Autumn Dinner at Serratto

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

I felt honored to be invited to attend a blogger dinner earlier this week at Serratto.   Executive Chef Tony Meyers prepared a sampling of fall dishes, and we were able to taste some of the wines from the restaurant’s monthly rotating wine flight. Julie Bond, who with her husband are the restaurant owners, was also present and told us how she fell in love with this space and potential 9 years ago. Since owning Serratto, they’ve expanded the menu from traditional Italian to also incorporate traditions from French and Mediterranean cuisines while also sourcing to support local, from the meats from Nicky USA to talking about the exact terroir of the wines from the specific vineyards in Italy and Spain.

In fact, if you visit you may see the snail on their windows and other decorative elements. The snail represents the Slow Food movement, so its presence is emphasizing the Serratto viewpoint of traditional (taking cues from classic old world European family and warmth) and then melding that with regional sustainable ingredients.

I was excited to hear about the Serratto new fall seasonal dishes such as Kale Salad and the Forest Mushroom Ravioli.  Also, on Mondays and Tuesdays, Serratto now is offering a new prix fixe dinner – 3 courses for $25, such as

1. Baby spinach salad with gorgonzola, spiced pistachio, warm bacon vinaigrette;
2. Braised Tails & Trotters pork shank ravioli with Caramelized onion, Grana Padano, baby arugula, stone-ground mustard cream sauce;
3. Dessert of housemade gelato or sorbetto with marcona almond-white chocolate cookie.

The courses come with suggested wine pairings as well.

As part of this Bloggers Dinner, I was able to check out the new seasonal Kale Salad, as well as try out that prix fixe menu entree option of the Brasied Pork Shank Ravioli!

Here’s the recap of the whole menu for the evening. I should note that even before this Blogger’s Dinner, I have been a fan of Serratto. I have visited many times because I think they have a great happy hour, great housemade pastas, and a really excellent wine selection. The Blogger’s Dinner was offering me an opportunity to sample more small tastes of a variety of dishes that would have taken me many visits in order to write this much of a review. Actually, since every time I come here I always end up with wine and pasta, this was great in forcing me to try to explore the menu more so that I can confidently say that you will have a good time at Serratto, even without wine. But why wouldn’t you have wine?

Serratto is located on NW 21st and Kearney, in the trendy but artsy Nob Hill neighborhood. The atmosphere is a perfect combination of being chic so that you could have a dinner out with friends or a date night, but not so hip that you don’t also see corporate dinners of a table suits, or a family and locals also dining alongside you. You can make reservations with them on OpenTable, but I have also walked in and been fine as well.

They have a large space in which they can easily adjust tabletops either in the scene-y front (great people watching as folks make their way on the sidewalks from the streetcar down to 21st/are on their way back from their fun time) or the more classic yet cozy back nooks. Towards the back there is one raised area with two private dining rooms- all meaning they can accommodate dinner parties of more than 4 easily, not always easy to find at restaurants in Portland. They do classy holiday parties, but at the same time, this same space, as Julie told us, also was open during December 2008 snowstorm that shut down businesses because since everyone is nearby (she lives in the neighborhood as well), and they decided to be open to just be a place to go for the neighborhood. Elegant, but yet very place next door approachable somehow too!

Serratto Blogger Dinner 

– Prosecco Ruffino Extra Dry NV
There really is something to starting out with a glass of bubbly. It lifts your spirits and brightens your mood. There is no reason to save it only for special occasions- in fact, maybe the fact you had a crappy day is exactly the reason to break out sparkling.

– Pinot Blanc/Gris/Riesling ’11 from Brooks “Amycas” Willamette Valley
– Ahi Tuna Tartare “Nicoise” chopped egg, capers, olives, housemade potato chips, tarragon aioli
– Kale Salad with pine nuts, honey crisp apple, sour cherries, Grana Padano, apple cider vinaigrette
I loved the simple clean flavors that showed off the quality ingredients in the Ahi Tuna Tartare, and that Kale Salad totally embodied the flavors and feeling of autumn. I probably would have skimmed right over them normally in reading the menu towards the more hearty and comforting pastas, but I won’t make that mistake in the future.

Seared Sea Scallop roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, braised cabbage, apple butter, walnuts
This was soooo good, I would have licked the plate if I wasn’t with company.

– Margherita Pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomato, garlic and basil
– Pizza Del Giorno with asparagus, bacon, artichoke hearts, arugula, mozzarella, marinara
– Boneyard Pale Session Lager, Bone Light
– Painted Hills Burger with brioche, bacon, white cheddar, aioli, bbq sauce, crispy onions + pommes frites
Can’t go wrong with the beer with citrus, grapefruit, and lemon flavors paired with tastes of the two pizzas and a burger! That burger was so juicy, and apparently is a popular dish for when there are catered events at Serrato… and is also on their happy hour menu.

– Wine Flight (their September flight)

• Mandrarossa “Bonera” Sicilia ’09  Nero ‘D’avola/Cab/Cab Franc
• Els Guiamets “Isis” Montsant ’06  Carignan/Grenache/Syrah
• Fidélitas “M100” Columbia Valley ’11  Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec

– Braised Tails & Trotters Pork Shank Ravioli caramelized onion, baby arugula, stone-ground mustard cream sauce
– Muscovy Duck Confit with black lentils, parsnip cream, pancetta, juniper demi-glace
Loved the use of the stone ground mustard cream sauce with the arugula. Meanwhile, I thought the Fidélitas “M100” Columbia Valley ’11  Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec paired incredibly well with the duck dish. Also, bacon straw.

– Apple Turnover served warm with cinnamon gelato, amaretto caramel
We also got a special drink to keep us warm on the way home and as a nod to the other owner, Alex Bond- a Spokane Speedball with espresso and Baileys. It was like being sent home with a hug.

They are changing out the wine flight for November to highlight Beaujolais, since it’s such a great wine for Thanksgiving. I feel like I must do some research into this wine flight, don’t you?

Check out some the other bloggers at this dinner, and/or check the twitter feed of @SerrattoPDX or the Serratto Facebook page, or the Instagram of Executive Chef Tony Meyers where he sometimes shows some serious food photos!

• Urban Bliss Life
• PDXfoodlove
• Mrs. Maki Cooks
• A Well Crafted Party
• Spoon and Saucer
• PDXfoodlove
• The Spicy Bee
• Salt. Water. Coffee.
• Hummingbird High

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.