Tuesday, 17 April: Nostrana hosts Dario Cecchini, The Butcher of Panzano

Nostrana hosts Dario Cecchini, The Butcher of Panzano for a butchering demonstration and a dinner on 17 April. Both events are presently sold out, but you may choose to be added to a wait list by calling the restaurant at (503) 234-2427. 

Be sure to visit dario.nostrana.com on April 17th at 10am to watch a live butchering demonstration!

The event’s dinner menu is as follows: 

Cathy Whims nominated JBFA Best Chef: Northwest 2012

The culinary spotlight continues to shine on Portland, Oregon! We’re so excited to announce that the James Beard Foundation has nominated our beloved chef and owner Cathy Whims for Best Chef: Northwest for the fourth consecutive year.  “The caliber of chefs in the Pacific Northwest category is stellar, and I am humbled to be in their company.  Their unique styles keep our region relevant in the culinary conversation,” says Cathy Whims.

Congratulations to all the nominees! For a more in depth read about this year’s lineup, visit OregonLive: 

http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2012/03/portland_again_dominates_best.html

Sunday, 8 April: Easter at Nostrana

Easter is probably more important than Christmas in Italy. Families get together to eat seemingly never-ending courses of food inspired by love.

Below is our three course Easter Sunday menu for $40.

Our regular menu will be available as well, slightly limited, with several options for children as always.

Pasqua con i tuoi, Pasquetta con chi vuoi

“Easter with your family, little Easter with whomever you want.”

Tuesday, 14 Feb: Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Nostrana

A very special Valentine’s Day three-course menu. Oysters Apicus! Drunken Pork!

Wine pairings will be offered with the meal. Please call Nostrana for reservations: (503) 234-2427.

New Year’s Eve: Ring in 2012 at Nostrana

Chef Cathy Whims presents a celebratory menu that is bound to delight.

Dinner in four courses for $75.

Optionally, wine pairings will be available that draw upon Northern Italian and Oregonian favorites. 

Please call Nostrana for reservations: (503) 234-2427.

Olio Nuovo 2011: A Celebration of Freshly-pressed Olive Oils

Walk into an Italian roadhouse during the winter months and you’ll likely set your eyes on a tub filled to the brim with fresh and zesty, first-pressed olive oil—olio nuovo. These are not your typical olive oils; they’re packed with flavor and are coveted in the kitchen.

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Seeking The Wine and Food Holy Grail on Mt. Etna and in Noto

Cathy Whims on her most recent trip to Sicily.

My new business partners and I always knew that the Oven and Shaker menu would largely be pizza. After all, the restaurant’s name refers to our massive wood burning oven shipped directly from Milan (I call it the Bentley of pizza ovens).  But we also decided that fried antipasti would be an important aspect of our menu as well. When the opportunity to travel to Sicily with my friend Faith Willinger, food editor for the online Atlantic Magazine, I thought what better way to research Italian street food than to visit the place that elevates this cuisine to its highest. 

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