Skip to main contentFor a city that has one of the highest per-capita incomes in America, Lake Oswego has never been a particularly interesting restaurant town. It's not clear why, except, perhaps, that the locals are used to eating where most of them work--in Portland. So when a fairly decent place opens on native grounds, the locals flock to it as if it were an SUV giveaway center.
Such is the case with Tucci, a new Italian restaurant that would scarcely merit a "bella," let alone a "bellissimo," if it lived in downtown Portland. But Lake Oswegans can't get enough of the place.
A neon sign in the interior flashes the words "Lido Bar." This artifact was retrieved from the ashes of the long-gone Lido restaurant that burned to the ground; the Lido was one of Portland's oldest red-sauce palazzi. However, this new restaurant seems more Italian in name than in spirit, unlike the Lido. While nothing is particularly bad--in fact several of the dishes are quite good--the feel is one of generalized cooking rather than of a specific national or regional cuisine.
Tucci's single room is large, with commodious seating at comfortable stuffed chairs. The ochre-tinted walls are a nod to rustic architecture, hardly Lake Oswego's signature, and the open kitchen has a pleasant coppery glow. Tables are close-packed, not a bad thing if you like a constant buzz.
The portions are more than ample, so you might consider splitting some dishes. For example, an appetizer of pizza ($11) that's loaded with sausage is enough for a respectable light dinner when paired with a salad. The best starter is an order of white anchovies on a bed of arugula and tomatoes ($8), though one would have preferred fresh rather than cured fish, and the salt has been washed from the anchovies, as if a strong, pungent peasant dish might have offended delicate American sensibilities. Another decent offering is bruschetta heaped with wild mushrooms, a bit of Gorgonzola on top lending a salty taste ($8). The restaurant wisely uses Pearl Bakery's bread. But a plate of five cheeses ($11) arrived ice cold--complementing our wine, which arrived almost hot--suggesting the cheeses had just come from the fridge. Another appetizer was a disappointment: The carpaccio ($10) lacked much flavor, so that the lemon and capers showered on the paper-thin slices overwhelmed the beef, unable to hold its own.
It's nice to see a restaurant offer half portions of pasta; this way you can order pasta as a first course, though it might be a good thing to serve simpler versions for the first courses. One of the three pasta dishes (half sizes $8-$9) consists of pappardelle crammed with braised rabbit, pancetta and porcini, a bit too filling to start the meal. The ravioli makes for a lighter dish, but unfortunately the crab-and-artichoke-heart filling was so puréed and blended you could barely discern the separate tastes. And the risotto of smoked duck and barely detectable hazelnuts was heavy from excessive liquidity.
There's a curious tendency at Tucci to blend ingredients to the point of making them disappear: The pork chop ($18) is advertised as accompanied by "crispy sweet potatoes," but they are virtually minced into the sauce. That pork chop is, however, tasty, plump and cooked to retain its juices, though the salt could be tempered a bit--a common excess at the restaurant. Another dish worth trying is the pan-seared scallops ($21), but the announced "sambuca butter" was in absentia, a pity because I was looking forward to scallops pungent with anise. I had to content myself with potatoes whipped with pesto, an interesting invention but a bit odd with the bivalves. Another dish from the sea, roasted halibut ($19), was overcooked and dried out, a sorrow unrelieved by a few tiny clams scattered to one side.
Redemption, however, comes with the desserts. The warm cherry-and-apricot crostata ($6.50) is sublime, jammed with puckeringly tart fruit, and while the accompanying semifreddo is good enough, you almost don't need it. Housemade gelati ($6.95) are very nice, addicted as the restaurant is to hyphens--thus plum-Armagnac, pistachio-cherry and honey-chocolate chip flavors (purity be damned), the scoops served in charming little cups. And for those who like something unusual, there's a warm chocolate polenta cake ($6.95), dense and with a grainy texture, so you really do see how cornmeal forms the ground of this pastry; it's authentic and fine.
Despite the well-heeled neighborhood, Tucci draws an informal and enthusiastic crowd. There is some promise here, and a few reasonably worthwhile dishes. But not enough is first-rate, especially given the high-end prices. The best Italian restaurants in the area are those that keep to a focused menu that has a clear theme and a coherent point of view. Tucci is not there yet.
220 A Ave., Lake Oswego, 697- 3383.
11 am-3 pm Monday, 11 am-10 pm Tuesday-Thursday, 11 am-11 pm Friday, 5-11 pm Saturday, 5-9 pm Sunday. Credit cards accepted. Children welcome. $$$ Expensive.
White anchovies and arugula, pork chop, cherry- and- apricot crostata
Superb bar, including nice choice of cognac and grappa; half- orders of pasta available
WWeek 2015