Accanto's Italian food — Photo courtesy of Meagan Shamy
Accanto, a spectacular Italian restaurant on Belmont Street in southeast Portland, has recently undergone a transformation. After closing for a week at the beginning of the year, they are now reopened with a larger, perkier space.
Most notable is the back of the restaurant, where they've added more seating by opening up the space and adding a booth and tables. This extra seating will help them with the growing demand people have to dine here, especially on the days that their outdoor seating is closed.
This unassuming dining spot serves up some of the finest Italian food in Portland from their open kitchen. The menu changes seasonally because they utilize fresh, in-season ingredients in everything they prepare. Some of their ingredients are made in house, like the spinach pasta, fresh mozzarella, salumi and grissini.
At Accanto, they serve Italian favorites like risotto, capellini, lasagna, lamb bolognese and potato gnocchi. During lunch, they offer eggplant and meatball hero sandwiches made with bread from Ken's Artisan Bakery, a local favorite.
Accanto’s menu features a sliding scale, making it affordable for anyone's budget. If you are on a tight budget, then you can enjoy one of their small plates like the soup of the day for $8. Get an appetizer for $5 each or try three for $13.
Accanto features rotating local microbrews on tap and an extensive cocktail menu. Try one of their signature cocktails like the And Sherry Alike, a mixture of Fundador Brandy, Don PX 1985 Sherry, Reagan’s Orange Bitters and Hawaiian sea salt solution. They also have an extensive wine list with wines from the Pacific Northwest and Europe.
Accanto's superb panna cotta — Photo courtesy of Meagan Shamy
When dining at Accanto, be sure to save room for one of their amazing desserts like tiramisu or pot do crème. If you are lucky, you will dine on a day they are serving their panna cotta, the best in Portland.
For a special treat, visit Accanto for brunch, when they offer a completely different food and cocktail menu. During brunch, you can sample fried oysters, ricotta doughnuts, braised greens, a crab cake omelet and many more. The creamy polenta with garlicky braised greens, poached eggs and chili is quite popular.
Accanto is open for lunch and dinner and for brunch on the weekends. Wednesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., they host a cocktail hour with discounted food and drinks.
Take note that Accanto is located next door to Genoa, which happens to be their sister restaurant.
