Tartuca Is Coming to N Mississippi Ave This Spring

It’s great to see more Italian places open up in Portland, and Tartuca is the latest one on deck, slated to open next month. They describe themselves as a “new Italian & PNW inspired, full-service restaurant located in the Mississippi area.” They will be located in the old Radar space on N Mississippi Avenue.

The name “Tartuca” translates to “turtle,” though the image above looks more like a tortoise. However, all tortoises are turtles (but not all turtles are tortoises), so it’s all good. Those of you that know me personally also know that I love turtles (especially sea turtles), so I think this name and its imagery are pretty cool. Another tidbit about the name “Tartuca”: it is also the name of one of the wards in the Tuscan city of Siena.

As for the Portland restaurant Tartuca, it is envisioned as a “from-scratch kitchen.” Look for extruded pastas, pizza dough, pastries, and bread, which will all be made in-house. Same for ferments and pickles, and eventually fresh mozzarella (IMO we need more fresh mozzarella making in this town), cured meats, and boquerones. It seems that the sky’s the limit with their creativity and drive with food, which is exciting for Portland eaters.

Local vegetables also seem to be a big deal to the folks at Tartuga. The chef is a native Oregonian who has developed connections and relationships to local farms, and has experience with foraging. Expect the menu to change with the seasons.

Total seating in the restaurant is 64—38 indoor and 26 outdoor. That outdoor number is a nice amount and a good option for guests who prefer to eat outdoors, whether that’s because of good weather or personal COVID protocols. We are heading through spring and into summer, and dining alfresco when possible is one of Portland’s true joys.

The main force behind Tartuga appears to be Jason Riley, who has owned and operated FINO in Kenton since 2018. He is also the one who filed Tartuga’s LLC. Shortly before his time at FINO he was a saucier at Park Kitchen in the Pearl, which closed in 2018.

Tartuga will be open for part of the week as they get settled—Wednesdays to Sundays. They’ll serve lunch and dinner (no break in between) from 11:30am to 10pm. Their aim is to open 7-days a week eventually.

Best of luck to all the Tartuga staff as they move through these final days toward opening in May.

Tartuga [opening May 2022]
3951 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland
tartucapdx.com | Instagram | Facebook

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Bridgetown Bites is written by Meg Cotner, a food loving freelance editor, writer, and published author in Portland, Oregon.

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