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.[1] In 2018, the company was among the largest in Oregon owned by women, with approximately 300 employees, according to Portland Business Journal.[2]

Pastini
Exterior of the restaurant in downtown Portland's Studio Building in 2019
Restaurant information
Established2001 (2001)
Owner(s)
  • Craig Bashel
  • Susan Bashel
  • Kara Hale
Food typeItalian
City
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Websitepastini.com

Description

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The restaurant's 23.5-foot (7.2 m) sign on the Studio Building in downtown Portland

Pastini serves Italian-American cuisine. The Bend restaurant had 30 pasta options, as of 2014.[3] In 2020, Willamette Week's Matthew Singer called the chain "Oregon's answer to Olive Garden".[4]

History and locations

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There were three restaurants in Portland, plus one in Bend and another in Corvallis, as of 2016.[5] Craig and Susan Bashel and Kara Hale were owners at the time.[6]

In September 2020, Pastini supplied food to the Lyons Fire Department during the Santiam Fire and donated proceeds from each meal served at restaurants to the Red Cross Cascades Fire fund.[7]

Portland

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The Bashels and Hale opened the first restaurant near the Lloyd Center in 2001. Five more restaurants were opened in Portland within six years.[1] One of the Portland restaurants is housed on the ground level of the Studio Building, near Director Park in downtown.[8][9] The restaurant installed a 23.5-foot (7.2 m) sign on the Studio Building's exterior.[10] During a remodel, the restaurant learned some of the Guild Theatre's restrooms were "technically in its space".[11][12]

Previously, there was a restaurant in northwest Portland's Nob Hill district,[6] which was replaced by Grassa.[13]

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.[14]

Bend and Corvallis

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Pastini expanded into Bend and Corvallis in 2008.[1] The Bend restaurant opened in the Old Mill District.[15][16] During the pandemic, the restaurant offered takeout services, as of May.[17]

Eugene

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Owners confirmed plans for a restaurant in Eugene in 2016.[6] The restaurant opened in July 2017.[1]

Reception

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Pastini has been included in guides published by Fodor's in 2008,[18] and 2010,[19] and 2011.[20] 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".[21] Pastini won first place in the Best Italian category of the Daily Emerald's "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."[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Russo, Ed. "Pastini finds right spot for new home". The Register-Guard. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  2. ^ Kish, Matthew (2018-08-30). "Inside the decline of small business lending in Oregon and why minority- and women-owned businesses are hardest hit". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  3. ^ Where to Eat Guide Central Oregon - Spring Issue 2014: Dining Guide, Bend, Central, Oregon, Restaurant Guide. Where to Eat Guide & Associates. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  4. ^ Singer, Matthew (2020-03-11). "Here's a Bunch of Free Stuff You Can Get on Your Birthday in Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  5. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2016-10-05). "Here Are the 74 Restaurants That Closed in Portland in 2016". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  6. ^ a b c Bamman, Mattie John (2016-01-14). "Pastini Pastaria to Boil Its Last Noodle on NW 23rd". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  7. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-09-23). "Pok Pok's Wings Return as a Delivery-Only Fundraiser Through the Ghost Kitchen Company Reef". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-10-03. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  8. ^ Harnisch, Kelsey (2019-11-19). "Emails Show Portland Businesses Wanted Homeless Meal Service Gone from a Downtown Park". Archived from the original on 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  9. ^ Bell, Jon (2017-01-20). "Exclusive: Downtown's long-dormant Guild Theatre getting a big remake". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2017-01-31. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  10. ^ "Studio Building • Daily Journal of Commerce". 7 April 2010. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  11. ^ Skinner, Marjorie (2010-02-11). "Scour the Earth". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  12. ^ Ned, Lannamann (2018-12-05). "Japanese Bookstore Chain Kinokuniya Announces Downtown Store in Former Guild Theatre". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  13. ^ Russell, Michael (2019-02-26). "Grassa will bring its handmade pasta to Portland's East Side". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  14. ^ "Downtown Portland's plea for support to 'rebuild the spirit' of the city". KATU. 2020-12-02. Archived from the original on 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  15. ^ Gonzalez, Barb (2020-04-30). "Takeout reviews: Central Oregon Italian food". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  16. ^ Anderson, John Gottberg (2015-07-03). "Eating Italian in the Old Mill". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  17. ^ "Several Old Mill District restaurants are reopening". KTVZ. 2020-05-15. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  18. ^ Portland. Fodor's Travel Publications. 2008-07-01. ISBN 978-1-4000-0748-6. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  19. ^ Portland. Fodor's Travel Publications. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4000-0454-6. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  20. ^ Moker, Molly (2011). Fodor's Oregon. Fodor's Travel Publications. ISBN 978-1-4000-0511-6. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  21. ^ Pagliasotti, Sarah (2011-07-05). Fun with the Family Oregon: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7627-6924-7. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  22. ^ "Best of Campus: 2020 Best of Campus Winners!". Daily Emerald. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
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