Portobello Vegan Trattoria
Portobello Vegan Trattoria was an Italian restaurant specializing in plant-based cuisine in Portland, Oregon's Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood, in the United States.
| Portobello Vegan Trattoria | |
|---|---|
Portobello Vegan Trattoria was housed in the Banana Building (pictured in 2021), in the space later occupied by Aviv | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | December 2008 |
| Closed | December 31, 2016 |
| Food type | Italian |
| Street address | 1125 Southeast Division St. |
| City | Portland |
| State | Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°30′18.8″N 122°39′14.9″W / 45.505222°N 122.654139°W |
Description edit
Portobello Vegan Trattoria was an Italian restaurant in southeast Portland's Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood, housed in the Banana Building on Division Street.[1] The menu included beet tartare, a beet burger, gnocchi, and ravioli.[2] According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Portobello also served lobster mushroom potato cakes, tiramisu, and coconut ice cream.[3][4] The restaurant offered a four-course tasting menu.[2]
History edit
The restaurant was co-founded by Dinae Horne and Aaron Adams in December 2008 or January 2009.[5][6][7] In 2010, chef Adams represented Portobello in the first Vegan Iron Chef, presented by Try Vegan PDX.[8]
Adams sold his part of the company in 2014.[9]
Portobello closed on December 31, 2016, after hosting a New Year's Eve party.[10][11][12] The restaurant was replaced by Heart Bar and later Aviv.[1][10][13][14] In 2017, Portland Monthly said Portobello had "served as Portland's only all-vegan pizza spot for several years".[15]
Reception edit
In 2009, Patrick Alan Coleman of the Portland Mercury wrote, "Portobello is already making a mark in Portland and is set to be a favorite of vegans and omnivores alike. Sharing a space with Cellar Door Coffee, it's cozy while remaining refined and open relatively late. Swooning is permitted, as are passionate displays of ingestion."[16]
In 2012, Grant Butler included the beet tartare in The Oregonian's list of Portland's 10 best vegan dishes and wrote, "Chef Aaron Adams is one of Portland's most creative vegan chefs, and his Southeast Division trattoria is one of the city's best Italian kitchens, producing dishes that strike the right balance between inventiveness and comfort. Adams insists on using the best ingredients, sourced for both their ethical and organic qualities, and he's fascinated with modernist cooking techniques."[17]
In his 2013 review of Portobello, Butler said, "This Italian American restaurant strikes the right balance between approachable vegan fare such as pizza and homemade veggie burgers and inventive culinary whimsy from ... Adams, who currently is experimenting with how principles of molecular gastronomy can play out in plant-based fare. It's a daring approach that pays off, giving diners the choice between comfort and shazam." He said the four-course tasing menu "is one of the best deals around" and wrote, "Still not impressed by faux cheese? Portobello's plate of artisan nut- and tofu-cheeses could make you a believer."[2]
Following the restaurant's closure, Eater Portland's Mattie John Bamman called Portobello a "pioneer in Portland's vegan cooking".[18]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Tusk Is a Generational Restaurant. Aviv Made Me Realize That". Willamette Week. from the original on 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ a b c Butler, Grant (2013-06-13). "Portobello Vegan Trattoria -- Diner 2013 review". The Oregonian. from the original on 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Kretzer, Michelle (2016-04-18). "Paul McCartney Names Portland Most Vegan-Friendly City". PETA. from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "These Are the Top 10 Vegan Friendly Cities of 2016". PETA. 2016-04-18. from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Berry, Kate. "Anarchy in the USA: Punk-Rock Spirit in Portland, Oregon". Suitcase Magazine. from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Anderson, Jennifer. "Farm Spirit takes local to extreme". Portland Tribune. from the original on 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "Make Mine Meatless". Willamette Week. from the original on 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Butler, Grant (2010-06-07). "Top Portland chefs square off in first-ever Vegan Iron Chef competition". The Oregonian. from the original on 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ DeJesus, Erin (24 July 2014). "Chef Aaron Adams Departing Portobello Vegan Trattoria". Eater Portland. from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ a b Bamman, Mattie John (19 December 2016). "Portobello Vegan Trattoria to Shutter After 8 Years". Eater Portland. from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ Butler, Grant (17 January 2017). "84 more closed Portland restaurants we're missing". The Oregonian. from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Portobello Vegan Trattoria to Shutter at End of 2016". Portland Monthly. from the original on 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2017-02-10). "The Sudra's Veggie Burger Bar Fires Up the Grills". Eater Portland. from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2017-07-06). "Here Are All 73 of Portland's Noteworthy Restaurant Closures in 2017". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "Portland's New Plant-Based Pizzeria Announces Opening Date". Portland Monthly. from the original on 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Coleman, Patrick Alan. "Food News". Portland Mercury. from the original on 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Butler, Grant (2012-10-26). "Portland's top 10 vegan dishes: The complete list". The Oregonian. from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2016-10-05). "Here Are the 74 Restaurants That Closed in Portland in 2016". Eater Portland. from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2023-04-20.