Lorenzo’s Ristorante Italiano

i liked this place. it’s closed now

My first outing to Lorenzo’s was with some friends after the Mississippi Street fair. I can’t comment on the restaurants interior because we decided to sit outside where they have about four tables on the sidewalk perfect for people watching or to relax on a nice day. Your service starts with some fresh bread brought out in decorative tin carriers and some table side olive oils. Our waiter was fairly punctual considering the restaurants capacity from the ongoing street fair. We started our meal by first splitting this amazing appetizer of roasted fingerling potatoes submerged in a blended cheese sauce and generously topped with bacon. This made for an incredible dip for our remaining bread and if I had it my way I would have hogged this deconstructed Italian baked potato for myself.
The wine list was pretty small but had outstanding bottle prices, so I ordered a bottle of Montepulciano for only $ 18! If you want to bring your own bottle the corkage fee is still very reasonable at only $ 12. The wine lasted well throughout our meal considering their use of the traditional tiny glassware. For my entrée I ordered a special that night of spaghetti with manila clams, basil and bacon. First off the portion was more like a lunch special and for $ 13 I expected a bit more. Next I was put off by the ingredients which looked as if they had been hit with a micro-​ray before service. Everything was small, unexciting, bland and there was virtually no sauce. If you’re going to charge $ 13 for a classic dish at least make it worthy. This looked more like the remains of a Subway artist’s counter pushed into a bowl. I’m not going to discredit Lorenzo’s from this one experience, as any menu can be hit or miss. If anything I’ll go back just for a couple orders of the Baked Potato Fonduta and this time eat them all to myself!

I am sucker for
, you know the $ 2 coupons for $ 25. Well, this was one of them. Reminded me of some quaint Italian place in firenze. Bread and olive balsamic divine. Highly recommend the very rich fondue with potatoes and arugula with carpaccio salad. Hadn’t had the double tubed pasta since I was in Italy in the fall; loved the spicy boar ragu on top and organic spinach. I’ll be back! Very quaint and rustic inside. Checkered family cloths amongst NW hipness.

Generous 2 stars. Had the owner been like the waiter, it would have been 1 star easy. The ambiance was good, as was the location. There are no booths, but there are couches. Though you sink in them, if you try not to, you still slide back into the same place.
We had some vegetarian pasta with not much in it beyond the pasta, tomato soup, mixed greens salad, chicken eggplant bruschetta, and a lemony custard cake thingy that was the first listed on the dessert menu, grandmas something or other. I had to ask the waiter for the dessert menu in the beginning, middle and end of the visit. The only thing that tasted good was the chicken, it was fairly juicy and tender. The eggplant it came with was sour, the pasta was just OK. The Olive Garden pasta is the best. Everything was too salty. The worst was the soup. I explain why in the next paragraph. The original menu called it Zuppa. When I asked the waiter, Joshua, what the soup was, he simply said a tomato soup. I asked, «like a creamy tomato bisque?» and he said «yes.» So I ordered it. Portions were on the small side for everything but the soup.
When the waiter, Joshua, came to pick up our plates, he didn’t ask why I barely touched the soup. So I told him politely that I didn’t like it and asked what was in it, he told me it had bread in it. I said, the menu only said «Zuppa» and you said tomato” that’s all I knew, bread inside the soup was not mentioned verbally nor on the menue. Also, when I ordered the bruschetta, I ordered it with bread on the side rather than in the dish, I had said verbally it was because we didn’t want to risk soggy bread, the same idea applies here…
He then told me I had three menu’s in front of me that said it included bread IN the soup & that there was no way I didn’t know. (Why would I order something I knew I didn’t like, wet bread in the soup, that made no sense & it isn’t the standard for tomoatoe soup) Well, only the little side menus had this info, not the main menu. And since the small side menu was hand written and not easy to read, I focused on the large menu. He then went to get the bill, charged me the full amount, brought me MORE of the small menues in an attempt to prove he was right and I was wrong, and began to eat at the bar behind me.
At this point I asked to speak with someone else. When he sneered at me after saying okay, I thought uh oh, this may not be any better. I tip well even if waiters make mistakes but are nice about it and treat me with respect. This guy had an attitude from the start. So naturally it pained me to pay the automatic 18% tip that was about eight dollars. The owner came out, he asked me if I had eaten much of the soup. I said, like 2 spoonful’s, and that he could check. Weird question. I explained to him that I didn’t feel it was right to be charged for something that not only did I not like, but on the main menu didn’t indicate the soup included the soggy bread inside the soup. He then asked what I wanted. I thought that was clear? He didn’t apologize for anything, but wasn’t rude at least. So I got my $ 4 back, but at that point it was the service that had me frustrated, the measley money was just the principle of the matter, doesn’t matter if it was four bucks or forty.
*****Despite not loving the taste of the food, (also, one of my peeps had major gas for a loooong time after eating there, not a normal thing for them), I would not have bothered even doing a review had the service been decent, just because it’s a locally owned place, so if I can’t write something positive, I may not at all. But that level of service made me run straight to the computer! It’s the worst restaurant experience for me in a long time.*****
Olive Garden… you look even better to me now. Chain or not, authentic or not, I choose you… happily. I no stray anymore.

