Peek Inside Olympic Provisions NW: With Major Menu Details

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[DeJesus, 4/20/11]

The wait is almost over: Olympic Provisions' long-awaited Northwest outpost is scheduled to open (for lunch only) this Saturday, April 23, but empire builder Nate Tilden (the restaurateur behind Clyde Common, Spirit of '77, and what will now be known as "the first" Olympic Provisions) gave Eater a peek inside the DIY-infused space (just like OP on the east side: but white!). All metalwork, including the counter frame and towering double wine "rack" lining the north wall, was fused by Tilden and his father; the wooden charcuterie boards were hand-made; and the spot's focal point, a bright red rotisserie oven, was an eBay find.

And the food: The spot's "rustic Italian"-inspired menu is helmed by Clyde Common alum Erin Williams (she was the opening sous chef back in 2007), and the rotisserie oven is the menu's focal point as well, with chickens offered during lunch and dinner in 1/4 and 1/2 portions (drippings, Tilden notes, will be combined with potatoes to create what he calls a "schmaltz-roasted" side).

The opening lunch menu features nine options, including hot ham-and-brie sandwiches (made with OP's sweetheart hams), a skin-on porchetta sandwich served on a Lovejoy Bakers ciabatta roll, and OP's just-unveiled frankfurters, offered daily (as opposed to only on Fridays at the mothership). "True deli-style" items like legume salads and pre-wrapped sandwiches will be available alongside the cured meats in the deli case for the to-go crowd, and Williams hopes to soon offer kid-friendly options like baloney sandwiches (made from mortadella) and PB&Js for brown-bagging moms.

At dinner, expect a selection of oysters on the half shell, hot appetizers (like clams with white beans and fennel), several salad options (including a Spanish octopus cocktail, served with garlic toast), and a couple of seasonally based pastas (opening night should feature a chitarra with nettle pesto, and a cavatelli with peas and asparagus). Featured entrees, in addition to that chicken, lean toward items like porchetta steak, lamb sugo, and a bisteca Florentina that serves two-to-four folks. The extensive dessert menu offers up OP's infamous chocolate salami, in addition to items including a sprawling cookie platter and rhubarb crostada.

OPNW opens for lunch on Saturday, dinner service to follow later in the week.
· Olympic Provisions [Official site]
· All Previous OP Coverage [Eater PDX]