2011 Restaurant Guide: Comfy & Classy
The Willamette Week’s Restaurant Guide for 2011 is just out and Lauro Kitche is again making headlines.
“With the feel of a cozy neighborhood joint, plus chef-owner David Machado’s downtown pedigree, Lauro pulls off the tricky feat of being both homey and fancy. Solo regulars sit at the long counter watching the kitchen magic happen; meanwhile, couples in jeans and T-shirts occupy the room’s copper-topped tables alongside families. Even when it’s packed, the place never feels too crowded, which is good, because you’ll need a bit of elbow room to dig into these meals. A reliable favorite is the immense New York steak, served on a bed of kale with roasted potatoes and topped with a béarnaise sauce that might damn well make you weep. You could punch somebody out with the ossobuco. The seafood paella and the stuffed chicken are also very good. And no matter how full you feel, do not neglect the dessert menu: A recent crème brûlée special looked too pretty to eat, but that quality did not save the limoncello ice-cream sundae from being devoured. Hey, looks aren’t everything”
- BECKY OHLSEN
Ideal meal: Roasted asparagus, grilled New York steak, ice-cream sundae.
Best deal: Happy hour 5-6 pm Monday-Friday offers $3-$7 food and $4-$6 drinks.
5-9 pm Sunday-Monday and Wednesday-Thursday, 5-10 pm Friday-Saturday. $$