The kitchen staff at Isa works meticulously to produce some of the most carefully produced dishes among Portland restaurants. That it resides in Bayside, still one of the seediest neighborhoods in Portland, is inconsequential. After all, just a few doors away, its neighbor, the venerable Back Bay Grill, was trail blazer decades ago in a den-of-thieves neighborhood where the term rough and tumble was understatement.
Isa is a welcoming addition to Portland Street on Bayside, having opened a year ago
While Back Bay is where you go for classic fine dining, Isa’s charms are more relaxed in a thoroughly bistro style setting with a menu that delivers quite well. Dishes such as the lobster taco or the eggplant lasagna are beautifully made and remain mainstays on the menu. And the classic grilled pork chop over lentils (not on the menu at the moment) is another great dish enjoyed on past occasions.
