The culinary experiences in Central Oregon never cease to amaze us. From the countless brew pubs to fine dining, there is an abundance of food options for all palates. On our most recent Bend, Oregon food experience, we ventured to the Westside to try the offerings of Nome Italiano. This new Italian restaurant did not disappoint on our ladies' night.

Shortly after being seated, we discovered that the front of house manager is from Tuscany, and he was more than happy to hear that we were interested in enjoying a bottle of the Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano, a varietal not as well known in Central Oregon. In fact, throughout the expansive wine list with over 100 different bottles to choose from, there was only 1 Montepulciano. Needless to say, this wine was absolutely divine and paired very nicely with the various food options we opted to share.

For the anitpasto options we selected the focaccia and meatballs. The focaccia was nicely crisped on the outside while still remaining soft and buttery on the inside. This was paired with a light, green goddess dip that was a wonderful accompaniment. The meatball plate offered two, wonderfully flavored, dense meatballs that opened up our taste buds for what the rest of the meal provided. 

For the main courses, we decided to split three different options so we could try a little bit of everything. The Elk Ragu was really the star of the show of our main courses. This dish was extremely flavorful without being gamey at all and not overly heavy with the sauce. This is a dish we will go back for again and again. We also tried the bucatini pasta which offered a little bit of spice and some nice balance with the basil and crema on top. To finish, we tried their main seafood dish with shrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari all in a rich broth and served with a piece of focaccia. This dish was not overly fishy and the seafood was all cooked to perfection and the shrimp was absolutely exceptional. 

Of course, what would be a visit to an Italian restaurant without a piece of tiramisu? This desert was surprisingly light and not overly coffee forward. The waiter informed us that the dish was very lightly soaked in coffee so as to not overpower the other flavors. We appreciated every bite of this well balanced dessert. 

Overall impressions from our ladies' night out were so positive that we will be back to Nome in the near future. Be sure to book in advance, though, as they are starting to fill up especially at peak dining hours. Thank you Nome for the great dining experience! 

-The Bend Premier Foodies