Tasty 'n Sons

Tasty 'n Sons is located on N Williams Ave. in Portland, Oregon. The owners also run Toro Bravo, which boasts even more delectable dishes.

Lots of customers, and a very spacious place it is!

The place was packed on a Saturday morning. I originally planned to just get a take-out order, but Tasty 'n Sons does not do such orders (you'll have to dine in first, then you could take food to go after that). Luckily, because I dined alone, I managed to get a seat at the counter.

The place is set up so that you can see the line cooks hard at work filling every order. They make great use of their space, with a row of tables lined deep into the cavernous restaurant.

The menu touches on cuisines from all over the world, and I wanted to try something new today. I ordered their Polenta and Sausage Ragu ($8): a creamy blend of polenta and sausage ragu gets topped with a melted slice of mozzarella cheese and a fried, overeasy egg.

Polenta & Sausage Ragu w/mozzarella and a fried egg

Cutting into that egg released the silky yolk on the polenta, ragu, and gooey cheese. I then embarked on a life-or-death struggle with the cheese for the next seven minutes. I loved the creaminess of the polenta and the savory sausage. If I had an Italian grandmother, this is probably what I would want her to cook multiple times a week. Such a simple meal, but amazing flavor. Despite being a "bigger plate" item, the portion was still very small for $8, basically a large appetizer for me.

While the flavors were unforgettable, I would have liked more textural contrast in the dish. More sausage, something crunchy, anything to break up the smooth sensations in my mouth. Perhaps the dish's strength of simplicity was also its weakness. I also wish I could get take-out orders and larger portions from Tasty 'n Sons. All in all, it was a very positive first experience, and I look forward to coming back. 7.5/10