DINING REVIEW
From Italy, With Love By Rita Calvert | Photography by Stephen Buchanan
H
ighly respected both for bringing authentic flavors from a wide geographic range in Italy and for the staff’s professionalism, Osteria 177’s ambiance beckons again and again, often for special occasions, in the heart of Historic Annapolis. Executive Chef and Owner Arturo Ottaviano pays special attention to every detail from the clean eclectic décor, with soaring ceilings, to the menu, changing daily, with the name of each dish written in Italian followed by an English description. Thus, our expectation for this visit—a memorable dining experience.
The extremely friendly hostess led us to a table toward the front of the restaurant, which allowed for a quieter meal filled with lots of conversation. We met Dimitri, our sly server, who introduced himself and explained that he has been working at Osteria for a very long time and, to our delight, noted his sommelier certification. He asked if we preferred still water or with “gas.” Bottled water is the rule here. Do you sometimes find the limited menu in quite upscale restaurants a slight disappointment? You won’t have that problem here. The offerings are numerous, and the menu is a pleasure to peruse, and to so repeatedly, because there are so many temptations to consider. Since Osteria may change its menu every night (depending on availability of items), the specials are written in red. This reading material will give you plenty of time (and an excuse) to savor the warm bread provided, along with extra virgin olive oil for dipping. Bread may not seem all that novel, but this bread is the proverbial “to die for” with its soft pillowy center and crisp edge—truly a standout. Even with the starters, entrees, and desserts we knew we’d be ordering, we just about finished off the bread, dipping into the slightly spicy olive oil—something we (really) try not to do, but couldn’t help ourselves here. With exceptional service and attention, Dimitri explained many of the menu items, while occasionally inserting a joke or two.
OSTERIA 177
177 MAIN STREET, ANNAPOLIS | 410-267-7700 | OSTERIA177.COM
Speaking of starters, we had so thoroughly enjoyed Osteria’s Carpaccio Di Manzo (sliced raw tenderloin beef over arugula with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, with capers) on a previous visit that we wanted to try their other delightful sounding beef starter: the Bresaola alla Valtellinese. Compared with many other types of cured meat, Bresaola is a bit like a lean prosciutto, usually made with beef filet and sliced paper thin. Bresaola has an IGP trademark (protected geographical indication) limiting its production to certified master butchers in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy. On first bite, my dining companion declared this version far superior to all other cured meats. It was beautifully presented, on an abundant bed of fresh spinach with deeply flavorful shaved Parmigiana and thinly-sliced, marinated portabella mushroom. A light drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon was the perfect dressing. The very generous serving saved us from bargaining over who would get the most of it. For another starter to share, we decided on a vegetable focus, with much loved Burrata cheese as well: Burrata Fresca Con Verdure Alla Griglia. The large ball of Burrata cheese was encircled by roasted red peppers, grilled marinated zucchini, eggplant, cured tomatoes, and Cerignola olives. An excellent choice! What to drink? Osteria has a handsome, carefully-selected wine list, favoring Italian selections of course, but also a fair number of American wines, and a short but sweet list of specialty cocktails. We had the great benefit of our server being a certified sommelier and my friend took complete advantage of his expertise for recommending an
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What’s Up? Annapolis | March 2022 | whatsupmag.com
