Even if you haven’t heard of Ricky Bella, there’s still a good chance you’ve eaten his food. The chef has sliced, sauteed, roasted, and pickled his way through countless high-profile Portland kitchens, from Paley’s Place to Jojo. He mashed guacamole at Bullard, seared steaks at Imperial, folded Crunchwraps at Bit House Saloon. But on a Friday afternoon in Southeast Portland, he has one customer, and he’s pretty sure she needs cake.
“Necesitas tres leches?” Bella asks the little girl sitting at a two-top table. The bar is closed and it’s mostly dark in the dining room; Bella is in the kitchen prepping for service. The girl, a daughter
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