Backhanded Review of the Week
Under the title “Could be Worse,” Alison Hallett writes a great review in the Portland Mercury of a restaurant that, well, could be worse. The lede:
Leonardo’s isn’t going to make it onto any critical best-of lists anytime soon, with a menu of passable Italian dishes dressed up with bells and whistles that aren’t fooling anyone into thinking the food is better than it actually is. (Pine nuts! Dried cranberries!) The place is mediocre, but inoffensively so—and considering that Leonardo’s is situated in a space formerly home to restaurants that actually were offensive (the short-lived tapas joint Graze, and before that Nina’s Place), this actually is a backhanded endorsements of sorts. Simply put: Leonardo’s is the best restaurant to ever occupy 939 NW 10th Avenue.
The whole review reads like that — funny, snarky, and smart. Good stuff. More here.
Also noteworthy: the Mercury is looking for a food editor.
One comment posted
Posted by: Steve Lieber - 03/09/2008
Found your site via Radley Balko’s. Glad top see the Merc’s food writing getting some recognition. They’re always a pleasure to read.
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