Gabbiano's

"This Concordia neighborhood East Coast Italian restaurant is home to a spacious back patio. The exterior matches the interior with its red-and-white-checkered tables, red wooden patio roofing, and vintage wooden chairs. With a plate of chicken Parmesan or mushroom ragu pappardelle and a glass of wine, the day’s troubles will seem a world away." - Thom Hilton

"Portland spot famous for serving mozzarella stick shot glasses filled with marinara, known as 'shotzarellas'." - Jaya Saxena

"This self-identified Italian American restaurant churns out all the greatest hits — spaghetti and pork-and-beef meatballs; hubcap-sized chicken Parm, fried crispy and topped with mozz; piles of fried calamari with a briny caper aioli. The restaurant is particularly shrewd in where it strays from the original, however, adding pistachio chile crisp to Dungeness crab “alla vodka” or infusing Campari with sun-dried tomatoes for a Negroni. The fried mozzarella here is a marvel in engineering, sort of a cheesy shot glass filled with marinara." - Eater Staff

"Gabbiano’s cheeky play on the mozzarella stick turns the deep-fried classic into shot glass-shaped vessels filled with zingy homemade marinara. Finished with a dusting of Parmesan and chopped parsley, the “shotzarellas” are a fun prelude to meals at this red sauce joint — and wholly representative of its irreverent approach to Italian American cuisine." - Ben Coleman, Eater Staff

"In a period of time where so many Portland restaurants are overwhelmingly earnest, Killingsworth neighborhood Italian American joint Gabbiano’s exudes a good-hearted ridiculousness, a commitment to the bit that feels truly refreshing. Fried mozzarella shot glasses filled with marinara? For sure. Caprese Negronis with sundried tomato Campari and mozzarella ball garnishes? Totally. But if Gabbiano’s were simply a gimmick, it wouldn’t appear on this map; each dish has a true sense of deliciousness, from frisbee-sized discs of juicy chicken parm in a bright pomodoro, or a Dungeness crab alla vodka with the heat and crunch of pistachio chile crisp. Not every restaurant should be serious; this city needs its silly little corners, and Gabbiano’s is one of them." - Eater Staff