If you’re looking for authentic Italian food including housemade pasta, pizza, desserts, and craft cocktails, there’s simply no better option than Sorella in Nye Beach, Newport. Sorella is the creation of Justin Wills, who’s no stranger to the Oregon Coast restaurant scene. Wills is a James Beard nominated chef and opened Sorella (which means sister in Italian) in 2015 along with his wife, Stormee. The couple also run the popular, upscale Restaurant Beck in Depoe Bay just 15 minutes north on the 101 from Sorella. Because Beck is more of a fine-dining experience, the couple wanted their new restaurant to be more family-friendly and affordable to all beachgoers without sacrificing quality.
Wills grew up in a big Italian family and learned to cook all the classics from his grandmother. Now, every dish of pasta, bread, sauce, and gelato that comes to your table is handcrafted in house just for you and is of the finest quality you can find. Plus, the prices are more than reasonable for such exceptional quality!
Pasta and pizza are the two main choices for entrees and you’ll find a short and well-curated menu. Their most popular wood-fired pizza is their Bianca made with garlic confit sauce topped with ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino Romano cheese, then drizzled with garlic chile honey, garlic oil and basil, but customers also love the Capricciosa pizza topped with San Marzano tomato sauce and oil-cured artichokes, prosciutto, mushrooms, and fresh mozzarella.
Pasta choices change seasonally, but some of the standouts are the Casarecce alla Bolognese made with Sicilian short-twisted pasta, served with a pork, beef, and veal ragu then topped with crispy breadcrumbs and pecorino Romano cheese, and the Chicken Parmesan which is pan-fried in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese then baked with marinara (Wills’ grandmother's recipe) and mozzarella cheese. Round it out with a truly spectacular caesar salad made with romaine lettuce and tossed in a housemade caesar dressing, frico (toasted parmesan crisps), toasted focaccia crumbles, and pecorino Romano cheese.
Be sure to leave room for desserts like their light and fluffy tiramisu, cannoli, or their daily gelatos like orange olive oil, salted caramel rum, strawberry sorbet that are made in house everyday using a traditional hand-churning method. The flavors follow the seasons so you’re always sure to find something new and delicious to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Cocktail lovers will also adore Sorella for their inventive menu and their many house-made spirits like bitters, nocino, ginger beer, and limoncello. Two current favorites are the Angelo Azzuro made with Painted Lady gin, Cointreau, Sorella Blue Curacao, and Sorella orange bitters, and their Black Walnut Old Fashioned made with Bulleit Bourbon, Sorella Nocino, walnut sugar, Sorella black walnut bitters, orange peel and a bourbon compressed cherry.
The servers are knowledgeable about the menu and since nearly everything is made from scratch they can tell you every ingredient for those who have food allergies they need to be careful of. They can also recommend great wine pairings no matter what you order. Everything is ordered a la carte which makes it perfect for sharing with the whole table.
Come in any day of the week or stop in for one of their specials throughout the week like Tuesday spaghetti night where you can get a plate of their house spaghetti and meatballs for only $14 paired with a $6 glass of Sangiovesse, Wednesday Wine Night when all bottles in house are 50% off, and Thursday for $5 pints and pizzas starting at $14!
Hours:
- Spring and summer: Every day, 3:00pm to 9:00pm
- Fall and winter: Sunday - Wednesday, 3:00pm to 8:00pm and Thursday - Saturday, 3:00pm to 9:00pm
Address: 526 NW Coast St, STE C, Newport
Phone: (541) 265-4055
