“Palio di Portland” Party at Nostrana

Races, prizes, rustic Siena inspired buffet on the patio and more…

July 28, 2009 (Portland, OR) - Calling all Portlanders! Every year in the summer huge crowds flock to the Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy, where representatives from 10 of the 17 city wards compete in Il Palio, a harrowing horse race around the famous tilting Piazza.  On Sunday, August 16th from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Nostrana is throwing its own “Palio di Portland” complete with races (bikes, skates, tricycles, three-legged, horse headed broomsticks!), a rustic Siena feast, bottles of Italian Rosé and Prosecco, prizes and more.

Executive Chef and owner Cathy Whims has crafted a Siena inspired menu with dishes like grilled pork sausages; onion foccaccia Siena-style; charcuterie of prosciutto, salametti and chicken liver crostini; and panzanella salad of ciabatta bread, fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil and vinegar.  Dishes will be served buffet-style alongside Italian Rosé and Prosecco at a $25 flat rate, gratuity included.

Guests are encouraged to bring family, friends and their competitive spirit, because between bites all are welcome to participate in the races, which take place outside of Nostrana. The races begin at 1:20 p.m. with an awards ceremony to follow at 2:30 p.m., at which time the winning racers’ own Portland neighborhood flag will be raised and bottles of wine and gift certificates awarded.

The schedule is as follows.

• 1:20 p.m. – Two-legged stick race
• 1:30 p.m. – Three-legged race
• 1:40 p.m. – Roller skate race
• 1:50 p.m. – Bicycle race
• 2:00 p.m. – Tricycle race
• 2:10 p.m. – Three-legged stick race

Nostrana’s “Palio di Portland” party is on Sunday, August 16th from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.  Reservations for the event are recommended. Please call Nostrana at 503.234.2427 to secure a spot in the races and a seat at the table.  Nostrana is located at 1401 SE Morrison, Portland, OR 97214.  For more information about Nostrana, visit www.nostrana.com.

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About Nostrana:
Nostrana – literally ‘ours’ in Italian – serves classic Northern Italian cuisine built on simple preparations, fresh, local ingredients, and the traditional method of cooking with fire. Nostrana was founded in 2005 by Executive Chef and owner Cathy Whims and, in 2006, Nostrana was named Oregon’s Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian.  Cathy Whims was most recently nominated for a 2009 James Beard “Pacific Northwest Best Chef Award” and continues to be a long-standing advocate of the Slow Food Movement.

Media Contacts:
Lota LaMontagne / lota@ladcommunications.com / 503.827.6564
Katie Burnett / katieb@ladcommunications.com / 503.827.6564