During Nate King and Bill Dockter’s many visits to Bend from Colorado, they noticed no lively, upscale Italian restaurants. They saw it as an opportunity to open such an osteria in town to fill that niche. Three weeks before the pandemic lockdown in 2020, the pair signed a lease in the old Westside Bakery building on Galveston. Although they wouldn’t open as soon as they’d wanted, the shutdown afforded them time to pull together BOSA Food & Drink, which finally opened at the beginning of August.

It’s not that we don’t have good Italian restaurants in Central Oregon, but this was a different concept. Like Ava Gene’s in Portland, the food might be upscale, but the owners do not call it “fine dining.” The emphasis is on local specialties with a menu that includes pasta, grilled meat and fish.

“We wanted European-style food … wine-friendly food,” chef-owner Nate King explained, “in a casual, lively atmosphere that isn’t reserved for special occasions.”

King and Dockter met at Cache Cache, a sophisticated, high-end bistro in Aspen, Colorado. After working under James Beard Award-winning chefs in Aspen, King oversaw the kitchen at Cache Cache where Dockter joined him as a sous chef. The two formed a great working relationship and kept in touch. They moved to Bend to pursue the BOSA concept.

BOSA’s design is modern, clean and simple. A wall of windows keeps it bright and airy. The food echoes that theme. Although the menu is Italian and French fare, simple recipes bring out the fresh quality ingredients without extra-fussy sauces and spices.

Our server explained the menu before we ordered. The intention is to share, she said. Starters are small plates, followed by pasta. She recommended that we order one of the large entrees with a side dish. My friend and I opted for two entrees so we could try both meat and fish.

Crostini, burrata (like a caprese salad) and farm vegetable crudités are among BOSA’s fresh appetizers. We opted for the sliced farm radishes with Oregon hazelnuts and light shreds of pecorino on top. Red radishes are dry-pickled to lessen their sharp flavor and mixed with watermelon radishes. The delicate dance of the thinly sliced radishes is brightened with a citrus vinaigrette and chives. It’s a light and mouth-watering starter.

Steak tartare is one of my favorite comparison dishes to order at a bistro. Typically, a French steak tartare will come with creamy cheese and egg, mustard and bread on the side. The unique BOSA version had the chopped raw meat tossed in an olive oil and basil with the slightest hint of Dijon. The basil gave it an Italian flare. It was served on a chewy, rustic baguette from Village Baker. Although different than other recipes, it was light and delicious.

The next course was pasta. In Italy, pasta is made with high-quality ingredients in such a way that a pile of noodles doesn’t weigh you down. While most people think of BOSA as an Italian restaurant, you shouldn’t expect spaghetti or linguine in heavy red sauce from Southern Italy. This kind of pasta originates from farther north. The pasta is made in-house daily and includes wide noodle tagliatelle, curly fusilli and little-shelled lumache.

Our server recommended agnolotti — a ravioli cousin. Braised beef filled the pocketed pasta in a light sauce of veal stock with beurre monté for a hint of creaminess. Oregon hazelnuts added earthy nuttiness for dimension of flavor. It was topped with parsley and light shreds of Parmesan cheese. The balance and lightness of the meat and sauce made for pasta with delicate flavors.

That same light hand was used on the rainbow trout alla Milanese entree. This preparation is typically reserved for thin slices of meats, but it worked beautifully on the trout. Dusted with finely ground white bread crumbs, the pan-fried fish had a medley of herbs and spices that teased the palate without overwhelming it with any one flavor. Peppery arugula coated with grilled lemon vinaigrette added citrus and pepper for a lively, light contrast to the fried fish.

The New York strip steak with peppercorn sauce gave us a chance to try Bosa’s grilled meat. The perfectly cooked tender meat was sliced with sprinklings of Jacobsen salt flakes. It was served with green beans. As the creamy, green peppercorn sauce is served on the side, I was able to add enough for flavor without the meat swimming in sauce.

Had the dessert menu not included chocolate mousse, I may have been able to resist. The mousse au chocolat was served with a side bowl of fresh raspberries and blueberries. BOSA’s light hand extended to this airy, luscious dessert — the chocolate was perfect for dipping berries. Our second dessert was a simple panna cotta with winter spices — star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg and grilled orange slices. Again, light enough that I wasn’t stuffed at the end of the meal.

As I wanted to try a red-sauced pasta, I returned a few days later and ordered the tagliatelle. The house-made, tender wide noodles were topped with ground pork and beef ragu— a light tomato sauce with just enough herbs to bring out the flavors of the tomato and meat. I intended on taking it to go but decided to savor it with a glass of chianti and focaccia bread at the bar.

BOSA makes its own focaccia. A large triangle stood on a plate atop whipped butter, parsley and chives. The crust was crunchy with a quick drizzle of flavorful olive oil. The airy interior was a chewy contrast making it light enough to soak up a sauce or dip in butter. It is likely the best focaccia I’ve tried outside of Italy.

King and Dockter want BOSA to be the kind of place diners visit multiple times a week. The long bar is available for walk-ins, but you’ll need a reservation if you want a table.

What: BOSA Food & Drink

Where: 1005 NW Galveston Ave., Bend

Hours: 5-10 p.m. daily

Contact: bosabend.com or 541-241-2727