Stepping into decarli on July 1st after 465 days of Covid-related restaurant restrictions was an emotional moment. Oregon removed state mandated restaurant restrictions on June 30th, allowing restaurants to determine their own safety protocols.
The sounds of laughter and conversation fill the air, and the smells from the open kitchen delight the senses as the decarli kitchen team creates dish after dish made with the freshest local ingredients, a signature blend of sophisticated and rustic flavors for which they are famous. Known as the restaurant which brought fine dining to Beaverton, the restaurant and bar are full of people enjoying their meals at a favorite local spot.
We had the chance to sit down with Jana DeCarli, who is the co-owner of decarli with her husband Paul DeCarli, to learn more about the restaurant. Fun little-known fact! Jana is a former Miss Oregon! We also had the chance to ask about her pageant experience.
WHEN DID DECARLI OPEN?
Paul and I had discussed opening a Beaverton restaurant and we found this space. Six months later we had our lease and keys! We opened the night before Thanksgiving, 2007.
WHY BEAVERTON?
We were both working in Portland, I at Blue Hour and Paul as executive chef at Tuscany Grill, and we were ready to launch our own restaurant. Paul grew up here, and we live here with our family and wanted to invest in Beaverton.
OKAY, NOW THE QUESTION I’VE BEEN DYING TO ASK THIS WHOLE TIME! TELL ME ABOUT BEING MISS OREGON.
I started competing in pageants at 17 because of the talent scholarships, which would help me pay for Mt. Hood Community College’s jazz vocal program.
I won the talent scholarship and was first runner-up for Miss Lincoln County, then I won Miss Metro East and then Miss Oregon in 1986, which paid for college and led me to the Miss America pageant.
TELL US WHY YOU VOLUNTEER WITH MISS OREGON.
I’m still close with many participants and the pageant helped us attend college. We wish to give back and help future generations of women get a higher education. If you become Miss America, you have the opportunity to tell the whole country about causes that you support. The women who compete are neuroscientists, chemical engineers, and physicians. These women are here to help change the world.
HOW DID PAGEANTS HELP YOUR CAREER?
Pageant training helped me understand an audience and how I can give them the best experience possible. I learned how to relate to people and meet their needs, which helps me every day at work.
