Even More Pizza Is Coming to Foster-Powell

Foster-Powell’s culinary renaissance seems to be almost completely pizza-themed: Pizzeria Otto, the neighborhood Neapolitan-style standby on NE Sandy, will open its second location later this year.

As the Oregonian first reported, the pizzeria will open a shop on SE 71st and Foster, serving its Naples-inspired pizzas, salads, and plenty of inexpensive Italian wine — bottles hang out under $50, with glass pours under $12.

Here’s what sets Otto, one of Eater Portland’s essential pizzerias, out in a sea of new pizza: Its chef, Sam Reed, trained under celebrated pizzaiolo Enzo Coccia in Italy. Also spending time at the late-great American Local, Reed uses a long-fermented dough for simple, elegant pies, topped with everything from Buffalo mozzarella and slow-smoked Italian sausage to smoked Tails & Trotters ham and fresh pineapple. Otto is best-known for a particular pie, however: The $6 happy hour Margherita, served in-house before 5 p.m.

The menu and design style inside will replicate its original location in the Roseway neighborhood, with more space to play with: The restaurant spans 2,300 square feet, with room for more than 80 seats. Pizzeria Otto is taking over a space in the ground floor of 72Foster, an incoming affordable housing development in that neighborhood. Founding owner Clark Hale was always pretty set on Foster-Powell; he looked at the neighborhood before opening the original location. As for the influx of competition — Atlas, Char, and Assembly Brewing all opened serving pizza within the last year — Hale is far from concerned. “You know, that’s fine,” he says. “I’m happy that Foster is having the renaissance we all thought it would someday.” Pizzeria Otto’s second location will open in late summer or early fall — the restaurant doesn’t have an official address yet, but 72Foster is located at 5005 SE 72nd Avenue.

• Pizzeria Otto [Official]
• Pizzeria Otto will open a second location in Southeast Portland [The O]
• All previous Pizzeria Otto coverage [EPDX]