June 10, 2026 – Patio season in Oregon feels a little different than it does in most places. Maybe it’s because we spend so much of the year waiting for it. The first warm days of summer have a way of changing everything. Dinner plans become patio plans. One drink turns into two. People linger a little longer.

After months of gray skies, nobody wants to waste a sunny evening. At Pastini, that’s exactly what inspired this year’s summer menu. It’s built around some of our favorite things about the season: coastal Italian flavors, Pacific Northwest wines, peak strawberry season, and drinks that feel right at home on a sunny patio.

Step 1: Start with Something Refreshing

Every good patio meal starts with a drink.

This summer, we’re excited to feature wines from Wild Roots. Chances are you’ve seen Wild Roots on the spirits shelf before. Known for their Oregon-made spirits crafted with real fruit, their wines have that same easygoing Pacific Northwest personality and pair beautifully with good food and long summer evenings.

Their Willamette Valley Chardonnay brings notes of pear, golden apple, and a touch of buttery richness, making it an easy match for seafood and lighter summer dishes.

If cocktails are more your speed, the Strawberry Paloma combines tequila, fresh strawberry, lime, and grapefruit soda with a Tajín rim for a drink that’s bright, refreshing, and made for warm summer evenings.

Looking for a zero-proof option? The Strawberry Mock Mule mixes fresh strawberry and lime with ginger beer and local Dhos nonalcoholic gin for something equally refreshing.

Step 2: Take a Trip to the Italian Coast

If you’ve ever spent time in a coastal town in Italy, you’ll notice that seafood pasta is a staple on menus and dinner tables alike. Linguine alle Vongole is one of Italy’s most beloved seafood dishes. Found everywhere from seaside trattorias to family gatherings, it’s a dish that’s both simple and deeply satisfying.

Like many Italian classics, the magic is in the ingredients. Our version stays true to that tradition while adding a few summer flavors of its own. Little neck clams are tossed with linguine, white wine, lemon, butter, herbs, sweet corn, and Calabrian chili, then topped with anchovy pangrattato for texture and savory depth.

The briny sweetness of the clams, bright lemon, sweet corn, and subtle kick from the Calabrian chili make it feel especially at home on a summer menu. And pairs perfectly with a glass of chilled Wild Roots Chardonnay and a table outside.

Step 3: Don’t Miss Strawberry Season

Oregonians know strawberry season is worth the wait.

Unlike the larger strawberries you’ll find year-round, Oregon strawberries have a relatively short season, usually arriving in late spring and peaking in early summer. They’re smaller, sweeter, and packed with flavor, which is why you’ll find people lining up at farmers markets and filling their kitchens with flats of berries this time of year.

Around here, strawberry season is one of the clearest signs that summer has officially arrived.

That’s why strawberries show up throughout our summer menu.

You’ll find them in our Strawberry Paloma and Strawberry Mock Mule, bringing a taste of Oregon summer to every sip. You’ll also find them in our newest dessert, which just might become your new seasonal favorite.

After all, summer in Oregon and strawberries belong together.

Step 4: Save Room for Dessert

If strawberries are one of the stars of Oregon summer, they deserved a place in dessert too.

Our Strawberry Semifreddo Shortcake features housemade strawberry semifreddo, olive oil cake and fresh strawberries.

If you’ve never had semifreddo before, think of it as somewhere between ice cream and mousse. This classic Italian dessert is cool, creamy, light, and especially refreshing on a warm day.

It’s the kind of dessert that disappears from the table faster than anyone expected.

Step 5: Stay for the Sunset

One of the best things about patio season isn’t the food. It’s what happens around it.

The conversations that last longer than expected. The extra glass of wine. Looking up and realizing the sun still hasn’t set yet. Oregon summer evenings have a way of making people linger, and we’re all for it.

For those who prefer red wine year-round, the Wild Roots Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills and offers notes of dark berries, chocolate, and dried fig. As the evening cools and the sky starts to turn shades of pink and gold, it’s the perfect wine to sip while watching the sunset and savoring those last few moments of daylight.

Summer eventually gives way to fall. Strawberry season comes and goes. Patio season never seems to last quite as long as we’d like.

For now, though, the days are long, the sunsets are late, and there’s still plenty of summer left to enjoy.

We’ll see you on the patio.