Sorella, in the historic Nye Beach area of Newport, OR.

Sometimes the first pizza we have at a new-to-us restaurant does not thrill. We visited Sorella with high hopes a couple of months ago but found the pizza, while tasty, to be overly salty. I was ready to write it off as not-so-worthy; however, we were impressed by the overall menu and rather than judge on one pizza, we vowed to return before committing our impressions to the blog.

Ric’s choice, an amazing pizza capricciosa with oil cured artichokes, prosciutto, mushrooms.

Last night was the night. With the heavy tourist season upon us, we can no longer count on pizza Fridays or dining-out Saturdays, as has been our tradition. It’s just too damned busy along the coast. So we dine mid-week now.

Sorella was busy but not slammed this foggy Wednesday evening. Yes, foggy. Like San Francisco, the Oregon coast can become foggy in a moment as hot valley air collides with cold ocean breezes. But I digress…. We were able to claim a table right away even at 19:00.

To start, heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and the usual insalata Caprese condiments.

There is a fine list of wines by the glass and excellent local brews on tap. I chose a hard-to-find Nebbiolo while Ric quaffed an IPA. Perusing the menu with every intention of ordering a pasta or secondi, we were once again drawn to the pizza. In a what-the-hell moment, we both ordered pies in order to give them another chance to wow us. I am so glad we did.

Local art, Sorella, Nye Beach. Sadly, no polpo on the menu, though.

The pizza was not as salty this time. The flavors of the excellent toppings shown through, with even the sweet subtlety of peperonata complementing the flavorful sausage and peppery arugula on my sausage pizza. The crust is flavorful in itself, not merely a conveyance for toppings. This, dear readers, is a major difference in excellent pizza versus run-of-the-mill: do you like the crust on its own?

Warm, wood walls, colorful local art.

I have to make one criticism: the dinner menu, on second look, did not appeal to us. The pasta preparations just did not strike us as truly Italian. They seemed too complex versus the simplicity we like in Italy. There is cream in the tagliatelle con vongole, for example, and thus I was driven to eat pizza. The antipasto menu is intriguing so perhaps we will return and just dine off that sheet.

The sausage pizza is so much more! I love arugula on pizza. More pizzerias need to do it.

It is a cute restaurant, not-quite cozy but pleasant, with well-spaced tables and fun artwork. The noise level is low, service is efficient and pleasant, and while the pizzas are sized for individual consumption they will happily box the leftovers for you.

We give an OWP 8 to Sorella, and kudos to them for making The Oregonian’s list of 20 must-visit Oregon coast restaurants!

Italian Food: Need I say more?