La Terraza

933 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, 97204
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*

Whenever I work downtown and have the extra cash, I grab my lunch here at La Terraza.

For lunch, it's definitely on the expensive side at $9-11 a plate. BUT, since I'm a total Italian food fanatic, and since theirs is quick and delicious and comes in generous portions, I make the exception.

The fairly extensive lunch menu includes antipasti, salads, sandwiches, pastas and desserts. The dinner menu is about the same, but ditches the sandwiches and adds an entrees section. I like that soup or salad and bread is included with entree at dinner.

Entrees cost $13-20 a plate, but the pastas are much more reasonably priced at $9-12 a plate. Most are right around the $10 mark. Also interesting is the "Family Style Menu" which allows you to get pasta, bread and salad for 4-6 people at a flat rate. (I suppose the only difficulty with that would be getting everyone to agree on a pasta.)

While their fetuccine alfredo is pretty good, it's the fetuccine pesto e pollo that's to die for. My mouth waters just thinking about it! They also have a very decent Caesar salad.

Adding to the atmosphere are a preponderance of booths (hooray!) and some lovely wait staff. "Lovely" meaning both pleasant to talk to and pleasant to look at. (Yes, I am shallow.)

Overall: this place is a favorite of mine for the consistently great food served up quickly, and for dinner prices that are right on the mark.