Reviews for Castagna Restaurant in Portland, OR
Their Modern, somewhat cool atmosphere sets the tone for the interesting assortment of small plates served and the general... attitude of the staff. I didn't enjoy everything they made, but they did get me to try some unexpected combinations and thinkabout the individual qualities of each component. I also didn't care for half the wines they paired with the dishes. If you areinterested in a dinner like this, I recommend Coquette. The food was amazing, the people as professional and friendly as can beand the wine pairings exceptional. Read more
Late winter/spring tasting menu was good but didn't knock my socks off (which it should considering the $$$$). Some menu items... were standouts, particularly the desserts. Some were a complete disappointment, like the squab and beef. Service was great, aswas the wine. Read more
We got the Chef’s tasting with wine pairing and I don’t think there was one course out of 20+ that we didn’t love. Pretty... pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for in terms of quality, some of the best food combinations I’ve ever had. Read more
The food and service here is amazing! Great cocktails, and fresh ingredients. Such a great experience.
Chef's tasting menu was so delicious and came with a variety of seafood and meat. Beautiful presentation and good use of... seasonal and local ingredients. Read more
Consistently and somewhat-quietly amazing. Wine pairings have to be tried to be believed. (I'm not usually impressed by... restaurants' wine pairings, and not because I'm some wannabe sommelier who thinks he knows better; I know very little aboutwine--partly because most wine "experts" seem to be far more proficient at memorizing wine information than knowing what tastesgood with what. If I thought someone could teach me to pair wines likes Castagna does, I'd start studying tomorrow.) It's lessflashy under the current chef than in its previous iteration as a molecular gastronomy showcase. But, doing fewer things toinvite the term "showcase" is rarely a bad thing for the inherent quality of a product, and the offerings here haven't suffereda bit. Instead, the food is more reliably about food than a staged "experience of food." It's less meta. I know, that's prettymuch what most pro critics have written, but in this case I agree. I'd further add that a meal here has enough evident controlbehind it--there are several surprises but few dissonant alarms, which were a risk with the previous chef--that it's now foodworth thinking about, like a writer who's found her voice. It rewards contemplation. How does this next dish play against itswine? Am I tasting the one differently now, when it follows the other? (Hint: usually yes, and in intriguing, often astoundingways.) I don't recall asking those questions in Castagna's previous incarnation. Back then, I was dazzled and entertained andwell fed, but I was less likely to ask "Why?" than "How in the world?" Now I'm actually tasting the tasting menu. Yes,"authorial voice" and "why" is an odd set of criteria to apply to a restaurant. But at Castagna, the chef's tasting menu withwine pairings is not operating in the same economic circles as most restaurants. At these prices, everything is under themicroscope, and every last thing should be everything you'd expect, plus a little extra to wonder about. It should be di Read more
Everything was delicious and interesting. We did the dinner menu (one regular and one vegetarian); no regrets.
The food was exceptional. It opened my ideas of food by having me taste combinations that I would not otherwise try. The steak... bites with some spicy sauce was my ultimate favorite but the beets, radishes and mussels were a very close second. I willdefinitely try the other menu sometime. Read more