Inside Italian Small-Plates Spot Piattino, Firing Up Monday

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[Avila/EPDX]

The switcheroo is complete at the Pearl District spot recently home to Shiraz Grill. Owner Kooroush Shearan swaps his Mediterranean concept for an Italian small-plates restaurant, Piattino, offering oven-kissed tapas, pastas, and a handful of pizzas. The airy Shiraz space has evolved into a completely wood-wrapped room (salvaged, of course), with six seats at an oven counter, six at the bar, and 40 additional seats around reclaimed wood tables.

With Oven & Shaker next door, Shearan — who once owned a chain of pizza restaurants in London — emphasized earlier this summer that pizza would not be a main focus. Instead, chef Michael Campbell, an alum of San Francisco's RN74, offers a list of 11 small plates (wood-fired mussels with tomatillo and cilantro; shellfish arancini with shrimp and lobster; and a crispy half hen served with pepperonata, honey, and fennel pollen). The opening menu features five pastas (pork belly tortelli; fettuccine pimiento with wild boar ragu) and a mushroom-and-salami calzone.

Piattino officially opens for business Monday, September 16. Hours of operation: 11a.m. to 10p.m., daily.
· Piattino [Official site]
· All Previous Piattino Coverage [Eater PDX]