Family-Style Hits the Mark

The newest restaurant from restaurateur Eduardo Vargas finds the food mogul partnered with renowned sommelier Zoltan Szabo and host with the most, Rudy Guo. The concept entertains the idea of Italian family-style fare, where the fixed price (RMB198) allows everyone to enjoy one main entrée and unlimited antipasti and pastas. Stepping off the bitterly cold streets into Osteria was a most welcome reprieve. The warm atmosphere and woody interior immediately invited us in. Hungry and comfortably seated, we started our meal. We enjoyed the mixture of sweet and salty flavors in the piatto di credi with prosciutto and caramelized onions, but the stand out was the perfectly seared scallops with cauliflower puree. We ordered seconds, of course. A cup of simple, mushroom soup cleansed our palates as the pasta arrived. The seafood pasta was decent and had a strong tomato flavor but was relegated to second billing when we dipped into the earthy gnocchi bathed in a light creamy sauce infused with the piney essence of rosemary and thyme. While sipping our cranberry mojito mocktails (RMB38) we received our main courses. The herb crusted lamb would have been a little too plain if not for the spiced red wine sauce that tingled our taste buds. We were not as impressed with the bland pork nor the seared duck and snap pea risotto. Regardless of the bulge in our bellies, we rounded out the meal with the chocolate cake (RMB38), somewhat of a misnomer. Better names: chocolate deliciousness or fudgy, lick-the-plate goodness. As we stepped back into the night, reflecting on the outstanding wait staff and the attention to detail, we had only one criticism. The dishes blended into one another with a homogeny of flavors. We'd suggest a little more color and distinction, but we'll definitely be tucking into another pleasant meal there soon. Georgia Sparling