I highly recommend this place! We went here last night on a whim because we had liked it once before and it did not fail us. We were seated right away at a cozy table. Great date place!
Last time we got the gorgonzola gnocchi which was amazing and a must try, but this time we wanted to try something new. We started with the Florentino salad that I liked, (my boyfriend found it bitter). But that paled in comparison to the special they had, bread with melted brie and avocado and shrimp. I could have eaten that and left happy, but then my Rustic Raviolo came. It had a potato and basil and the most delicious tomato-​cream sauce. My boyfriend was stealing it off my plate! I also loved what he ordered, the twisty pasta with the sausage. Great flavors! We wanted to ask, but forgot to ask if the pasta was homemade because it was so good.
Our service was excellent, our waitress was very attentive. Overall it was a great night out for the two of us and we will definitely go back!

This place is great. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is casual and really cute (warm for those cold Portland rainy nights!)
The servers are always friendly and helpful with any dietary substitutions and often you can find Lorenzo himself helping out with tables, cooking, or pouring wine. Super nice people, great delicious food.
This is a favorite place and I highly recommend it.

seems like every time we’re on Mississippi for whatever reason, my husband has commented that he wants to try Lorenzo’s. finally for his birthday on Tuesday I obliged (not to mention we also had a living social cert to use).
didn’t make a reservation, but thankfully it wasn’t necessary. there was a perfect table waiting for us. we were seated by the same person who was our server throughout the meal. he was a really good waiter without being overly attentive. he brought our bread (oil and balsamic vinegar were already on the table) and water right away, along with our other drinks.
we ordered the fonduta to start and it was as good as everyone claims! honestly, I was probably full after devouring part of that but also really enjoyed my gnocchi special (with basically a deconstructed pesto) — yes I had two potato dishes, don’t judge! my husband ended up finishing my gnocchi (ate as much as I possibly could) along with his pasta with spinach and sausage, which was REALLY good as well.
my husband went so far as to say it’s the best Italian meal we’ve had in Portland, part of that due to the relaxed atmosphere (there are even a couple couches where you can sit for dinner). even if we didn’t have the LS cert to use, it would have still been affordable. we’ll definitely be back!

I really enjoyed Lorenzo’s. Great old style Italian restauraunt atmosphere. Even though it was a weeknight they still had some great live music. We ordered a bottle of wine that our waitress recommended and our dinner. I don’t remember what we had but I do remember really enjoying it.
I will definitely be back.

