Nostrana
Italian restaurant · Buckman ·
Seasonally influenced Italian dishes, thin-crust pizzas, and stellar wine list
Seasonally influenced Italian dishes, thin-crust pizzas, and stellar wine list
"From 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the celebrated Italian restaurant serves $10 Margherita pizzas, $12 bowls of capellini in Marcella Hazan’s famed tomato butter Parmigiano sauce, and $7 mini versions of the famed radicchio-based Insalata Nostrana. In terms of beverages, expect $10 glasses of wine, Negroni Sbagliato, and boozy punch." - Dianne de Guzman
"Marda Stoliar of the International School of Baking helped develop the starter and dough for the pizzas at this vaunted Italian restaurant, which serves Neapolitan-esque pies topped with gaping-mouthed clams or kale-pistachio pesto. Nostrana is known for its seasonality, so some pies change fairly often; the funghi, however, remains on the menu in some form or another almost always, a layer of earthy mushrooms sitting under a pile of dressed, peppery arugula." - Ben Coleman
"The lauded and incredibly influential Italian destination from Portland luminary Cathy Whims remains as relevant as it was when it opened in 2005. Menus change daily, but most nights see diners crowded under the lanterns hanging from vaulted ceilings as plate after plate of shrimp-stacked bruschetta, buttery tomato sauce-coated gnocchi, and hearty entrees like wood oven-roasted Idaho trout head to the tables. Couples on dates slice the uncut pizzas with the provided scissors, and down glasses of bold Italian wines and bittersweet Negroni variations. Nostrana is inherently celebratory, a fixture in Portland’s upscale dining scene for its atmosphere, its service, and its food." - Eater Staff
"A harvest dinner highlighted a Dungeness crab pizza topped with Jimmy Nardello peppers, crème fraîche, chives, Calabrian chile butter, arugula, and lemon; the crust—naturally leavened—provides satisfying chew to support bright toppings. The featured cocktail "Right This Whey" blends Italian tomato gin, garden basil, lemon peach liqueur, and burrata water, described as a slightly savory, refined caprese-in-a-glass." - Eater Staff
"On Thursdays, chef Cathy Whims observes the Roman tradition of gnocchi Thursday, swapping out Nostrana’s regular pasta dishes for hand-formed gnocchi specials. The soft, pillowy dumplings are comfort food at its finest, with variations including leek and pancetta, ragu di prosciutto, and saffron cream. Meatball fans should make a point to dine here on Mondays, when pork and chicken meatballs are served atop a bed of pasta or on wood-fired pizza." - Janey Wong