Grassa (restaurant)

Grassa is a restaurant with three locations in Portland, Oregon, United States.

Grassa
The restaurant's exterior in 2020
Restaurant information
Established2013 (2013)
Owner(s)Rick Gencarelli
Food typeItalian[1][2]
Street address
  • 1205 SW Washington Street
  • 1506 NW 23rd Avenue
  • 1375 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
CityPortland
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°31′19.6″N 122°41′01.3″W
Websitegrassapdx.com

Description and history

Grassa was established by chef Rick Gencarelli. Eater Portland's Brooke Jackson-Glidden has described Grassa as "a casual, kid-friendly pasta shop with turntables playing old records and bowls of noodles named for [Gencarelli's] kids".[3] The original Grassa (sometimes called "West End Grassa") opened in Southwest Portland's West End neighborhood in 2013.[4][5][6] The second location, nicknamed "Grassa Vol. 2", opened in Northwest Portland in 2016.[7][8] Grassa's third location opened near the intersection of Southeast Hawthorne and 15th Avenue around December 31, 2019.[3][9][10] Gencarelli also plans to open Grassa restaurants in Lake Oswego, Oregon,[11] and Vancouver, Washington.[3] There were plans to open a Grassa shop in Japan.[12][13]

Reception
Exterior in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic

Chris Onstad of the Portland Mercury wrote, "The offerings at Grassa are robust, and often intense. This isn't a feather on a fulcrum, it's a barbell, and it's remarkably balanced. For that, as well as for price and quality, it's highly recommended for a casual meal."[14] In her review for the Portland Tribune, Anne Marie DiStefano said, "Grassa is a good ambassador, a place where someone with average pasta expectations can be pleasantly surprised by the high quality of everyday, affordable food in Portland."[15]

In his 2016 review of the Washington Street location, Willamette Week's Matthew Korfhage wrote, "Like an old punk rocker who now works in marketing, craft-pasta spot Grassa has aged surprisingly gracefully. The restaurant's rough edges—unpredictable tunes at unpredictable volume, dining-room staff with occasional kitchen manners—have become idiosyncratic elements in a machine that's now quite well-oiled."[16] Eater Portland contributors have included Grassa in lists of "15 Primo Italian Restaurants in Portland" (2018)[17] and "16 Quintessential Restaurants and Bars in Slabtown" (2019).[18]

See also

References
  1. "Grassa: A Portland, OR Bar". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2019-05-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  2. "Where to go when you're in the mood for Italian food: Gerry Frank's picks". The Oregonian. January 29, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  3. "Casual Pasta Spot Grassa Will Open in Southeast Any Day Now, and Vancouver Is Next". Eater Portland. Vox Media. 2019-12-27. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  4. "Lardo Sister-Restaurant Grassa Is Coming to NW 23rd". Eater Portland. 2016-01-19. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  5. "Grassa opening soon in downtown Portland with fresh pasta from Lardo chef Rick Gencarelli". The Oregonian. January 10, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  6. "Cheap Eats: Grassa". The Oregonian. January 10, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  7. "Double-Sized Grassa Opens on NW 23rd, Interior and Menus Revealed". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  8. "Grassa opening second pasta restaurant in Northwest Portland". The Oregonian. January 9, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  9. Russell, Michael (2019-02-26). "Grassa will bring its handmade pasta to Portland's East Side". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  10. Russell, Michael (2020-01-08). "One of Portland's best ramen shops heads for the 'burbs, plus all the other big restaurant news for January 2020". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  11. "St. Jack and Five Other Portland Restaurants Will Open in Lake Oswego". Eater Portland. 2019-04-25. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  12. "Grassa Is Opening a Pasta Shop in Japan". Eater Portland. 2016-07-26. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  13. Bakall, Samantha (2017-01-11). "Portland's Grassa heads to Japan with its fast-casual pasta concept". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  14. "Grassa - Portland, Oregon". Portland Mercury. 2019-03-21. Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  15. "Grassa gets pasta's flavorful texture, details just right". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media. 2013-08-29. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  16. "Grassa". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  17. "15 Primo Italian Restaurants in Portland". Eater Portland. 2018-07-18. Archived from the original on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  18. "16 Quintessential Restaurants and Bars in Slabtown". Eater Portland. 2019-11-21. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
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