Wow! This was one of my favorite creative Italian dining experiences ever, including our trips to Italy. It was recommended by our friend David F.

We started with a glasses of prosecco, then two appetizers: one of oven roasted polipo (octopus) with roasted cherry tomatoes and arugula, and one of house-cured anchovies with beets and artichokes. For our main course, James had bomboletti all'amatriciana (short rigatoni with tomato, onions, red pepper and guanciale), and I had homemade ravioli stuffed with burrata and heirloom tomatoes with a pesto sauce.

We had a bottle of Feudi di San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino with the meal.

The espresso was perfect too.

P.S. I haven't adjusted the timestamp of our blog posts for the fact that we're on the West Coast. I posted this just after midnight, not at 3 AM.

Sauvie Island is pretty.

clarklewis is at the left end of the building

We had dinner tonight at a pretty new restaurant here in Portland: clarklewis. I would describe it as creative Italian using local ingredients. Our meal:

"Peasant Salad" - chicory, radicchio, and other greens with balsamic vinegar, house-cured pancetta, walnuts, and grated cheese (Pecorino? not sure)

"Arrabiata" - spicy grilled Monterey Bay calamari with arrugula

[above with Prosecco]

Spelt pasta with house-cured anchovies, fennel pollen and fronds, and red pepper - one of the best pastas I have ever had in my life, including in Italy

[Oregon Pinot Bianco (sorry didn't write down maker) and Arneis from Ponzi]

Roasted Squab with plums, plus wax beans with braised tomatoes

[a Chianti Classico, plus a Barbera, then a red from Calabria and one from Bolzano]

Frozen almond torta with a peach semifreddo-like filling, and strawberry moscato granita (two separate desserts)

I was really dazzled by the food. The atmosphere is a little annoying, with very dim lighting and lots of noise. The food made up for it however.

On vacation (barely). The conference is a lot of time and mental work. The food here is excellent. Favorite restaurants so far:

Carafe - more elegant setting for Florent-like food. We've eaten lunch there every day so far.

Veritable Quandary - great bar menu, had scallops wrapped in bacon on top of corn (me) and grilled pizza with heirloom tomatoes (James) for dinner the first night. We had great wild salmon there last night for dinner.

Park Kitchen - sort of like Savoy's food. Fresh ingredients, brilliant execution. We had a chilled cucumber and almond soup with bits of house-cured salmon on top. It was one of the best soups I have ever eaten.

The raw ingredients chefs have to work here are excellent: heirloom tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, mushrooms, lamb, etc.

Great wines we've had: Jezebel white (a blend of Pinot Gris and others), Pinot Noir from Argyle, Belles Soeurs and Brick House, late harvest Gewurtztraminer (dessert wine) from Andrew Rich.