Located on the corner of SW Taylor in Portland, Pastini Pastaria offers a cozy space and tasty food to escape from the rain outside. Warm jazz music and the friendly host’s smile made it very welcoming.

The decor was modern and polished with Christmas decorations throughout. The restaurant had a nice flow and was partly opened to the kitchen so you could see the cooks. The waitresses were really nice and did their best to adapt to our party’s needs. As more people came the restaurant never became too loud. There were all kinds of people there, families, couples and friends.

I ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo which on the menu they mentioned to be comfort food. We ordered bread as an appetizer but it was not complementary. Although the bread took almost as long as the food, it was delicious, doused in butter and toasted with just the right amount of garlic. The Fettuccine Alfredo cost $9.25 which was a little much for the relatively small amount I was served. They had many vegetarian pasta, sandwich, and salad options. The pasta smelled rich of cheese. It had a high gloss from the sauce and many seasonings.

I noticed that a family near us was served its food first, even though we arrived  before them. After at least a 30 minute wait, we received our food. It wasn’t a huge amount, but it was enough to keep you plenty full. The fettuccine came with plain bread. The pasta was very creamy and had a perfect amount of parmesan cheese. It was not soggy like some other pastas I’ve had before, but it could have had more garnishes like garlic or simple salt.

I give Pastini Pastaria a 7 out of 10 because the food was pretty tasty but we had to wait quite a while. The restaurant itself was almost more enticing than the food. Overall it was a cozy escape and a great place for a lunch date.