SHUTTERED: Bites at Superbite in Portland (PDX)

This was where I had my first meal in Portland, when I arrived on May 4, 2017, for a week long getaway visiting the Pacific Northwest. I chose Superbite after reading some good press on them, not realizing that chefs and owners, Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, were nominated for a James Beard award and finally won (after having lost in 2015 and 2016) the award for best Pacific Northwest Chef.

After studying the menu, I was intrigued to sample just about each of their “superbites,” especially the much lauded Spaghettios, a 3-bite dish with truffles for $7.00. While each of the dishes I tried were wonderfully plated and tasty, none of the superbites truly “wowed” me.

My dining companion echoed the same sentiment. We were particularly disappointed with the Spaghettios as we did not taste any essence of black truffles. I know, it’s only $7.00, but at least it would be nice to see a few crumbs of truffes in the dish.

My favorite superbite was the Dungeness Crab and the Grilled Shitake. The Grilled Shitake sat on top of a Miso-Porcini Marshmallow which had a fun texture, quite similar to a marshmallow but firmer. Whimsical comes to mind.

We did love the one big plate that was ordered, the Grilled Bavette Steak. That was delicious.

In the end, I just chalked this dining experience up as one that went over my head.

SUPERBITE, 527 SW 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205, Telephone: (503) 222-0979