Fresh Pasta and Craft Drinks Planned for Soon-to-Close Sal's in NW Portland

Last week, we learned Marc and Tracy Frankel plan to close Sal's Italian Kitchen, the Uptown Shopping Center restaurant they've run for the last decade. The plan is to replace it with a newer pasta-centric concept, Sorellina, with the help of JJ Harris, the executive chef at their other business, Lovejoy Bakers. This week, the Frankels confirmed that, after a bit of remodeling and redesign, they could open doors as early as mid-July. Sal's, they say, is slated to close for good on the evening of July 3.

With a seating capacity for 65, including plenty of booth seating, Sorellina will feature a more brightly colored and contemporary design, backing up a menu of Italian fare with a Pacific Northwest sensibility. So you can expect seasonality to play a huge part in what's served. Harris adds that the menu will have no fewer than eight varieties of handmade fresh pasta at any given moment — all of it made in plain sight from a partially open kitchen. There will also be seasonal vegetable dishes, soups, salads, rotating nightly fish specials, and options for other proteins, like chicken and pork. On the drinks side, expect classic craft cocktails under the guidance of General Manager Robert Fuller. You can check out sample menus on the nascent website and pretty pictures of some early menu testing here.

If all goes according to plan, Sorellina will open for lunch and dinner on July 18. And once the staff finds its sea legs, Frankel says weekend brunch isn't far off.

Sorellina: 33 NW 23rd Place, (503) 467-4067