Certo

(UPDATE 11/10/13: November 10 marked Lucy's last day. Certo will continue under a new name and a new chef, Paul.)

(UPDATE 10/20/13: Certo is now at the 23rd and Alberta food cart pod!)

(UPDATE 10/1/13: Corrected my blog post to note that Enzo Lanzadoro, owner of Enzo's on NE Alberta, is the actual owner of Certo. Lucy handles the food side of this business, including catering.)

Certo is located near the corner of NE 23rd and Alberta St. NE 15th and Alberta St. in Portland, Oregon. The cart, which opened about five weeks ago, is in a fairly new parking lot containing four food carts. Lucy Phillips is the chef and owner of Certo.

My friend Amy (Eating My Way Thru Portland) suggested that I try this place out. From the colors and the overall look, I quickly noticed that this was the old Violetta food cart.

Lucy had only been in business for about a month when I stopped by. There are sandwiches, calzones, and fried gnocchi on the menu. Everything on the menu is made fresh daily from scratch.

All sandwiches come with a piece of fried ravioli and some fried gnocchi. I got the porchetta ($10), which contains slices of herb-seasoned, slow-roasted pork, marinara, and arugula. The roll was soft, yet firm enough to hold everything. I probably would have enjoyed it more with additional slices of lean pork, perhaps a bit much on the fatty pieces. Great flavor overall.

The ravioli was very good. I believe it was spinach and ricotta on this day, although I cannot remember exactly.

Big thumbs up on the fried gnocchi. Lucy also has a gluten-free gnocchi option. Very flavorful marinara for the gnocchi and the porchetta.

Another great food cart in Portland. Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area. 8/10