mermaidcamp
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To answer the question “How far can one elevate a cocktail experience?”, we turned to the Bellpine Bar high atop downtown Portland, Oregon. On the 20th floor of the Ritz-Carlton the bar delivers views, innovative drinks and snacks with the service that makes the Ritz so ritzy.
My husband had two delicious mocktails and I had a Pear With Me cocktail. Flavorful, garnished with a dried pear slice covered in sugar. I decided to eat the candied pear as a first course rather than sweeten my drink. It was crisp like candy apple. I sipped the complex mixture as we enjoyed the snack selection. Intense flavors paired well and peared well… A delicious treat with a stunning view.


The little log cabin built of French fried potatoes came with a delicate gravy lightly seasoned with truffles. The wontons contained spinach and peppers. The entire delightful evening was delivered with grace by our attentive server, Katrina.

10/10 highly recommended! Just don’t go there to save money.
Vero Amore Pizza has opened a new and very snazzy location near my home, so we tried it yesterday. Everything about it was outstanding. The new space is super open and contemporary, with a view of the kitchen and wood fired oven at work. The staff is friendly and very prompt with service. We had beer and a cocktail, both unusual and delicious. Bob loves prosciutto, so he enjoyed a personal pizza without sauce. In our minds pizza is all about the crust, and at Vero Amore the authentic Neopolitan style pizza is light and crisp. I ordered manicotti which was rich and well balanced. The sauce was garlic enhanced just perfectly. My Oso Nero cocktail with honey bourbon and blackberries was fresh and complimented my seriously cheesy good manicotti. I am glad I had not ordered anything else because I just a rely was able to finish my dinner, with a little help from Bob. Next time we want to go for happy hour so we can sample smaller plates which all look very good.
We gave our server Matt a challenge by asking him to prepare a take home pizza checca to be ready when we finished our meals. He did it perfectly, presenting the bill right when we finished with exactly enough time to settle it and walk out with our fresh from the oven pizza to share with a neighbor who stayed home. We give Matt A plus in service. In fact, from the manager to the bartender to the kitchen staff everyone is genuinely pleased to serve the guests and it shows. We will return to explore the extensive menu and outdoor party patio. This is a wonderful addition to the dining options in our neighborhood.
For catering the company owns a mobile fire truck with a wood fired oven that they bring to a party. The pricing on this fabulous service is reasonable, and I am sure any event would be popular with authentic pizza cooked on site rather than boxed and delivered.