What a relief to report that Bresca is a superb addition to Portland’s dining roster. I say relief because there had been heaps of braise initially, and I was afraid it wouldn’t deliver. Essentially proprietor Krista Kern is the flowering of a remarkable chef holding court in the tiniest kitchen in Portland.

Some people think that the city needs more causal dining choices, which is a euphemism for cheap eats. On the contrary. For a metropolitan area of 250,000, there’s lots of room for the fabulous. For once Portland looms large in a small world.