December 2016
With the days getting shorter and blustery weather setting in, we can all use a little more comfort. A delicious lunch or dinner at Pie + Vine is the perfect antidote to the winter doldrums, where braving the elements is well rewarded with soul-satisfying, house-made pizzas, pasta and more.
Pie + Vine, at 358 East Main Street, is a family-friendly restaurant with a gourmet touch, at prices that are sure to please. Known as Pasta Piatti since it opened in 2004, the restaurant and patio area were completely remodeled last year by owners Lisa and Thomas Beam. They installed a wood-fired oven, updated the menu and changed the name.
“Pie + Vine is a casual family restaurant that features Italian cuisine and emphasizes wood-fired hearth cooking,” says Thomas. “Our menu includes traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas, house-made fresh pasta, soups and salads.”
“We like to think of it as affordable, neighborhood Italian, served by your local friends and family,” adds Lisa. “We just updated our menu for the Fall/Winter and offer many soups and sandwiches for lunchtime, which goes from 11:30am until 4pm.”
After 4, the restaurant offers its dinner menu until 9pm.
Both Thomas and Lisa have extensive culinary and restaurant experience. Thomas attended the Culinary Institute of America and Parkland College in Illinois, where he studied Hotel/Restaurant Hospitality. Lisa graduated with a degree in Business Economics from Willamette University. Both got an early start in restaurant work—Thomas as a busboy at the age of 14, and Lisa working summers from age 10 in her grandparents’ restaurant.
Lisa is a Rogue Valley native who met Thomas while living in Colorado. The two moved here just after they married in 2000 to be closer to family. Outside of work, they enjoy skiing at Mt. Ashland with daughter Olivia, age 13, and working with a variety of community organizations.
One new venture is particularly exciting. “In the fall of 2014 we began planting a vineyard, ‘Vine + Yard,’” says Lisa. “With the help of our long-time staff we have approximately one acre planted. Currently, we have this label available at both Sesame Asian Kitchen, another one of our restaurants, and Pie + Vine.”
If you prefer winter dining in the comfort of your own home, Lisa offers this: “Any of our restaurant dishes are available for carry-out or free delivery 7 days a week. And our pizza crusts are now offered for sale at the Ashland Food Coop. We will have more products available in the months ahead.”
For more info, the phone number is 541-488-5493 or visit pieandvine.co (the “co” is not a misspelling). And you can like them on Facebook.
