Zinc Bistro & Bar — Restaurant in Portland

I was in town for one night and made plans to meet up with an old friend. My friend lives in the area and said she's been wanting to try out this restaurant. I made the drive from Vancouver, which is nothing as someone who lives in the suburbs outside of LA and makes jaunts to the city for fun things to do. The street is lined with cute shops and, as my friend excitedly pointed out, so much free parking. We got to the restaurant and were immediately seated. The restaurant was not busy but it was also a Thursday night. More diners showed up as the night got on.

The Sparks Notes version - service was great, helpful, and charming. Vibes were had with a playlist that made these LA girls feel at home. Food was delicious. All in all, we left with full bellies and hearts from a wonderful evening.

My friend and i shared the steamed clams, fries (because I will always order fries when given the opportunity), the beet and burrata salad, oysters, and bread. I had the non alcoholic cucumber drink and my friend had a glass of wine. I also had the salted chocolate mousse which was totally ok...so ok that i finished the whole freaking thing. Ya girl has a sweet tooth 🤷🏽‍♀️

Steamed clams were a heaping pile of clams. We did some damage but couldn't finish off the dish because there were so many clams. Definitely order this to share. Also, 100% order it with bread. You will want the bread to soak up all the sauce from this dish. You will not regret it. I am used to steamed clams with white wine sauce, parsley, and garlic. This sauce was like that but with tomatoes.

Beet and burrata salad was good. Honestly, we ordered this salad to qualify this as a healthy dinner lol. It was a sweet, creamy, and earthy addition to our feast. I personally love the combination of peppery arugula and sweet earthy beets.

We also ordered the oysters. These cold delicious oysters hit the spot and were the perfect starter.

The salted chocolate mousse was delicious. It reminded me of Abuelita's chocolate with just a hint of cinnamon. If you like Mexican hot chocolate, you'll like this mousse.

I 1000% ate too much and left needing to unbutton my pants. I laughed so much (and probably way too loud) that I felt so wired when i left. The server/one man show extraordinaire? let my friend and i hang out well past closing time. That was so nice of him and prob because he knew it was 25+ years since we last saw each other. Do i recommend the restaurant? Absolutely. You'll enjoy the food and the service is great.

Btw, I only gave 4 stars on atmosphere because....do people not dress up for a night out in Portland 😅 I was in town for a camping trip so I wasn't prepared for dinner plans. I was surprised that I wasn't even the most under...

We had the distinct privilege of dining at Zinc last night, and every moment was a true culinary delight. We began with the Beets & Burrata and Chopped Caesar salads. The Beets & Burrata were an exquisite harmony of earthy sweetness, crunchy textures, and creamy richness. The Caesar salad was, without a doubt, one of the best I've ever tasted—its dressing packed a flavorful punch with just a hint of spice.

Next, we shared the Mushroom Tartine, where the crispy bread, sautéed mushrooms, and mascarpone created an unforgettable melt-in-your-mouth experience.

For the main course, we savored the Bolognese and Tomahawk Pork Chop. The Bolognese featured fresh, perfectly cooked pasta and a delicate, flavorful sauce that complemented it beautifully. The pork chop was cooked to absolute perfection—crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. The accompanying fruit compote and whipped horseradish aioli added layers of flavor that were simply outstanding.

Every dish was a masterpiece, and our experience at Zinc was nothing short of...

Delicious for the most part 😊 The Ceasar salad, oysters and clams w/ fresh baked bread were my favorite, paired with a nice crisp class of wine. Zinc does a great job with their seafood and sauces. That part was fantastic.

I tried the bolognese pasta and found the pasta to be a bit too chewy and the sauce to be on the sweeter side. It was a little strange for me personally and I wouldn’t recommend that particular pasta to anyone.

I will definitely be back and I picked out my top favorite items so I know what to order when I go there from now on. I just moved to the neighborhood I’m happy to find a place that serves things like oysters and shrimp. Cocktails and crème brûlée. By the way, the crème brûlée was average.

The Kahlúa dessert that my daughter got was kind of messy and I only took one bite. I didn’t like it very much.

I spent about $90 easily just on myself even though we went for...