Last month I celebrated my birthday with my husband at a wonderful Italian restaurant in southeast Portland, Oregon. Nostrana opened in 2005 and has appeared annually on The Oregonian‘s list of best restaurants ever since. Chef/owner Cathy Whims is a six-time James Beard Award nominee, and her restaurant boasts “Simple food from honest ingredients. Pure, regional Italian.” The list of farmers and purveyors on the back of each menu proves that claim, and the fresh, delicious flavors on our plates bolstered it.

We had reservations (highly recommended; even though we arrived on a hot Monday evening, by the time we left the large dining room was packed and the outdoor tables full), but we were given the option to sit at the chef’s counter, and we leapt at the chance. The restaurant is located in what might be considered an upscale strip mall and features clean lines and modern décor, tall ceilings, large windows   and an enormous bar.   A large tapestry at one end lent a little Old World charm to the space.    Our seats perched directly above the prep area for the pizzas, so we enjoyed watching the hand-tossing of the dough and the baking in the open, wood-fired oven directly in front of us.  Off to the right we could view the rest of the kitchen and prep areas, and immediately to our right at the end of the counter perched a shiny meat slicer laden with an enormous slab of prosciutto. 

Our past experiences with sitting within viewing and chatting range of the chefs has always been delightful, and this time proved no different. We chatted with Rob Roy, the sous chef and macellaio (butcher), as he worked, learning a bit about baking in a wood-fired oven (Nostrana bakes all its ciabatta bread each morning in the oven, and in addition to the pizzas serves a wood-roasted trout on the main menu) and enjoying watching the different plates coming out of the kitchen.

Of course, we had to start with one of those pizzas and opted for the Funghi Verde, featuring shiitake and maitake mushrooms, garlic, a heap of arugula, mozzarella and shaved pecorino.  Oh, yum! It came uncut (traditional Italian style) and with a pair of shears, which I prefer to a knife or round pizza cutter.  I also ordered an insalata mista, which came in a bowl heaped with crisp lettuce and veggies and could have served more than just the two of us.

Harry was delighted that this was Meatball Monday (Nostrana also has Gnocchi Thursday and Fish Friday each week), so he ordered up the capellini with pork and beef meatballs and added a farm egg on top (another traditional element). The meat had been finely ground, making for a dense yet moist and tender and very flavorful meatball. 

I enjoyed the Pork Arrotolato, a rolled pork shoulder stuffed with sausage and served with polenta, rainbow chard and a salsa verde. Wonderful flavors and cooked to perfection! 

Because this was a birthday celebration, of course we had to order dessert. The dolce offerings include panna cotta, tiramisù, budinos and housemade gelati and sorbetti — all of them tempting. But this being the height of Oregon berry season, we couldn’t pass up the Oregon summer berry crisp, which came to us hot and with a dollop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top.

I’d be happy to return to Nostrana soon, maybe on a Thursday for that gnocchi!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor