Grassa (restaurant)

Grassa is a restaurant with multiple locations in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, in the United States. The original restaurant opened in Southwest Portland in 2013; subsequent locations have opened in Northwest Portland's Northwest District, in Southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood, and in Vancouver, Washington.

Grassa
The Southwest Portland restaurant's exterior in 2020
Restaurant information
Established2013 (2013)
Owner(s)Rick Gencarelli
Food typeItalian[1][2]
Street address
  • 1205 Southwest Washington Street
  • 1506 Northwest 23rd Avenue
  • 1375 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard
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]

A second location, nicknamed "Grassa Vol. 2", opened in Northwest Portland's Northwest District in 2016.[7][8] Grassa's third location opened near the intersection of Hawthorne and 15th Avenue in Southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood around December 31, 2019.[3][9][10]

Another location opened along Vancouver Waterfront Park, in Vancouver, Washington.[11]

The business has confirmed plans to operate at the Portland International Airport.[12] Gencarelli has also planned to open Grassa restaurants in Lake Oswego, Oregon,[13] as well as Japan.[14][15]

Reception
Exterior of the Southwest Portland restaurant 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."[16] 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."[17]

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."[18] Eater Portland contributors have included Grassa in lists of "15 Primo Italian Restaurants in Portland" (2018)[19] and "16 Quintessential Restaurants and Bars in Slabtown" (2019).[20]

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. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-12-27). "Casual Pasta Spot Grassa Will Open in Southeast Any Day Now, and Vancouver Is Next". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  4. Bamman, Mattie John (2016-01-19). "Lardo Sister-Restaurant Grassa Is Coming to NW 23rd". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  5. Russell, Michael (January 10, 2019). "Grassa opening soon in downtown Portland with fresh pasta from Lardo chef Rick Gencarelli". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  6. Waterhouse, Ben (January 10, 2019). "Cheap Eats: Grassa". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  7. Bamman, Mattie John (2016-04-08). "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. Russell, Michael (January 9, 2019). "Grassa opening second pasta restaurant in Northwest Portland". The Oregonian. 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. Pinsky, Rachel (2019-06-24). "21 Food-and-Drink Destinations in Vancouver, Washington". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  12. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2023-04-12). "Here Are the Food and Beverage Vendors Landing in PDX's New Main Terminal". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  13. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-04-25). "St. Jack and Five Other Portland Restaurants Will Open in Lake Oswego". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  14. Walsh, Chad (2016-07-26). "Grassa Is Opening a Pasta Shop in Japan". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  15. 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.
  16. "Grassa - Portland, Oregon". Portland Mercury. 2019-03-21. Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  17. DiStefano, Anne Marie (2013-08-29). "Grassa gets pasta's flavorful texture, details just right". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  18. Korfhage, Matthew (2016-03-22). "Grassa". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  19. Frane, Alex (2018-07-18). "15 Primo Italian Restaurants in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  20. Frane, Alex; MacEvoy, Maya (2019-11-21). "16 Quintessential Restaurants and Bars in Slabtown". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
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