Nostrana

Nostrana Welcomes Giuliano Hazan

Join us Sunday May 1st as we welcome teacher and cook book author Giuliano Hazan for an evening of recipes from his books 30 Minute Pasta and Everynight Italian. Begin with a reception and book signing and then stay for an intimate dinner with the author, son of Marcella Hazan.

According to chef/owner Cathy Whims, “If I had to name one person in my career who has inspired me to cook Italian food it would be Marcella Hazan. Her Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking is a bible of Italian cuisine. When I had the chance to meet her at my old restaurant, Genoa, I was nearly speechless. When I finally took her class in Venice I could not have asked for a better teacher. When I was fortunate enough to host her at a dinner at Nostrana it was one of the high points of my career. It is with great anticipation that Nostrana welcomes her son, Giuliano Hazan, for a special dinner. When you taste his delicious food you will understand the family connection.”

We look forward to Giuliano’s visit. Space is limited, so don’t wait!

For reservations, call 503-234-2427

What will it be like, I wonder, to teach green cooks after working with my veteran staff? My staff’s skills have been polished to a high gloss by the wearing repetition of food preparation.

— From Cook; repeat; repeat on Culinate, in which Chef de Cuisine Kelly Myers shares some thoughts upon her departure from Nostrana. She will be missed dearly. We wish Kelly the best in her new role.

Easter at Nostrana

Join us Sunday April 24 as we celebrate Easter with the beautiful flavors of spring. In addition to our menu full of your favorites, we offer a special three course menu:

Radish top & potato soup or Shepherd’s salad

Wood-oven roasted Alaskan Halibut or Braised Lamb Marche-style or Spinach lasagne

House-made gelati or La Colomba (traditional Easter cake) & Moscato d’Asti

$39 excluding beverages & gratuity. For reservations, call 503-234-2427

Behind the Bar with Nostrana's Douglas Derrick →

Negroni Social, Friday, April 1

Nostrana is hosting the first annual Negroni Social on Friday, April 1st. Over the course of the past year we’ve given special attention to a unique Negroni variation each month. The Negroni Social is a celebration of all things Negroni, featuring all twelve ‘Negronis of the Month’, as well as the quintessential classic cocktail. The restaurant will play host to the city’s finest mixologists and media during an after-hours gala to benefit Outside In.

The Rooster Bar at Nostrana is led by Bar Manager Douglas Derrick. Douglas’ strong passion for seasonality and the classic Negroni flavor profile compelled him to create a Negroni variation for each of the past twelve months. Ingredients, glass, garnish and even ice selection are thoughtfully married utilizing mixology-grade craft and ingenuity to present cocktails that are classically Italian in their sensibilities, yet distinctly ‘ours’. The concepts for ‘Negroni of the Month’ and the ‘Negroni Social’ were co-developed with wine director and in-house graphic designer Nicholas Suhor. The Oregon Bartenders Guild joins us as a partner for this event.

The event is invitation only, but those wishing to attend have an opportunity to win tickets via our friends at Eater. Eater will select five winners Wednesday, March 30.

Cathy Whims named JBFA Best Chef: Northwest 2011 Finalist

Nostrana is proud to announce that Chef Cathy Whims has been named a James Beard Foundation Award Finalist in the category of Best Chef: Northwest.

This is Cathy’s third consecutive nomination for the award, sweetened by the fact that the Beard Foundation chose The Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland as the location to announce this year’s finalists.

Nostrana wishes to congratulate all of today’s nominees, particularly fellow Portlanders Chris Israel, Andy Ricker and Gabriel Rucker. Award winners will be announced May 9 at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC.

See the Oregonian’s coverage here.

Clyde Common's JBFA Party →

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Clyde Common, the restaurant inside of Ace Hotel Portland, threw an afterparty this weekend in The Cleaners for the James Beard Foundation Awards Nominee Announcement dinner, held earlier in the evening in SW Portland. Singularly innovative and renowned chef and food writer James Beard was born in Portland, so some among us feel a kinship already — but his impeccable culinary masterpieces, almost too beautiful to eat, would have made us fast friends either way. An impressive list of Portland chefs made the list of nominees this year, and were in attendance at the party which featured a set by Beyondadoubt and housemade salumi sandwiches by Olympic Provisions, plus a delicate Negroni cocktail by Clyde’s Jeffrey Morgenthaler. We will admit to also concealing a few of the Peanut Butter Bon Bons from Clyde in a napkin for later — but only to revel in the memories of a good evening.

Winners will be announced on May 9 at the annual awards ceremony in NYC, and we wish them all enormous luck.

Photos by Allison Jones for Eater PDX

Portland Monthly’s Pizza Issue Says:

“But nothing trumps Nostrana’s margherita—well crafted, simple and austere, as the pizza gods meant it to be.” read the full article at www.portlandmonthlymag.com

Also, vote for Nostrana in Portland Monthly’s 2011 Pizza Smack Down!

Nostrana and Powell’s Books welcome Gabrielle Hamilton, Sunday March 13th

Nostrana and Powell’s Books are excited to host chef/author Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune restaurant in New York for a Sunday afternoon lamb roast. Join us Sunday March 13th at 1:00 pm for cocktails and antipasti, followed by roast lamb and a reading from Hamilton’s new book “Blood, Bones and Butter”. The cost is $60 per person exclusive of gratuity or $86 with a copy of the book. Space is limited, so please call for reservations; 503-234-2427.

Read the NY Times review of Gabrielle’s book here.

Nostrana Rocks the Carso!

Nostrana and E&R wine shop are teaming up for a very special event featuring three winemakers from the Carso, the rocky Italian-Slovenian plateau that rises from the Gulf of Trieste.

Joining us will be three producers that rarely travel and whose wines are rarely seen in Portland. The evening will be split into two parts: a casual osmissa-style tasting will take place in the wine shop followed by a traditional regional meal in the restaurant.

Dinner, including wines $48

Reservations: 503.234.2427

Nostrana utilizes locally sourced and natural ingredients to create delicately crafted Italian cuisine.

What will it be like, I wonder, to teach green cooks after working with my veteran staff? My staff’s skills have been polished to a high gloss by the wearing repetition of food preparation.

Behind the Bar with Nostrana's Douglas Derrick →

Clyde Common's JBFA Party →