Dining Spotlight
Take a seat at Nostra Tavola for delicious Italian fare
By Toni Woodard
I'd heard great things about Nostra Tavola since it opened in September 2023. Just west of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, the Italian eatery blends date-night elegance with spur-of-the-moment casualness. Reservations are encouraged but not required.
You can dress up for a special occasion or saunter in wearing your comfy jeans. The only requirement is to arrive hungry.
The menu at Nostra Tavola (“Our Table” in Italian) centers on classic Italian fare, including salads, antipasto, fancy sandwiches, pasta and pizza. There are several vegetarian options, and gluten-free noodles are available for an additional $2.25.
I was intrigued by the Burrata Con Pesche e Prosciutto ($17) as an appetizer. I love prosciutto paired with melon, so I was excited to try it with peaches. Adding creamy burrata cheese, pistachios, arugula and fresh focaccia bread didn’t hurt! I enjoyed the burrata dish; it felt light and refreshing.
I was surprised the prosciutto arrived cooked like bacon; I was expecting raw, floppy pieces instead of crunchy bits. It was tasty, but I might request uncooked prosciutto next time. I might also spring for extra focaccia bread ($3 for an additional slice). The homemade bread was fantastic: soft and chewy with just the right amount of saltiness.
My husband’s classic Caesar salad ($14) was huge. It was made with romaine hearts instead of leaves, which made the salad appear more yellow and less green. It came sprinkled with plenty of Parmesan cheese, and the dressing was tangy and lemony. Although the salad was ordered as an appetizer, it could easily be an entrée salad with added grilled chicken or shrimp ($6 extra).
I ordered the Cacio e Pepe pasta dish for my entrée ($16). The bucatini noodles (basically thick, hollow spaghetti noodles) tasted homemade and were perfectly al dente. The noodles were bathed in a butter sauce with pecorino cheese and cracked black pepper. It was a delicious plate of comfort and worth breaking my “limit carbs” rule.
My husband’s Rigatoni Bolog-nese ($24) was also hearty and comforting. The thick pasta tubes tasted homemade, and the sauce was earthy and meaty, with less emphasis on tomatoes. The sauce included both ground beef and pork, and the spices tasted like fall. The rigatoni was a perfect dish for a cold day in the Pacific Northwest.
Sadly, we did not have room to try the creme brulee cheesecake ($11) or tiramisu ($14) for dessert. I saw them on other tables; they looked pretty amazing. Next time!
I also spied pizzas being enjoyed by other diners ($2.25 extra for gluten-free crust). All were 12-inch pies, which most folks were eating by themselves. A pizza could easily be shared if everyone started with appetizers. On future visits, I would love to try the classic Margherita pizza ($21) and the Bee Sting pizza ($25) with salami, garlic, basil and a hot honey drizzle.
I also want to try the Chopped Cap sub sandwich ($16) loaded with meats, cheeses and veggies, and dressed in red wine vinegar and olive oil. It sounds huge and packed with Italian flavors. The adult beverage menu also intrigued me. Nostra Tavola offers several seasonal cocktails, as well as about a dozen different amari (plural of amaro), which are herbal liqueurs. I don’t know much about amari, but Nostra Tavola would be a great place to learn!
The menu is on Nostra Tavola’s website, while its social media sites provide lots of food photos to tempt your taste buds. The content on their Facebook and Instagram pages is almost identical, so choose your favorite without fear of missing out.
Nostra Tavola
8070 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver
360-433-9315
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m Monday-Saturday; 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
profile.php?id=100094110840206
or search for “Nostra Tavola”
Instagram: @nostra_tavola_vancouver
Toni Woodard is enthusiastic about food, fairs, llamas and writing. She is the author of “I’m Fine: A Practical Guide to Life with Chronic Pain.” Contact her at toniisfine@outlook.com.
