Jul 28, 2026 - Food and Drink

On menus: Portland can't get enough budino

Meira Gebel

Two glass cups of iced coffee topped with whipped cream on white saucers, placed on a wooden table with a small lit candle between them and water glasses in the background. — A humble dessert with a huge following. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios

What is it about a centuries-old Italian pudding that speaks to this current moment? Budino — a rich, chilled custard — isn't particularly Instagram-worthy, but it's a dessert that's seemingly on every menu right now.

Catch up quick: Budino wasn't always a dessert. The word once referred to blood sausage or minced meat before Italians began using it for what we know it as today.

Made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs and cornstarch, budino can take on just about any flavor — making it a low effort, high reward dessert for most chefs.

Zoom in: Both chocolate and butterscotch budino have been an integral part of Nostrana's menu for years, served with a layer of caramel or a dollop of crème fraîche.

Fantino's budino is sponge-like butterscotch, while Sunday Sauce takes the salted caramel route and Hey Luigi leans into chocolate. Even Soho House has one on the menu at its members-only restaurant.

Yes, but: It's not just Italian restaurants. Salt and Straw's recent chef series featured a riff on a smoked chocolate caramel budino with candied hazelnuts and olive oil ice cream base.

The bottom line: Does nostalgia play a role in our city's current budino fixation? Or can we just not get enough of a good thing?

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On menus: Portland can't get enough budino

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