As published in the VC Reporter, December 2009.
Just what is it about an evening of
great Italian food and impossibly good (and difficult to pronounce) red wine
that make me swoon? Is it the handsome affable waiter with the Italian accent?
Or could it be the dim lighting and the accordion music being piped in? I went
to Italy
About a year ago, I wrote on these
very pages about World Flavor Café, the restaurant that formerly occupied the
space Osteria Monte Grappa has now taken over. Stefano
and Tammi Bernardi, who have served as long-time co-owners of Via Vai and Pane
e Vino in Montecito, bought the business and redesigned the layout to allow for
a few more inside tables in what remains a remarkably small space. Their rustic
northern Italian menu takes from a region in northeastern Italy Venice Verona
Despite only having a
tiny unassuming chalkboard sign near the street, Osteria will be easy to find.
A spacious patio with an olive tree and umbrellas for shade offers comfortable
alfresco dining. The indoor space, however, can be a bit cramped and hot and
the sloped floor an odd curiosity (our beverages tilted precariously in our
neighbor’s direction). Umber walls, glowing sconces and a painting of the village of Monte Grappa
The menu is reasonably
priced with countless offerings, including a daily selection of specials
influenced by Tammi’s fresh organic finds at the local farmers’ markets and
Stefano’s wild mushroom foraging. There are several antipasti (appetizers),
insalate (salads), pizze, primi (pastas) and secondi (entrees). There are
plenty of vegetarian options and the bambinos also have their own menu. During
lunch, a half dozen different panini (sandwiches) are offered.
Fresh warm bread -
crusty outside and chewy inside – is served upon seating with a delicious spicy
olive oil, along with a splash of reduced balsamic vinegar, a nice sweet and
tangy surprise. Much like you would find in an Italian village restaurant,
there are no bread plates and crumbs are happy to scatter themselves all over
the tablecloth. Wine comes next, and what I love most about Italian dining is
that the food wants wine and the wine wants food. We chose glasses of
food-friendly Barbera, Chianti and Valpolicella red Italian wines, which were
poured generously.
Among the dishes sampled during two separate
visits were the insalata valcavasia (fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil on a
bed of mixed greens), which was large enough to share, and the insalata
chiozotta (a gorgeous organic beet and radicchio salad with feta). Our pasta
dishes were each perfectly portioned; we had the penne alla padernota (penne
with mushrooms in a tomato cream sauce) and the fusilli al pesto di basilico
con pollo (fusilli with basil and grilled chicken). Our entrée choices were
signature standouts: the frutti di mare con brodetto al pesto (a green
cioppino) and the bistecca tagliata alpino (organic New York
Flavors and freshness are abundant at Osteria.
Particularly noteworthy are the expertly paired contrasting flavors, especially
pronounced in the daily specials (Tammi recently found dandelion greens, which
were tossed with linguini and pancetta – a perfect marriage of salty buttery
bitterness). Menu surprises don’t end there; one night a wild boar pasta
special created quite a buzz.
The least expensive item on the affordable menu
is the soup ($4.50) and the most expensive (by far, as most items are around
$12.00) is the steak or the lamb chops ($23.75). Service is friendly,
professional and expedient, and although our pasta was a bit slow to come out
on the one night, we were never left wanting for attention.
Having now dined at
Osteria more than a dozen times over the last couple of months, I find it
refreshing to see experienced restaurateurs at the helm. Their savvy is evident
at every turn, from the menu offerings with a focus on simple, fresh
ingredients, to the well-informed service and right down to the carefully
chosen wine list.
Osteria
Monte Grappa’s authentic cuisine and come-as-you-are casual neighborhood vibe
will make you feel like you’ve been to Italy
Osteria Monte Grappa
Ojai
640-6767
$4.50-$23.95
Open
Daily for Lunch and Dinner
