Aug 21, 2008
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Aug 21, 2008 |
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Osteria da Nino is the Italian offspring of Red, the eclectic restaurant also in downtown Huntington.
It's self-described as "rustic."And the place is very much a walk-in: no reservations, just come by.
Something's cooking on Main Street.
Osteria refers to a taverna or taproom, but locally it has become pretty much interchangeable with trattoria, the casual type of eatery found throughout Italy.
Awash in sunny hues, decorated with copper pots and colorful ceramics, accented with dark wood, Osteria da Nino is dressed for the part, countrified in a stylish way. You can say that about the food, too.
Begin with a variation on carciofi alla giudia, the delectable fried artichoke dish of Trastevere and the medieval Jewish ghetto of Rome. There, the young artichokes are deep-fried whole and spread so they resemble a very crisp flower. Here, artichokes are quartered and sauteed, averting crispiness, but holding onto satisfying flavor.
Lots of squid turn up crunchy and lightly gilded at the osteria, paired with a respectable marinara dip. But lemon is all you'll want. The house's bruschetti also are tasty, whether with the typical tomato topping, or with roasted peppers or tuna and white beans. Seafood salad sports a radicchio leaf filled with shrimp, scallops, squid and octopus, all neatly dressed.
Mussels marinara are plump and well-sauced. Likewise, the eggplant alla Parmigiana, which skips the mantle of mozzarella and concentrates on the vegetable. Panzanella, which originated in Rome as a salad dressing atop bread, is broadened with ripe tomatoes and onion, for a refreshing starter. Lentil soup arrives hot and bracing, but underseasoned. And spiedini alla Romana is a modest, fried cheese sandwich, more like mozzarella in carrozza, requiring some spark from capers and anchovies.
Spaghetti with bottarga, or shaved mullet roe, lemon, garlic and olive oil, is a savory pasta, but a trifle dry. Linguine with white clam sauce overflows with tender little vongole. But pappardelle with chicken and tomatoes is a bland, unwieldy alliance. Better: red-sauced gnocchi and the popular fettuccine with meatballs.
Osteria da Nino has a special each day. Monday diners will enjoy a hearty beef braciola, studded with pine nuts. But the zeppelin is tethered to fettuccine, not exactly its ideal mate. On Fridays, the kitchen prepares generous, aromatic roast suckling pig.
Everyday winners include the sage-driven saltimbocca, with tender veal and prosciutto, and a workmanlike veal alla Milanese, here with the tomato-and-onion salad on the side. Roast pork chops, however, are chewy.
Polenta-crusted salmon is moist within, but gains little from the cornmeal coat. Monkfish alla Livornese shows up slightly overdone, in a zesty, olive-spiked scarlet sauce.
The osteria's tartufo does have a gnarled, truffle-like shape, and it's got rich chocolate flavor, with tart cherries alongside. The yogurt-and-mascarpone cream, with blueberries and a raspberry coulis is both sweet and tangy. Ricotta cheesecake, chocolate mousse and an Italianate lemon meringue pie also are recommended.
Osteria da Nino has more appeal when it's less crowded, less noisy. But that whirring weekend buzz and dash of chaos often go with the genre. Have fun.
By now, you've got their number.
Reviewed by Peter M. Gianotti, 10/19/03.
Hours: Dinner every day. Lunch, Monday to Saturday.