Ken's Artisan Pizza

We had dinner at Ken's Artisan Pizza in the funky Belmont District of Portland last night.  Huge windows open out to the street, just like at Ken's Artisan Bakery on the corner of NW 21st and Flanders near the Nob Hill District.  The place was hoppin' but we only had to wait about fifteen minutes for a table and then my seat had a perfect view of the wood-fired oven.  The pizzas are about 12 inches in diameter and they're made with a very thin crust, so they cook quickly.  We chose to split the "Amatriciana," a thin layer of roasted tomato sauce with diced house made pancetta, roasted red onion, and pecorino cheese.  Interesting combination, but not one I would order again, especially since there are so many other combinations to try.  I had a scoop of their "salted caramel gelato" for dessert and that is definitely worth dipping into again.  It was incredibly smooth and creamy and the caramel flavor was intense.