Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Zefiro was an Italian and Mediterranean restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States.[1][2] The business operated from 1990 to 2000.
Description
The Italian and Mediterranean[3] restaurant Zefiro was located at the intersection of 21st and Glisan in northwest Portland's Northwest District. The interior had sponge-painted yellow walls and a copper-topped bar.[4] The menu included risotto and a Caesar salad.[5][6] The dessert menu included gelato affogato[7] and sorbet.[8]
History
Bruce Carey[9] and Chris Israel[10] opened the restaurant in 1990. Monique Siu[11] and Sarah Wheaton have also been credited for helping the launch.[12] The business closed in 2000.[13][14][15]
Reception
In 1991, Zefiro was The Oregonian's restaurant of the year.[16][17] In 2007, Eric Asimov of The New York Times said Zefiro "set a standard for Portland cooking".[18] The restaurant has been described as "ground-breaking",[19] a "Portland landmark",[20] and "a key watershed moment in recent restaurant history in Portland".[21]
In 2017, Nick Zukin of Willamette Week said "Bruce Carey changed Portland dining with Zefiro back in the '90s",[22] and The Oregonian's Douglas Perry wrote, "Zefiro led the way to the enthusiastic, limited-frills foodie reputation that Portland now enjoys around the world."[23]