Cuisine:

• Diner
• Fine Dining
• Italian
• Others
• Contemporary

Bresca Description:
Chef/owner Krista Kern opened Bresca in 2007. This tiny 20 seat restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine. The popularity among locals has grown quickly and Bresca is often referred to as one of the top Portland restaurants.
At just 19 seats, this intimate dining spot allows chef Krista Kern Desjarlais to get personal with guests and their response to her contemporary Italian cuisine. A former pastry chef, Kern Desjarlais has moved toward the savory end of the spectrum with a menu that is mostly Italian, but rooted in New England ingredients. Start with white asparagus grilled in brown butter with capers and a farm fresh egg poached in olive oil, then go on to a honey-glazed duck with silky poached nectarines and a soft mascarpone polenta. Kern Desjarlais finds ways to introduce novelty even into pastas---as in her rich, delicate pumpkin-and-chestnut-filled agnolotti with chicken liver sauce. All the pastas can be ordered as appetizers, which means diners may try the grilled lamb or tender roasted quail for a main course. And desserts, given Kern Desjarlais' background, are predictably impressive. Simply and tastefully decorated, Bresca has one of the darkest rooms in town, but the rustic tables and the lovely food on them would look good in any light. That's also the case with the wine list, shining with obscure Italian bottles the staff deftly describe.


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