Grilled Alaskan Salmon
Ernesto's Italian Restaurant

Ernesto's Italian Restaurant

8544 SW Apple Way Portland, OR 97225-1772, United States

Bars • Cheese • Italian • European


"The menu offers an abundance of choices, perhaps even too many. However, if you're in search of a classic Italian restaurant that combines delicious food, a pleasant atmosphere, and a great vibe, this is the place to go. Unlike large chains like Olive Garden or The Old Spaghetti Factory, Ernesto's brings a unique charm and has to compete with those establishments. An added bonus is that every order comes with unlimited focaccia bread. However, there’s a downside: the bread is served plain, without any dips or butter. While some may argue that it doesn’t need extra fat, the focaccia could be a bit dry without any accompaniments. I ordered a bowl of marinara sauce, which was delicious, but it came at an additional cost of $3. Additionally, I found some discrepancies in the menu prices. I ordered ravioli and spaghetti, while my wife opted for chicken Alfredo. According to the paper menu, her dish should have been $19, but the bill showed $20 each. While this may seem like a minor issue, it’s not very customer-friendly and makes me hesitant to return. Even if the menu prices were adjusted to include a soup or salad for $19, I believe that price could be justified. The ambiance is reminiscent of a classic Italian restaurant, which many chain establishments fail to capture. If you enjoy Italian cuisine, it's definitely worth a visit. Just keep in mind that it’s not the cheapest option. Overall, the food was delicious, the service was good, and the atmosphere was unique, though the location is somewhat out of the way. Consider giving it a try if you wish!"

The Tea

The Tea

1636 Palisade Ave.#4, Fort Lee, United States

Tea • Steak • Coffee • Burgers


"I was a bit surprised that this place called “The Tea Bar” was actually Korean food restaurant, as I always thought they were another bubble tea kind of place. The inside was bright and spacious. Definitely not a place to get just tea. They had a good amount of table seating. We went on a weekend, and they had weekend brunch buffet. It sounded good, but they were not the kinds of food (Korean food) we were looking for. The only Korean dish I found on the buffet counter was Kimchi Rice. It would have been really interesting if all or most of the dishes served on the buffet were Korean dishes. Since we were there to try some Korean dishes, we didn’t go for the buffet. From their regular menu, we ordered K-Town Fries and Bibimguksu to share. They were both really good portion, enough to share among the two of us. The dishes, especially Bibimgusku was very spicy. We like spicy food, so it was good, we enjoyed it a lot. The owner was working the floor, and he brought us some complimentary soup. Then, after seeing my husband sweating with heat from the spicy food, he brought another soup, telling him that it will help with the spiciness. Really nice! By sharing the starter and main, we saved some room for desserts! We also decided to order tea to go with our dessert. This is where the name of this restaurant, “The Tea Bar” made total sense to me. Their tea menu was quite extensive! They had around 50 teas. Yes, that is not a typo, but 50 teas! We ordered Green Rooibos Key West from recommendation of the owner. For dessert, we ordered Red Velvet Lava Cake and Original Cheesecake. The cheesecake was really delicious, I am so glad we ordered that one! It was a very pleasant brunch. Everything was very delicious, satisfying and very affordable. The service was nice, the owner took a good care of us and made us feel welcomed. I would like to go back again and try out more of their tasty menus. Read my food blog for my full review of this restaurant and food."