Aug 26 2008
Something Within Walking Distance: Café at Pat’s
My mother came up this past weekend, and we decided we should try to find something within walking distance for dinner since it was such a lovely evening on Friday. After weighing our somewhat slim options (we’re on Forest Ave. near Walton) we realized we’d still not checked out the Café at Pat’s, the now 7-day-a-week eatery perched atop the splendid Pat’s Meat Market on Stevens Ave. A quick call to 874-0706 garnered us a 6:30 reservation for three. After arriving I was not sure the reservations were entirely necessary. It was only about half full.
The atmosphere upstairs is great. There is a small bar in the back corner and something of a colonial feel to the dining area. Roughly 15 tables dot the room, and I believe there was some outdoor dining as well. We were seated promptly and looked over the lengthy wine list and somewhat disappointing beer list. The ladies decided on a riesling and I went for the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. A round of salads, a dish of lobster ravioli to share, two beef tenderloin specials, and the chicken saltimbocca were ordered when the waiter got back with our drinks. Unfortunately (and somewhat shockingly for 6:45 on a Friday), there was only one beef tenderloin left, so I opted for the flank steak instead.
The lobster ravioli arrived first and was passed around. The lobster was slightly too salty, and the ravoili were drowning in a vodka sauce. It was good but the chef could stand a lighter touch with the sauce ladle. The salads arrived some 10-15 minutes after the ravioli plate was cleared. All three were good, though my mother was critical of the amount of sea salt sprinkled over the caprese. Thus far Pat’s was about a B or B+. The food was good but had some room for improvement. The coursing was also a little too relaxed. It’s never a good sign when one of the couple dining next to you gets up to ask where dinner is.
We found the same problem. The salads were cleared and we waited. And then waited a little longer. When the entrees finally did arrive, they were quite good. My flank steak was much better than I’d hoped (though it tended more toward medium than medium rare). The tenderloin with red wine reduction was shared around the table and received nothing but good reviews. The saltimbocca was very tasty and not as heavy or greasy as some I’ve tried. Amber enjoyed it a great deal.
It was nearly 8:45 by the time our entrees were finished and cleared, and we opted to pass on dessert. At just under $150 (tax and tip included) for the three of us, including separate salads, a shared app, three entrees and four drinks total, Pat’s was moderately pricey, but not nearly as expensive as some other meals we’ve had in town. Our chief complaint was the pace of the meal. The food was worth coming back for; I hope that the service was just having an off night. Amber and I will certainly be taking a walk down that way again for dinner at some point, but we’re not in any hurry.
Jason,
We went to Pat’s once and found it only average for Portland - nothing that special. A bit further away on Woodford’s near the intersection with Brighton is Rachel’s Osteria, one of the best Italian restaurants in Portland and our favorite off the peninsula. Have you been there? It’s no more expensive than Pat’s.
Hope all is well. I hope that your mother enjoyed Portland. Both my mother and Dana’s mother could not believe how much better they felt in Portland attributing it to the clean, invigorating air. Steve
[...] past weekend saw us try not one restaurant for the first time, but two. Amber left for New York to visit with her mother, leaving my mom and I [...]