Toothsome bucatini in vibrant marinara. Clams and mussels in garlicky broth. Red sauce, white sauce. Brodo! A nice glass of vino and, of course, some dreamy focaccia to scoop up whatever’s left. Oh, and some boozy tiramisu and crunchy cannoli, too. When it comes to comfort food, it’s exceptionally hard to top Italian cuisine, whether it’s rooted in Old World tradition or East Coast diaspora. Below, we’ve gathered our favorite spots in town with an eye toward dinner dates, with due respect to excellent Italian delis like Dimo’s Specialties and Sebastiano’s. (Looking for our favorite pizza spots? We’ve got them covered over here.) Portland might not have the Italian food scene of New York or Chicago, but plenty of our chefs have dialed in their ragùs and risottos.
a Cena
sellwood-moreland
A Cena is built around hallmarks of a bygone era: butcher paper over the tables, complimentary bread delivered as you peruse the menu, even a perfectly potable house red and house white. The menu of familiar dishes carries a similar, practiced aplomb. A chicory Caesar comes with just enough dressing. Arancini nail that crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside texture, with an extra gooey cheese stretch. As is tradition, portions border on the absurd. This is a place for sharing, especially if opting for the bistecca—a wood-fired Tuscan steak—or the agnolotti, delicate ravioli stuffed with sweet corn and mascarpone buried under tender chunks of lobster. Finish things off with a tiramisu or cannoli—as classic as they get. —Alex Frane
Campana
woodlawn
Campana sneakily manages to be three restaurants in one. The dinner menu, what most people are here for, would alone make this a favorite for any Italophile. Garlicky cannellini bean dip, silken chicken liver pâté, and meatballs made extra tender with ricotta kick things off. Al dente pastas and risotto lead into hearty entrées like roast chicken with pork sausage and fork-tender braised short rib with polenta. The bar menu is where chef and co-owner George Kaden quietly excels at the basics: cacio e pepe, spaghetti puttanesca, bucatini amatriciana, and so on. Sometimes, simpler is better. Let the pasta speak for itself! Gelato is no doubt what’s for dessert. The restaurant’s third act, Pronto Gelato, a collab between Kaden and Spella Caffè owner Andrea Spella, has its own brick-and-mortar in the neighborhood, but it’s also the sticky and velvety kicker of any meal here—an ideal nightcap. —AF
Estes
Concordia…