Pastini (formerly Pastini Pastaria) is a chain of Italian-American restaurants in the U.S. state of Oregon. There are eight restaurants, as of 2017. In 2018, the company was among the largest in Oregon owned by women, with approximately 300 employees, according to ''Portland Business Journal''.

Description

Pastini serves Italian-American cuisine. The Bend restaurant had 30 pasta options, as of 2014. In 2020, '' Willamette Week'' Matthew Singer called the chain "Oregon's answer to Olive Garden".

History and locations

There were three restaurants in Portland, plus one in Bend and another in Corvallis, as of 2016. Craig and Susan Bashel and Kara Hale were owners at the time. In September 2020, Pastini supplied food to the Lyons Fire Department during the

Santiam Fire The Santiam Fire was a very large wildfire that burned in Marion County, Oregon, Marion, Jefferson County, Oregon, Jefferson, Linn County, Oregon, Linn, and Clackamas County, Oregon, Clackamas Counties, in northwest Oregon, United States. Havin ...

and donated proceeds from each meal served at restaurants to the Red Cross Cascades Fire fund.

Portland

The Bashels and Hale opened the first restaurant near the Lloyd Center in 2001. Five more restaurants were opened in Portland within six years. One of the Portland restaurants is housed on the ground level of the Studio Building, near Director Park in

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

. The restaurant installed a sign on the Studio Building's exterior. During a remodel, the restaurant learned some of the Guild Theatre's restrooms were "technically in its space". Previously, there was a restaurant in northwest Portland's Nob Hill district, which was replaced by Grassa. In December 2020, Bashel represented Pastini in the Rose City Downtown Collective, a coalition of business seeking to revitalize the city center following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bend and Corvallis

Pastini expanded into Bend and Corvallis in 2008. The Bend restaurant opened in the

Old Mill District The Old Mill District is a historic area formerly occupied by two lumber mills in Bend, Oregon. Encompassing approximately along the Deschutes River, the Old Mill District is now a mixed-use area known for its shops, galleries and restaurants. It ...

. During the pandemic, the restaurant offered takeout services, as of May.

Eugene

Owners confirmed plans for a restaurant in

Eugene Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

in 2016. The restaurant opened in July 2017.

Reception

Pastini has been included in guides published by Fodor's in 2008, and 2010, and 2011. In her 2011 book ''Fun with the Family Oregon: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids'', Sarah Pagliasotti said Pastini offered "inexpensive and elegant pasta that's a perennial family favorite". Pastini won first place in the Best Italian category of the '' Daily Emerald'' "Best of Campus" 2020 edition, which said, "This bistro chain is the perfect place to get a classic taste of the Italian food you’re craving with a fun modern twist, both in the ambiance and the flavors. Pastini has a wide range of contemporary plates and appetizers to satisfy whatever genre of noodle you’re hoping for."

References

External links

*
Pastini Pastaria
at Zomato {{Restaurants in Portland, Oregon, state=collapsed 2001 establishments in Oregon Companies based in Oregon Italian restaurants in Oregon Restaurants established in 2001 Italian restaurants in Portland, Oregon Restaurant chains in the United States