Sunday, May 25, 2008
Food, Reviews
Osteria 832: relaxed, simple goodness
Spark St. Jude
Osteria 832 Executive Chef Lisbet Hernandez knows how to toss a good pie.
DINING ESSENTIALS
Osteria 832
832 North Highland Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30306
404-897-1414
www.osteria832.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 5–10 p.m.; Fri. 5–11 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.–11 p.m; Sun. 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Reservations: No
Dress Code: Casual
Cuisine: Pizza, pasta
Alcohol: Full bar
Cost: $3–$8, appetizers and salads; $8 -$12, pasta and pizza; $12-$13, entrees
Credit Cards: All major
Outdoor Seating: Lovely patio
Parking: Small lot, street
By Katie Kelly Bell
Married people with kids, desperate for a good meal, flock to destinations such as Osteria 832. They love it because it has the vibe of those cool places they frequented when they dated. They appreciate the delicious food and an intelligent wine list, but best of all, this place has kid-friendly dynamics. Not in a screeching, annoying way, but in a friendly, local, neighborly way. Parents who find a place like Osteria 832 quickly become thankful, loyal customers.
Indeed, the kid-friendly moniker shouldn’t be a deterrent to those without offspring. On a given evening the dining room is populated with everything from gals on a girl’s night out, to casual date night diners or just large groups of every age. Small people can cruise the intimate room and make small talk with other small people while moms and dads dive into their plastic tumbler of good Chianti and look longingly at the blazing wood fired oven for any sign that their prosciutto and arugula pizza is on its way.
So what’s all the fuss about? Seasonal, organic and super-fresh chow on the cheap. Established in 2003 Osteria 832 began with a mission to serve delicious simple food that didn’t bust the budget. Chef Lisbet Hernandez further influenced the concept by insisting on procuring the freshest, most local, seasonal ingredients available to serve her customers. Naturally, the idea worked.
In keeping with the term Osteria (known in Italy as a simple, affordable restaurant) Chef Hernandez lets her premium ingredients do the talking. “We use local as much as possible. The challenge is to give Atlantans a fresh, high quality meal without spending a lot of money … many folks want seasonal and fresh but people cannot pay for it. That’s what we set out to do and it’s working, people love it.”
Drawing on her personal history (raised in by two chefs with roots in Italy, Spain, and Venezuela) Hernandez brings her passion for Mediterranean cuisine to the table as she crafts elegantly thin crust pizzas, fresh salads with premium lettuces (arugula, spinach, romaine), and pasta of every shape and sort. Her house specialty though is trota al rosmarino, pan-seared trout with rosemary and olive oil. “People come for this the trout because we get it so fresh,” she says. “Right now, we are serving trout with heirloom carrots roasted in the oven with olive oil. I love the simplicity of this dish.”
The line-up for Sunday brunch offers even more to swoon over. Consider French toast, bruschetta dipped in egg, grilled and served with fresh bananas and nutella or the Osteria Benedict, poached eggs, cotto ham, and pancetta over bruschetta with hollandaise sauce.
On any given visit, you’ll need several to explore all the offerings, be sure to order a siciliana pizza, but the house fave is smoked prosciutto with taleggio and rosemary. Pasta bets to think about: wild mushroom ravioli, rustica (with spicy tomato sauce and sausage), boscaiola (peas, Parmigiano, pancetta), and lasagna. Children will behave and eat their spinach if you offer them the all-natural macaroni and cheese.
Special deals are always in the works, frequent visitors should definitely check out the karma Card, which can be used at any of the three Homegrown Restaurants: DocChey’s, Stella Trattoria and Osteria. Get free appetizers, VIP discounts and special monthly offers. Mondays are all about dollar beer, Tuesday is for oenophiles with 50 percent off any bottle on the list and Wednesday features $12 Peroni pitchers for Italian beer lovers.
Bring a pack of friends, order the best and cheapest pizza in town, some salads and a few pasta dishes and host your own Italian tasting night. Guffaw, smile, stuff yourself and enjoy, Osteria welcomes you. SP