Ever since I moved to Bend in 2019, one place I have frequented time after time is The Podski food truck lot off Colorado Ave. Their options have always been varied, but delicious.
“Americana” has one of the best burgers in Bend with its flavorful thin smashed patties and fresh selection of toppings. “Thailandia” has some of the best pad thai money can buy. “Big Ski’s Pierogis,” which has been featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” serves a ravioli crossed dumpling called a pierogi that is crispy on the outside and features a menu that has a variety of fillings to choose from. “Cotto” is no different, with a selection of international flavors interpreted into Italian street food.
Opened in January of 2024, Cotto occupied a spot next to The Ale Apothecary, where it sat until this past September, when it arrived at The Podski.Their menu mainly revolved around two types of dishes, their sandwiches and their arancini, a fried rice ball with filling.
Upon arriving at Cotto, we were met with a busy but lively environment, something not out of the ordinary for The Podski lot. We ordered our food and took a seat at one of the colored tables while surrounded by other hungry patrons and laid back Oregonians. The food arrived hot and quick, which was surprising because of the aforementioned busy environment. The arancini came in a typical togo box and the sandwiches were wrapped in foil, much like one you would find in a sandwich shop in Chicago or NYC.
The first dish I tried was the chicken ball arancini. Filled with rice, shredded chicken and a four cheese blend, and topped with gochujang (fermented red chili paste) BBQ and crispy onions, The ball had a beautifully crispy outside. The gochujang provided a sweet and spicy kick that really brought a powerful flavor to the dish.
Next on the roster was the carnitas ball arancini, which swaps the chicken for carnitas and is topped with green chilies and a lime crema. This really stood out because of its use of ingredients considered traditionally Mexican, now being utilized in a traditional Italian dish. It is indeed unorthodox, but the flavors result in a beautiful and warm crispy medley of flavor.
Next up on the menu; sandwiches. The first one up was their hot beef, which is Cotto’s take on a Chicago style Italian beef. Sandwiched in between a perfectly soft roll, this sandwich packs plenty of flavorful tender beef, as well as a giardiniera with a subtle punch. I’ve made hot beef in the past, and I couldn’t replicate this if I tried. My family, who are Chicago natives, disliked this one, as they didn’t think it felt authentic.
I personally loved their take on it. Cotto’s spin on the beef features onions, cheese and a pepper aioli along with the traditional shredded beef and giardiniera. It’s like a cheesesteak and an Italian beef had a baby.
Their chicken parmesan was last on the menu. If you want something that is purely Italian American food at its finest, you may want to pick this sandwich up. It featured a nicely breaded chicken cutlet and a classic marinara sauce. I spoke with Cotto’s Sarah Fink, one of the co-owners, who said the chicken parmesan was her favorite.
“The top item is our chicken parmesan. I’m partial to our arancini. Chicken parmesan is uniquely Italian-American and so I think a lot of people love it because it reminds them of other places like Chicago or New York,” said Fink.
Overall, if you want a place that will cure your hunger after a day at Bachelor, or you’ve grown tired and need something that will fill that hole in your stomach, Cotto is a great place to go. It is not a place to get completely authentic Italian food; it’s actually quite the opposite. The arancini integrates traditionally Korean and Mexican ingredients into something traditionally italian. Chef James Fink and The team at Cotto are not afraid to break boundaries, bend the rules or cross the line. Rule breaking is in their nature, and by the time you are done eating at Cotto, the line is now nothing but a distant memory.
