Tutto Bene

Nice place to get a coffee before a movie. But even better, it’s the only place to get your VISO soda at Bridgeport!

Grainy gelato?
Perhaps I’ve received the runt of the batch.
I normally have grown fondness with the runts (specially puppies) but this seems to be the exception.
There seems to be clumps of cocoa powder or chocolate bits in it and they look lost on my cup.
The good thing is Large cups are 5 $. And I would not shy away from the place as I still have to try their paninis and other offerings.

huge portions
actually a little too huge.
i got a small portion and they gave me 2 huge scoops… there was just too much mango sorbet and i really wanted to taste the strawberry at the bottom, but couldn’t get to it till the end and i was already Stuffed by that time
yikes

If you’re shopping at Bridgeport Village, this is most definitely NOT the place to go if you want a glass of wine. I’ve been here a few times when I’ve wanted wine and every time, I leave feeling very frustrated. You’ll probably will, too. Here’s why…
1.) The counter staff is almost all underage. Meaning you’ll be waiting for at least 5 to 10 minutes for a manager to arrive to serve you your wine.
2.) They often don’t have the wine you want. If I want a glass of prosecco, I WANT A GLASS OF PROSECCO. Not chianti. Not pinot grigio. Not sangiovese. PROSECCO.
3.) White wines are sometimes served at room temperature. Once, I had someone try to serve me a glass of pinot grigio from a bottle that was part of their wine display. And this person couldn’t figure out how to work a corkscrew. WTF???
I’ve never had the food here, but I don’t need to. Their crappy wine service tells me all I need to know. Avoid this place. You’re better off going to McCormick and Schmick’s and paying too much for a crappy Washington Riesling. At least the bartenders there know how to open a bottle of wine.

I have never bought into the whole panini craze and have up until recently avoided the overly trendy practice of smashing a sandwich flat with a hot surface. I could do the same thing with a hot day and a aggressively treaded tire and some foil (just to keep things sanitary.
It was with trepidation and a feeling of hunger that I walked over to Tutto Bene for lunch with a co-​worker. I scanned the sparse menu and spotted the Italiano Panini, you had me at Genoa Salami, but the pepperoni, provolone, pesto and como bread helped. I spotted the $ 8.45 price tag too, but decided that it was what I wanted so why not jump in with both feet. Am I just a tight-​wad or are sandwiches getting that expensive everywhere? A diet cola and a bag of NY Cheddar with Herbs Kettle Chips were my accompaniments. Bonus alert! You get a pickle spear too! If you’re lucky and your co-​worker is some sick twisted freak who doesn’t like pickles then you get TWO!
I am not kidding, I took a bite, chewed twice and thought to myself, «It’s worth $ 8.45.» The meats were flavorful, the cheese had character and the pesto was very good and not overwhelming. I mean, yeah, sure, it looks like big Ruffles potato chip and I wouldn’t mind trying it without the waffle iron treatment but it was pretty darn good.
Next visit… gelato!

Okay, y’all. I’m sorry, but this snow (aka ARCTIC BLAST 2008) is epic fail. And all you transplants from always snowy areas, please get over the fact that Oregonians can’t drive for crap in this weather.
That said, as a recent sufferer of, errrr, cabin fever, I of course jumped at the opportunity to go out to Bridgeport with my friend, her dad, and his girlfriend in a humongo truck/​SUV thing that was a force to be reckoned with.
We get out there, and Bridgeport is practically a ghost town. Out of all the stores in the complex, three are open: Borders, Crate & Barrel, and Tutto Bene. And considering that they went mostly to eat, Tutto Bene was going to have to fit the bill.
I don’t think any of us were incredibly impressed with the menu, which consisted of sandwiches and a few pizzas and salads. This is definitely a place to come for the gelato. We order paninis and pasta, along with lots of coffee, and we wait.
And wait.
And wait.
Finally my latte comes out. Not bad, I tell myself. Although it’s really hard to screw up anything with eggnog. It was very hot, but that was really my only complaint there. Then we wait.
And wait.
And wait.
Then our food came out, which also was not bad. My turkey bacon avocado panini could have used a little more avocado (and this sandwich was also steaming hot), but it was okay.
In any other circumstance, I’d probably give this place two or three stars at most. BUT, this place was hopping (considering it was one of the only places open), and there were only two poor gals working everything. One gal was running the espresso, while the other one was taking orders and cooking when she had a spare moment. So in this case, I will forgive all the waiting and such, because they really were gracious and very nice under such immense pressure.
So next time I’m at Bridgeport – assumedly when it’s all thawed – I might make an extra effort to get my coffee or gelato here.

Maybe my standards have been raised since being introduced to the Stumptown Nonfat Latte, but honestly!!!
Was shopping around Bridgeport Village and decided I needed my afternoon caffeine fix and that an Italian Café like Tutto Bene should fit the bill. SO SO SO wrong… I should have just gone to Pete’s.
I’m back at the office now with the most gawd-​aweful latte I think I have ever had. It tastes like someone burnt the hell out of already stale beans… no lie. I’m just about to toss it and refill the cup w/​the sludge they call coffee here at work… Boo Bad Coffee
No clue what type of beans they use to begin with… no WAY this could be illy. Illy is pretty hard to screw up and this latte is FUBAR. Serious buzz kill.

ahhh it’s amore, a wonderful comfort of gelatto. so i enter this café and i love it already. and it helps when the guy who greeted us was friendly and had a sense of humor. He definately made me feel like one of his friends that came to visit him.
The gelatto was good it reminded me alot of back home in the bay and being able to get gelatto. I also noticed they served sandwhichs and other food so i must go back to give them a try and give my readers a more in depth review.

There are malls which make shopping an event instead of a chore, and Bridgeport Village is one of these. If you must shop, you may as well set an afternoon aside for it and, having done so, you need to be fed to continue your quest. Tutto Bene offers the gelatos, pastries and sandwiches that will fuel you for the tough job ahead. The salads are fresh and crisp, the gelatos are delicious, the sandwiches are freshly made to order, and the coffee (this IS the Northwest) covers the spectrum of octane ratings so you can renew the energy needed to reach for your credit cards for the rest of the shopping spree. The atmosphere is very pleasant, though it gets a bit noisy when crowded. I won’t recommend it for groups because the economy of space and size of the tables will accommodate two (possibly 4) comfortably, but shopping is not usually done by committee, so this is appropriate for the location. Serious shopping is not for the weak-​willed or poorly nourished, and Tutto Bene really is a tasty way to relax before you visit «one more shop» and carry on with your day.

oh gelato… before i moved to portland i did not know what you were!
but i know you now and in every way. even the biblical sense…
Tutto Bene your selection of gelato is oh so good. tonight I had chocolate chip mint & chocolate birthday cake but I’ve also enjoyed mint oreo, peanut butter oreo, birthday cake, mango, pineapple and various other scrumptious choices.
you also have coffee and pastries, salads and paninis.
Gelato & tutto bene are responsible for my new gym membership as I have to work off all the biblical knowing of said gelato. but i still love you… I could go for some more right now…
(** as a total adult side note. «in the biblical sense with food» is called «sploshing» google that shit. but bewares. you’ll never be the same.)
AND as another side note. I never did splosh any gelato. just fyi.