This restaurant is marked as «good for kids.» I could not disagree more. The wait staff is hostile and indifferent, and we had to leave before even we had placed an order. Our kids were noisy and the waiter said «could you guys keep it down» without a trace of sympathy or anything. Don’t bring your kids unless they are perfectly-​behaved on an empty stomach.
The ambiance is great, the food looks terrific, but the service gives it a one star. Perhaps some people feel that the restaurant must be good if the waiter expresses his superiority, but that tactic doesn’t work for us.

Small and cute place. Atmosphere is the best part. Service was mediocre but friendly. Food portions were small and I found flavor to be a bit salty. But I do love the location and open front of building facing the passers by.

Nice spot in hipsterville on Mississippi. the décor had a industrial and bohemian flair with a open kitchen and older furniture. for starers we had the antipasti platter with bread that I’m guessing came from grand central right up the street, darn good stuff!
The pasta was fresh and cooked to a perfect aldente on the giant ravioli with is a full sheet of pasta flipped over in my case roasted cauliflower, paying a extra dollar to add prosciutto was a no brain-​er in my book!
Wifey had the gnocchi that was in a delicious pool of delicious Gorgonzola sauce and a few pieces of roasted zucchini, she said that a little more veg would had been nice but she loved the sauce.
Great place to take a date as they had live music on Thursday nights that it nice back ground noise.
Drinks were reasonably priced at 3.50 or an organic IPA and 6 glass of primativo.
fun spot we will be back!

Lorenzos is a cute little Italian spot on Mississippi Avenue that serves up really, really good food! I have developed a serious addiction to their plain old spaghetti, which is clean and pure and delicious on its own. But, I always sully this simple dish by getting a side dish of their sausage ragu which I spoon onto the top. (What can I say, I am an American who grew up on spaghetti with meat sauce). It’s luscious. The little mozzarellas swimming around in the bowl of tasty sauce are a bonus. Their special raviolis and pasta du jour are also very very good, but I am something of a purist and once I find that one thing on the menu I love I get stuck in a rut. I am stuck in a Lorenzos spaghetti rut, and I don’t plan to break free any time soon. This place is even better on a cool rainy day when all you want is pasta or soup and a nap.
Oh, also: it’s a casual café environment, not too expensive, they have beer and wine, and the service isn’t always all that great or attentive… but I get so distracted eating my spaghetti with mozzarella balls and meat sauce that I seldom notice. We love it.

This was a very nice surprise! The food was wonderful, full of flavor and it tastes and feels fresh and wholesome to the body. I had the Chicken Parmigane with Eggplant on Bruccieta Well done!

Food was really fantastical, tasty and magical
Service was the road left traveled, sad but true
I Highly recommend that here’s what you do
Order the Basil Casarecci — a twisted & rolled fat noodle with a spicy Italian sausage ragu, fresh spinach and a touch of cream $ 14
Double Dang this was sooooo tasty!
Fresh Black Linguini with sauteed prawns & scallops, tomatoes, lemon, basil, red pepper flakes and a white wine butter sauce $ 15
Fun Tip: Try to guess how the noodles are black? So crazy
BYOB — Bring your own Butter! We asked like 5 times before getting it without a knife.
Woulda been a fiver with better service… they were nice, just not on their game.
I don’t go to a place for the service, I go for the Food! Duh!
Go for the food! It really was incredible!

