spring onion, vegetables, lemon,
panisse, halibut and shrimp
Cafe Salad
$10.00
roasted beets, hazelnuts
Caesar Salad
$12.00
organic romaine palenas way
Provolone Piccante Sul Legno, tartufato
$18.00
provolone baked on a cedar plank with summer truffles and truffle honey
Fresh Greek Sardines, en Saor
$17.00
sweet and sour marinade with pistachios, raisins and peaches
Gazpacho
$16.00
ganish of soft cooked pullet egg, poached alaskan king salmon, manila clams and croutons
Antipasto, tonnato
$16.00
our lightly smoked pork, loin, sicilian caponata-crispy fried garnishes, creamy tuna sauce and a soft cooked egg
Crudo
$14.00
line caught wild rockfish-cumin roasted beets, horseradish-lime sabayon, fried horseradish
Brodetto
$17.00
fish and shellfish in a fragrant broth with leeks, fingerling potatoes and chard stems
Pate
$18.00
squab, shoat & pistachio-pickled green tomato and button mushrooms, mustard glazed beets, mostarda
Pasta
Feretto
$16.00
buckwheat pasta with our sausage, italian grass peas and northern neck sweet corn
Spaghetti Ligurian Style
$16.00
basil pesto, garden beans, fingerling potato and pecorino
Lobster Roe Tagliatelle
$17.00
with lump crab and spotted skate wing, calabrian chilis and lemon toasted bread crumbs
Bucatini
$15.00
beef cheek ragu, swiss chard and provolone piccante
Paccheri
$16.00
fragrant tomato sauce and gulf shrimp
Specialties
Palena Chicken
$21.00
lemon braised greens
Brads Whey Fed Pork Shoulder, pizzaiola
$28.00
braised with roma tomato, oregano, garlic and parsley
Our Fennel Sausage
$18.00
aggies kimchi, oven roasted potatoes, fried organic hen egg
Nova Scotia Halibut, romanesco
$28.00
pan roasted with honey glazed eggplant and a roman inspired sauce of bread, marjoram, and tomato
Grill Frittes
$30.00
wild alaskan king salmon-angus beef, both with shoestrings and a warm, balsamico/anchovy vinaigrette, a salad to begin: boston lettuce, pt. reyes blue cheese, croutons and sherry vinegar
The Palena Cheese Burger
$13.00
pickles
Line Caught Swordfish: Involtini
$16.00
Messinese
$16.00
wrapped with herbs and provola cheese, farro and garden bean salad
Tavola Di Perpetua E Felicita
a head to tail feast featuring locally raised beef and/or lamb served family style
Per Person 6 Person Minimum$75.00
Tastes From Our Dining Room
Consomme D Ete
$16.00
summers broth, clear rich oxtail broth with corn raviolini, chanterelles, slivers of foie gras, basil and small variety tomatoes
Palena, a small town located in the Provence of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy, is the home town of Chef Frank Ruta’s mother. The picturesque mountain town is located 2,300 feet above sea level where archeological remains date back 40,000 years. Palena is located in the Maielle mountain range, a string of dome-shaped masses which are part of the austere Appenine mountains. The Abruzzo of today is still mostly unspoiled and authentic. Around town strawberries and raspberries grow wild. Prickly clumps of juniper dot the paths and untamed flora cover the hillsides. The environment influences the cooking wherein tradition still reigns. Local ingredients are commonly used in what is known as “cucina genuina” or genuine cooking. Palena offers 2 distinct dining options. The Dining Room offers a price fixe tasting menu and a classic setting. While the Cafe offers dining a la carte and a casual, family-friendly atmosphere. All options feature the seasonal, innovative cuisine of James Beard award winning chef, Frank Ruta. Palena Market is coming soon.