Pastini Pastaria
When I heard about Pastini Pastaria coming to Bend I thought, “Great, another cheese ball Olive Garden wanna be, or worse, Johnny Carino’s.” Seriously, why can’t we get some great Italian restaurants here? Search Google for “italian, bend oregon” and you’ll see some very VERY sad results:
Johnny Carino’s, Bella Cucina, 5 pizza places, closed down Ernesto’s, and of course, the mecca of Italian cuisine…Sun Mountain Fun Center. I mean nothing reminds me of Florence more so than skee-ball, bumper cars, bowling, and a shit load of unruly children shoveling daddy’s quarters into stupid ass “games” just to get a handful of tickets redeemable for a tootsie roll. The last time I was at Sun Mountain I turned in about $30 worth of tickets for a cannoli and reminisced about the sun setting over that beautiful vineyard in Tuscany.
Anyway, the wife and I headed out to Pastini Pastaria not knowing anything about their Portland roots or having any good expectations. Looking over the menu I was pleased with the prices. Very inexpensive and I was impressed with the portion sizes/quality.
The wife was having a difficult time deciding on three salads for her Pastini Salad Sampler ($9.75). She’s a huge fan of salads so she was in heaven with the options. She had to choose any three from the list of Insalata Verde, Caesar Salad, Caprese, Tuna-White Bean, Ziti Pasta Salad, Spinach Salad, Artichoke-Chicken, Panzanella, Butter Lettuce:
She selected the Artichoke-Chicken, Caprese, and Tuna-White bean and loved all three. I did not like it. Salad = BORing. She’s supposed to get something that we can share or that I can eat when I’m done horking down my food. Selfish.
I quickly decided on the Ziti Con Molta Carne for $10.50:
Bolognese meat sauce with grilled Italian sausage and two of our savory handmade meatballs. I was able to eat about 1/2 of the dish before I used the wife’s ghettofab technique of “eatin da meat.” Cause as she says “that’s the expensive part.” I was stuffed and very impressed with the quality and flavor of my meal. The meatballs were good but I couldn’t get enough of the sausage. Very well done Pastini.
I might have to stop saying that we don’t have any good Italian restaurants in Bend with Pastini Pastaria kicking it down there in the Old Mill. I’ll need to visit a couple more times before I can completely be sold. But I will gladly go back to Pastini Pastaria when I need my next fix of lil’ Italy. Well, that or go back for some Putt Putt and Pasta at Sun Mountain of course. Italian my ass. Way to go Google.
Pastini Pastaria
THE OLD MILL IN BEND
541-749-1060
375 SW Powerhouse Drive
Bend, OR 97702
On the river across the street from REI
Hours: Sun-Thur 11:30 – 9; Fri & Sat 11:30 – 10
http://www.pastini.net/food_menu2.html
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