I mentioned earlier that we had no plans for Portland. I booked an Uber and made a Walmart run. I got to talking to my Uber driver and asked him for a restaurant recommendation. My standards: not a chain I'd be able to go to back home, preferably locally-owned, that he had been to and consistently got good reviews.
Tuscan Table
I'll say up front: he nailed it.
Atmosphere
I expected a solidly Italian atmosphere. I could smell the wood-fired brick oven from outside. But I found a much broader atmosphere...homey, comfortable, Italian-infused, yet hard to nail down completely.
Who puts a wing-back upholstered chair and fluffy pillow in a restaurant? These guys, apparently.
Table seating, booths upstairs (also to the right of the shot).
The lamps are...eclectic? They are really cool in this environment. And the bartender was entertaining in her own right.
Menu
I chose Lobster Bisque and Shrimp Cocktail as appetizers.
Oh. My. I've never had lobster bisque, but that was so, so good! I told Roxan, I could have just tilted my head back and let the server pour it down my throat! Thick and rich with generous lobster chunks in the bottom. The shrimp were large, firm, and came out of the remaining shell easily. The cocktail sauce had a hint of extra bite, and ended with a taste I couldn't identify but that seemed a bit richer than any I've tasted before.
Entree (ish)
Because of my stomach surgery the summer of last year, I can only eat small amounts at a time. My server, Jennifer, was patient when I explained this, and let me set the pace of the meal. I took about an hour to complete the food above. I was going to try a salad and an entree, but that would have taken longer than I really should take. So I decided to combine them. Grilled chicken Caesar salad, here we come!
I had to let it sit 10 minutes to cool a bit. The combination of flavors was interesting, complex, and appetizing. I'm still not sure how to describe the flavor except as different, maybe a bit sweeter than the normal taste. Oh, I should mention...this is the half portion....
The Finish
I had a dip of raspberry sorbet to finish. That was all I could handle without sitting there another half hour!
The rating is probably obvious:
This is the first meal in a long time...not just traveling, but in everyday eating...that had zero nits to pick. I mean, nothing at all. I'd have loved to spend the rest of the afternoon there and sampled the pizza as well!