Pasta at Rick Gencarelli’s Grassa

Grassa offers another option in the now super delicious West End area of Southwest 12th and Washington, right next to Lardo (both by Rick Gencarelli, and who I’ve been visiting monthly for their chefwich collaboration for charity) and Racion, and also just across the street from Ruby Jewel and Cheryl’s on 12th, also a block from Jake’s Famous CrawfishTasty n Alder and Gruner and if you just walk a block more, Petunia’s Pies & Pastries and Saint Cupcake Galore. You can go to Ringler’s Annex for a whiskey, rum, or bourbon flight besides the usual McMenamins beers, but I’m keeping my eye out also on the in progress Multnomah Whiskey Library. This 3 block radius is kicking!

When I heard Rick was opening up a place devoted to pasta, it was at the top of my must try list, and I was happy I was finally able to go this past weekend. As soon as you walk in the glass door etched with their signature eagle, you are at an ordering counter.

A chalkboard that extends up to the high modern workshop loft ceilings with the menu. We decided to go with food only this time, since I had dragged F over here (well, I did give him 3 multiple choice options I had filtered down, so he did get to pick at the end) after an Oakshire Barrel Aged Beer seminar at the Upper Lip (you can read great coverage of that event from a post by fellow blogger Kris at Beer Musings from Portland).

Rick Gencarelli's Grassa menu, Portland PDX Rick Gencarelli's Grassa menu, Portland PDX

After ordering, you are given a number and seat yourself in the airy space that makes it seem like you are sitting in an extension of their kitchen prep area, or in a cooking class, a combination of industrial modernity and functionality. Look at those extension cords from the ceiling over those prime seats looking into the kitchen and right in front of the pasta machines!

I don’t know how I could resist the temptation of not picking a bite out of those trays of pasta to the right either. Recipes were jotted on a chalkboard – I will try to ignore the amount of butter in the garlic bread I am about to eat.

Rick Gencarelli's Grassa interior Rick Gencarelli's Grassa interior Rick Gencarelli's Grassa interior Recipes jotted on a board- I will try to ignore the amount of butter in the garlic bread I am about to eat- at Rick Gencarelli's Grassa interior

I started out with the garlic bread.

Grassa, garlic bread, from Rick Gencarelli

I went with the pasta dish of Radiatore with tomato braised chicken, crisp skin, ricotta, basil. I loved the play on textures with the shapes of the radiatore and savory braised chicken and saved my last bite to be one of those bits of crisp skin.

Radiatore with tomato braised chicken, crisp skin, ricotta, basil, from Grassa by Rick Gencarelli Radiatore with tomato braised chicken, crisp skin, ricotta, basil, from Grassa by Rick Gencarelli

Vegetarian F had the Bucatini wtih hazelnut pesto, zucchini, mozzarella crema and I was jealous. I love pesto. The pasta was toothy and the hazelnuts gave it some crunch while the mozzarella was the embrace of liquid love on top.
Bucatini wtih hazelnut pesto, zucchini, mozzarella crema, from Grassa by Rick Gencarelli Bucatini wtih hazelnut pesto, zucchini, mozzarella crema, from Grassa by Rick Gencarelli

And yes, in case you were wondering, Grassa translated means “fat” in Italian, so he’s still celebrating it, and I’m right there with him!

Bucatini wtih hazelnut pesto, zucchini, mozzarella crema and Radiatore with tomato braised chicken, crisp skin, ricotta, basil, from Grassa by Rick Gencarelli

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Comments

  1. Oh yum….those dishes look so delicious, I may have to fall off the gluten-free train to try them!

    • I wonder if they would ever consider making a gluten free pasta- I like the Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta, so I know not just GF-peeps would be interested!

  2. That bucatini looks mouth-watering. I will have to give this place a try!

  3. Yummy!! Looks soo good, and the environment looks really nice and bright – I love that.

    • I liked the simple lines as I can imagine that it is easy to keep so clean, and having one wall just be all window made for great lighting! Sorry I missed chatting with you at the picnic, though your hair makes you easy to recognize- hopefully we have another opportunity at the next meeting!

  4. Thanks for the link to my Oakshire write up and OMG that pasta looks amazing!!! I will have to get there soon.

  5. “while the mozzarella was the embrace of liquid love on top.” — LOVE IT. That bucatini looks amazing. So does the garlic bread. I can’t pass up a good garlic bread. This is still on my list of places to visit — looks fun!

  6. Crisp skin? YUM.. What a cute place too… I need to add this place to my must eat at list.

  7. Thank you for providing this information! To save time, I like to get fried rice from restaurants. It would make preparing a nutritious breakfast so much easier) that I need to make this soon! I enjoy repurposing leftovers. One of my favorite things is to take the remaining pastry crust from a savory tart and make a mini supper side with it the next night. Because I don’t buy puff pastry dough, it’s like convenience food!
    Could You do a review on that?

Trackbacks

  1. […] The meatballs at Grassa are incredible. I would recommend ordering this as your side instead of the garlic bread that I ordered on my last recap post of a Grassa Visit. […]

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