"Hugo's is a really special place in Portland. Although the city is bursting with amazing restaurants, they still manage to be unique and cutting-edge. I will fully admit that I have had some dishes here that simply don't work for me but that is part of the fun of dining at a restaurant that is constantly trying to innovate. And the dishes that I didn't care for are clearly outweighed by the majority that I found wonderful over the course of my half dozen meals here. This is not to mention the absolute top-notch service you can expect at a real fine dining establishment like those sporting fancy Michelin stars. I always felt extremely welcomed and catered to whenever visiting them. A particular reason that Hugo's has a fond place in my heart is that they served me one of the handful of dishes I've had that not only was incredible but actually changed the way I thought about food and what it could be. Around five years ago I shared a large-format ribeye steak with five other people that changed my life. My stomach was already so miserably/joyfully full by the time it was served. The fact that this juicy, fatty, umami-filled piece of meat was good enough that I still managed to eat another half pound of food and love every bite speaks to just how awesome it was. As you can tell I'm passionate about a good steak and since then I've learned to make one (almost) as good as that but it was still enough to keep me coming back time and time again."
