basta!

ok, i have to admit that as long as i've lived in portland, i had never eaten at the restaurant bastas until last week.

yes, i know, it's been here since 1992 and is still around so clearly it's doing something right. perhaps it's the fact that the exterior looks somewhat like a defunct IHOP that i had not ventured in until last week. not that i have anything against IHOP, it serves it's purpose, it's just a trattoria in the shape of an IHOP is a little bizarre.

a friend suggested we go there for dinner because we were over in nw very close by. i hemmed and hawed a little but then she said that they have happy hour all night every night. well that always get my attention so we decided we would have dinner there. and it was good and it was cheap.

and once you are inside, it's not so much like an IHOP!


yes, i said it, happy hour all evening long.


our spread including italian wine, mussels, caesar salad, spaghetti and meatballs and risotto. i was really excited to try the quail on the menu but they were out of it that night. however, everything we did have was very good.


and on the way out, i had to get a shot of one of the nicest fish aquariums i have seen in a long time.

bastas is still located at 410 nw 21st 503.274.1572