After spending the day on Mississippi Avenue, my girlfriend and I went home. However, the street came calling back to us. So we drove back here to get some dinner. Italian sounded nice so Lorenzo’s it was.
It took a while for a server to go to our table but once we did get one it was golden. We got a Roma tomato and buffalo mozzarella appetizer (was a special of the day) that was pretty good. There were baskets of bread, too, and the tables had oil and vinegar for them.
My entrée was the basil casarecci. I’d never seen these long braided noodles before and they were good in the spicy sausage ragu with spinach. It was just the right portion of food as any more would have been too much.
The tiramisu we got for dessert was just OK.
So, this is a good Italian spot. That’s all.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
I love the Mississippi area for all the funky charm, great little bars and good restaurants. We decided to try Lorezo’s since we had never been there before.
We walked in and were seated by our friendly server, ordered a glass of wine and my boyfriend ordered a beer. Nope, out of Laurelwood Red but they had Fishtale IPA. Unfortunately, half way through that pour the keg blew so the server came back with a pint two thirds full but offered it on the house. Sweet! But why the heck are they out of two of their only 4 taps on a Friday evening at 7:30? Not very good planning but it happens.
We ordered the following and here is my rating for the food items:
Lorenzo’s Caesar — Delicious salad but why call it a Caesar if it isn’t one? Other than anchovies and lemon, it was far removed from a typical Caesar. 4 stars for flavor but 1 star on the name. Call it what it is, not what people expect from an Italian restaurant.
Antipasti platter — Great platter and I would order it again. 5 stars
Black Linguini served with shrimp and scallops — Generous on the shrimp and scallops but seemed very tomatoee rather than tasting like it was served in a white wine butter sauce. 3 ½ stars
Penne Puttanesca — Exploding with flavor but a bit too tomato saucy for my liking. I tend to prefer puttanesca with more capers, anchovies and olives rather than tomato sauce but the tomato sauce is very good. 4 ½ stars.
We received our check and the beer (not full and comped) was still on it. Easy mistake and forgivable and she took it off without issue. It was when we pulled out our
gift certificate that the servers attitude went to pot. She had been friendly and smiley up until then but quickly became curt seemed she wanted us out of there asap. In my past life I had been a server for many years so I understand the fear that you may not get tipped on the full total, however, there is an automatic 18% gratuity added on to the bill so I don’t know what her concern was (we added tip to that).
All in all, the food is decent but we won’t be going back.

Small Italian joint with red and white checked table cloths, tasty rosemary ciabatta and a really nice arugala salad with shaved fennel and ricotta salata.
We both had specials: Gnocci with white truffle cream sauce and NY Steak with polenta, bacon and broccoli raab. Neither was pushing the boundries of creativity or originality, but both were very tasting.
2 completely clean plates!

My wife and I eat here about 2 – 3 time a month. Why?
Well I grew up in Europe and this is about as close as I have gotten to the European style dining experience that I miss sooooo much. When I say «dining» I mean sitting down for an hour or two, chatting, drinking and eating. Not just «eating» out cuz we don’t want to cook. It’s a social experience as opposed to fast food.
This place meets all what I look for in a solid local restaurant. It’s not very flashy (feels more like a deli and a lot less than a pretentious over-​priced restaurant) and has this great coziness that can only be described as «gezellig» (google it).
And then the food. AMAZING! I once had the fortune of meeting some very friendly locals on the beach in Rome. They cooked up what they described as a very typical spaghetti dish on an open fire in a big pot on the beach. Onions, tomatoes, garlic and some herbs was about all that went in there but OMG, it was amazing. Super simple and tasty. Nothing like the overloaded, greasy, brick in the stomach, Italian that is often served up at American Italian restaurants. Lorenzo’s is very much identical to what I experienced of Italian food in Italy.
My favorite dish: the spaghetti! Oh and the bread always rocks. Oh, and they also serve my fav beer: Fishtail Organic IPA. Oh, and the staff are AWESOME!

The rotating Raviolo are consistently OUTSTANDING! Gnocchi, wonderfully light. If you can get the gnocchi w/​peas & bacon, go for it. Yum!

This is a nice restaurant to go for a romantic evening. It has an intimate ambiance and a reasonably sized menu.
We had the Smokey Fondutu appetizer (4-​cheese blend, potatoes, and Pancetta) that was amazing! Most entrees were 10 – 15 and the staff was friendly & knowledgeable.
We had the layered chicken-​eggplant-​parmesean which was tasty, and the Pizzaiola Steak was simple and well balanced, though some might find it lacking a bit of flavor.
Next time we’ll try the highly-​acclaimed gnocchi!