Genoa Restaurant

Classy and decorative
Jan 6th, 2015

I believe it was Sinead O’Conner who first sang: “I could eat my dinner in a fancy Resta-raw-awnt. And with the $29 three course Portland Dining Month Deal so could we, which brought us to Genoa Restaurant located at 2832 SE Belmont in Portland. As you walk in to Genoa you immediately feel the vibe of the swanky, mobster ambiance. You truly believe that Al Capone or Baby Face Nelson could possibly be sitting at the table next to you, minus the machine guns (hopefully). By the time we were “glided” gently to our table, I noticed the diners were divided in to two categories; those with the $29 Happy Meal Deal and those who had “been there, done this”. As I said earlier, we were the former. The voucher/coupon crowd was easy to spot, looking around, waiting for a hand to clasp our shoulder and a quiet, yet firm voice to whisper, “please accompany me to the door without making a scene, you do not belong here”. The other group, relaxed and tanned, men wearing blazers and women with more jewelry than King Tut’s tomb, laughing loudly about their vast experiences at the Villa. As our waiter arrived, we were told about each course of the meal. I think it went something like this… Patronized Porcupine Loin wrapped in pancetta with obscure feta, served with an ambiguous leek and enthusiastically opaque pear au jus, but maybe I just heard wrong. As our courses begin to arrive, we immediately noticed that some took up more room on the menu with their description than they did on the plate. It was at this point that I began to think about what drive-thru we would hit on the way home. However, I must admit that all of the dishes were uniformly flavorful. The Amuse Bouche was a white cauliflower soup served cold in little shot glasses, with A LOT of Sea Salt in it. The first course was rare, sous vide beef served cold with some green leaves and dollops of white sauce. Very tasty. The second course was even better, smoked capellini pasta topped with cod and clams. Quite savory (I needed to get that word in somewhere). The third course of our whirlwind eat-a-thon (just kidding) was a seared Magret Duck. I have to say the Duck was very moist and delectable. For dessert was a velvety chocolate thing, residing somewhere between mousse and jello, that was quite heavenly. All in all, I have to say our dining experience at Genoa was an enjoyable evening. After all the courses, I was full and didn’t need to stop by McDonalds on the way home. So my recommendation of Genoa to other diners would be to “jus” do it!
Mar 26th, 2014

Try the appetizer here. Good :)
Sep 1st, 2012

Jan 15th, 2007

This is an Italian restaurant with standard, 5 course menus (including one for vegetarians) that rivals the best restaurants in the country. We had the traditional 5 course (with the foie gras supplement) and the reserve wine pairings - essentially, the most expensive and indulgent option available. And it was worth every penny. The pairings are masterful, the sommelier intelligent, thoughtful, and precise, and the food is fantastic. Some highlights - the foie gras came with a Oloroso Sherry that was mind boggling - wonderful muted orange peel, savory, spicy - a perfect complement. With the pork cheek agnolotti in sea urchin butter, we had a daring 'orange' wine. This is a wine with white grapes where the skins are left in contact, like reds. Amazing. Enjoy.
Apr 15th, 2012