Em B.
Yelp
we started our weekend Portland trip at Via Vecchia and it is so much better in person than in pictures! we were seated at the bar around 7 and Moonie was our bartender/server who is incredibly hospitable and friendly.
for our starter, we tried their homemade sourdough with parsley and garlic butter, and we were impressed by both. our drinks were perfect, gin & tonic and siesta which is tequila, bitter rosso, blackberry, lime, and grapefruit + campari foam. my friend loved how he made the gin & tonic perfect in the correct glass, which many places don't, and i absolutely loved the flavor profile of my siesta.
then we tried the meatballs which were flavorful and mouthwatering and cooked to perfection, and added whipped truffle ricotta to take them to the next level. my only regret with the whipped ricotta is i would have liked more. the meatballs with the whipped ricotta was much better than the sesame breadsticks that came with it, they definitely belong together.
the polpo was some of the best we've ever had, if not the best, with the bean salad and every bite was like a new dish. literally takes you to a new dimension of tasty pleasure. we planned on getting entrees but were starting to get full so we had their vignola (margherita pizza) which has the perfect crust but could use a bit more mozzarella. we finished with the creamiest pistachio gelato with tiny hazelnut(?) cookie spheres and the entire experience could not have been better.
siesta 5/5
gin + tonic 5/5
sourdough bread 5/5
meatball 5/5
whipped truffle ricotta 5/5
polpo 6/5
vignola 4.8/5
pistachio gelato 5/5
the music was serene, modern instrumental italian jazz and i asked for their playlist but i was told the owner gatekeeps his songs, which is completely understandable but also disappointing. it does create an amazing vibe with the ambiance.
tl;dr
the meatballs + whipped truffle ricotta as well as the polpo were the top contenders, get the sourdough, and fantastic drinks. everything was phenomenal, i would highly recommend via vecchia and can't wait to return!
ambiance: 5/5
food: 5/5
drinks: 5/5
service: 5/5
via vecchia: 5/5