Given Kern’s background it is not surprising that the desserts were nice. My favorite part was the house-made ice creams and sorbets in odd flavors — especially a spicy white pepper and orange flower sorbet. It came with a buttermilk panna cotta that was so creamy it makes the typical version seem like milk-flavored Jell-O. The ricotta beignet compared favorably to the ones available at Duckfat down the street.
Bresca is nothing like what has occupied that space before, and its distinctive cuisine should help it stand out in the crowded Portland restaurant scene. It’s a bit more expensive than Ribollita a few blocks away, but offers a more interesting menu and nicer atmosphere. As time passes Kern might wander farther from Italian cuisine, which was her first step away from pastries in Las Vegas, and give her creativity still wider berth in that little space.
Bresca | 111 Middle St, Portland | 207.772.1004 | Visa | No hard liquor
Email the author
Brian Duff: bduff@une.edu
Topics:
Restaurant Reviews
, Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Cheese, More 
, Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Cheese, Foods, Fruits and Vegetables, Ethnic Cuisines, Desserts, Meat, Italian Food and Cooking, Krista Kern, Less 
