Portland’s incoming Italian place is pretty different from others that opened this season: It has no dining room, no cart, no pasta or amaro, not even a garlic knot. Nella Panzanella is all about Italy’s bread-based salad, only available for delivery. The company, a brainchild of husband-wife team Jasper Smith (Bar Casa Vale) and Ella McCallion, will launch on CaviarJuly 16, serving a melange of pickled and fresh vegetables tossed with toasted loaves of Portland-based breads.
The briny Red Nella, for instance, uses roasted red bell peppers, Kalamata olives, Calabrian chile, and feta, paired with a country loaf and fresh tomatoes. The Green Nella focuses more heavily on roasted vegetables, including broccolini and leeks, tossed in a pepitas pesto.
