Pastini

2027 SE Division St, Portland, 97202
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*

I know that other PDX publications prefer Italian restaurants like Genoa, but the problem I have with their picks is that they're all so damned expensive.

Pastini, on the other hand, is quite reasonable. You can find entrees for as little as eight bucks. Granted, they come a la carte, but they're frickin' delicious.

The Pastini on SE Division would be my second home if I could afford to eat out as much as I want to (i.e. every meal). The lighting is soft and romantic, the woods are dark, the merlot by the glass very satisfying. They have raised booths in addition to tables--have I mentioned that I love booths?--and I usually get there early enough to be seated in one of them.

As for the food itself...mmm, drool, drool. Although everything I've eaten at Pastini is very good, my favorite by far is their fettuccine alfredo, with or without chicken. Since this is my all-time favorite dish of all the dishes in the world, I can be a little hard to please when it comes to fettuccine alfredo, but Pastini certainly does not disappoint. It's rich, calorie-laden and absolutely delicious.

What's not so great about this location is the teeny tiny parking lot it shares with a Starbucks and a day spa. That said, there is plenty of street parking nearby, and the #10 bus (Harold) stops RIGHT THERE.

As for the rest: yes, the wait staff is pleasant (and some very cute); no, the music's not too loud; the pasta is cooked just right; blah, blah. It does all add to the overall impression, but the point is this: bomb, calorie-laden Italian food at an affordable price! Lemme at it!