OTTO? Oh, yes.
Mario Batali’s name is behind it. But don’t take his word for it.
A Batali partnership with Joe Bastianich opened in 2003, OTTO (pronounced “oh-toe,” like the number eight in Italian) provided a needed respite and recharge from a day exploring Manhattan on foot.
Located on the corner of 8th Street and 5th Avenue (perhaps it should be called OTTO-Cinque?), just off Washington Square Park, OTTO has a beautiful ambiance. It is set to look like an Italian train station-meets Italian enoteca. It was bustling on a Sunday afternoon with families, couple, groups of friends and formal acquaintances alike.
Even without reservations, we were seated quickly, greeted and offered drinks. The menu provided many options for either a large mid-day feast or an on-the-go snack. Personal-sized pizzas, pasta dishes and customizable salads and appetizers tempted the tastebuds.
We, a party of three, opted to share. Beginning with the Escarole & Sunchoke salad, we layered on the Cardoons with Bagna Cauda, the Brussels Sprouts & Vin Cotto and the Roasted Beets & Saba. All delicious, refreshing and tasty. Each had a unique flavor, but paired well to get us started. We also ordered the Salumi, a salty side dish.
A basic Margherita DOP pizza, featuring fresh bufala mozzarella, tomato and basil and the Buccatini Alla Gricia, a pasta dish with black pepper, onion and guanciale followed the salads. Both pasta and pizza were fresh, full of flavor and satisfying.
We topped off the temptation with the Olive Oil Coppetta dessert, a combination of olive oil gelato, lime curd, tangerine sorbet, pignoli brittle and pineapple rosemary marmellata. It more-than-melted-in-your-mouth with the sweet satisfaction of the meal’s finale.
The meal was moderately priced for that much goodness, a great place to share (though individuals could easily make their own choices) and enjoy a weekend afternoon or a weeknight. The staff was helpful but not intrusive given how busy they were. I will definitely be back, OTTO, I will definitely be back.
