your list. Thank you chef and kitchen staff!...

Dining at isa was by far my most pleasurable experience in Portland so far. It's located in the challenged Bayside neighborhood which brings me back to NYC. It's not about the location but the ray of sunshine their food brings to the neighborhood. Having met in Brooklyn NY, the owners, Isaul and Suzie decided to bring their prowess and vision to Portland Maine, how appropriate! Isaul is classical trained in French and Italian cooking, that alone is a recipe for success. This is the exactly the type of restaurant you would find in an up and coming Brooklyn neighborhood. They do take reservations for parties of 6 or more ONLY and I suggest making one because they start to fill up around 6:30.

Upon walking in you'll find simple, classic decor that stays true to the character and charm of the original building. The colors are warm and layered lighting compliments the lengthy bar and dining area. On the wall by the door they display the purveyors that supply the restaurant with it's fine ingredients, I love that. This practice really connects the diner to the dining experience and I've noticed this trend throughout Portland. The staff is friendly and look like they take their job very seriously, a sort of calm, reserved look is the best way to describe it. Our server was Joshua and he displayed great energy as he told us about the specials and took drink orders.

Since we are Pescetarian my reviews will unfortunately, be limited. I can tell you what I heard from other guests over my shoulder though. I ordered the shaved Fennel salad with grapefruit, pecorino, and mint. Mint is like lemon for me; I like it occasionally, depends on the dish. The presentation is beautiful and when I took the first bite, WOW! The mint is so robust and compliments the other ingredients so well. My experience went like this, bite, "wow is that the mint?", mmm mmm, bite, "whoa that is the mint", absolutely incredible! The pecorino and grapefruit add textural contrast from the crunch of the fennel along with a touch of acid.

My fiancé had the Burrata Crostini which arrived with a delicate layer of Heirloom tomatoes and vibrant fresh basil. If you have never had Burrata and love cheese, then you must try it. Burrata is made from Mozzarella and cream, done right, it should be creamy yet still hold together.

We both ordered the Eggplant Lasagne which is the farthest thing from your local pizzeria. This is fine dining quality my friends. If you don't know how to prepare eggplant it can be bitter, mostly due to the seeds, just like a tomato. The layers of homemade pasta, sauce, ricotta, and tarragon in this dish are perfectly balanced, making each bite more enjoyable then the next. You will find yourself eating it quickly and thinking that you can eat this every day, we did!

For dessert we shared the warm apple tart which was good but I wished there was a little more crust to balance the amount of apple. It was still excellent, I'm just a picky boy. We will be back to this restaurant often and look forward to trying other seasonal dishes. Thank you for a...

On a recent trip to Maine, my husband and I had dinner at Isa Bistro. We had a 7:30 reservation and were seated immediately on arrival. Our server was very friendly and helpful, making excellent recommendations from the menu. My husband had a grapefruit negroni and loved it, I had a glass of a Trebbiano (one of my favorite white wines) blend that was light and delicious. For appetizers, we shared the grilled octopus and salt cod fritters as appetizers. The salt cod fritters were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside and the tartar sauce base was wonderfully tangy. The octopus was cooked perfectly, not chewy at all and the chickpeas with it were the perfect accompaniment. We also shared a mixed greens salad with radishes and blue cheese with onion vinaigrette - the dressing was SO good. For my main, I had the bolognese with homemade pasta that was topped with fennel, and now I'm questioning why I haven't put shaved fennel on my bolognese every time I make it. The subtle crunch and distinctive fennel flavor complimented the pasta and sauce incredibly well. My husband had the pork schnitzel with potato salad. The pork was cooked perfectly - crispy on the outside but still moist inside. The potato salad was a great accompaniment, providing a little acid and mustardy bite to contrast the fattiness of the pork. For dessert, we shared a piece of coconut creme pie that was absolutely heavenly. A thick layer of coconut custard was topped with perfectly fluffy whipped cream and toasted coconut shavings, paired with a cup of Tandem Roasters coffee, I can't think of a better way to close this truly memorable meal. We'll absolutely be back next time we're...