Osteria

Hi all,

You probably all know by now how much I enjoy dining out, but I went to Osteria (Marc Vetri%26#39;s new restaurant on N Broad Street) and it was so insanely excellent I just wanted to share it with the forum.

We had an 8:30 reservation, were seated promptly and enjoyed some wonderful Prosecco while perusing the menu. Our server was great, she came over, gave us the specials of the day, answered all of our questions competently and gave us some time to make our decisions.

The bread is delicious, perhaps the best I have ever eaten - but don%26#39;t fill up on it! Everything else to come is even better.

I had the wood grilled octopus with potato, lemon and chives and it was the BEST octopus I have ever had anywhere, even better than Dmitri%26#39;s. Amazing flavor and it was a decent sized portion as well. I ordered one of the specials for my main plate - lobster and spaghetti in a red sauce. It was phenomenal. My (Italian non-English speaking) grandmother used to make this dish when I was growing up and I literally thought I was eating a duplicate of her recipe. They split the lobster for you and take out the meat (although the shell is left for presentation, very effective.) The sauce is utter perfection red sauce - fresh tomatoes with a hint of spice. It was a large portion, I actually ended taking about 1/2 home (because I had filled up on that great bread, my mistake!) Watch the special prices, though - it was $38 for the lobster, which I expected because lobster is so pricey, but just so you know the specials are not inexpensive.

Others at the table really enjoyed a variety of dishes, most notably sweetbreads in a cheese fondue sauce and another friend at our table ordered a pasta dish with squab and cocoa that she raved was really good.

Service was excellent, we didn%26#39;t have room for dessert, but cannot wait to go back to Osteria with my husband and give it a try again and definitely have dessert next time!

Marc Vetri was there as well, chatting with patrons and the place was very busy but all seemed to be running smoothly. It does get a little loud in there, so I don%26#39;t know that I%26#39;d recommend the main dining room for a romantic evening, but there is a second room off of the main room that seemed quieter.

This place is seriously worth the trek up North Broad Street. The food was amazing and it is definitely worth the accolades it has been receiving.

I%26#39;ll write a review here on Tripadvisor as well, but just wanted to share. It is not an inexpensive experience but I believe it was well worth the money (worked out to be about $65/pp with wine and two courses.)

Suzanne

Osteria

Thanks for such a details review. We%26#39;ll have to go soon - it%26#39;s been the list.

Lynn

P.S. What%26#39;s happening with the proposed get-together?

Osteria

Lynn -

Definitely go - so worth it!

I am having so many scheduling conflicts regarding the next month. I have not forgotten about the proposed get-together, but November is shaping up to be even more busy than October.

Suzanne

Suzanne ~ Thanks for the scoop on Osteria! I am going there next Weds. Now I can%26#39;t wait.

My husband and I went there this summer and although the food was indeed delicious we felt the staff was quite pretentious, which put a kink in an otherwise nice night. Also, as this place is touted as a reasonably priced restaurant, we (my husband mostly) were disappointed by that as well. When he leaves saying ';we couldn%26#39;t have gone to the Fountain Room or Vetri for that matter,'; you know it%26#39;s pricey. We love Vetri, by the way, but can%26#39;t get in often enough!!

In all honesty, I actually didn%26#39;t find the staff pretentious, just knowledgable. However, it is amazing how even one stuck-up person can put a kink in what should be a nice night out. I also really liked how (Marc) Vetri was actually there and stopping by at tables to see how things were going. That is impressive. Also equally as impressive was our one friend who ordered a dish she was a little hesitant about - and when she conveyed this to our waitress, the waitress immediately said, ';If you don%26#39;t like, we will take it away and bring you something else.'; I liked that attitude, because there are many unusual offerings on the menu and there may be things that aren%26#39;t pleasurable to everyone%26#39;s palate. You could be willing to be adventerous without going hungry!

The prices are high, but I knew that going in - regardless, I still wanted people to be aware that the specials are high - then again, if you are ordering lobster and the like, chances are you know it isn%26#39;t going to be cheap.

I thought it was a great place and am looking forward to a return visit in the near future.

Suzanne

Suzanne: It sounds fantastic! The octopus, in particular, is making my mouth water. I attended post graduate school at Temple Law School last year and drove by Osteria as they were constructing the restaurant. I drove by during their grand opening as well. I wanted to try it then but your review has added urgency to my desire to dine here! Thanks, Moms

Moms -

The octopus was great. I really think this place is awesome - there wasn%26#39;t a bad thing to be had by our table and some really nice wine choices. Just bring your credit card because it is fairly pricey!

Suzanne