While we were enjoying exploring our new neighborhood of Castello, on a leisurely stroll one evening, a waitress popped out of a restaurant and handed us a card for the establishment. Not thinking much of it, it certainly did help us remember the osteria buried among the meandering dark alleyways on the backside of Castello. I decided to look up the menu online and my hunger was activated. We decided to return for a meal the following night. The same waitress greeted us and the chef lingered VERY closeby as we discussed menu options among ourselves.
Hearing my plight in wanting to try a pasta designed for two and the Gentleman debating a steak, the chef quickly interrupted our thoughts and chatter. He told us exactly which pasta to go for and then ran off and returned with a plate of four different freshly caught fish. After explaining the merits of all of them and allowing us to revel in their shapes and scale color, we went for the hyper local fish, a friend of the seabass, whose name now escapes me, as well as the turbot. Both were delicious and as most local things, the local specialty won the fishing contest. They were uniquely served with semphire, adorably called “spicy sea asparagus” by the chef as well as white polenta which we learned was the traditional accompaniment to fish in that area.
After selecting a pasta, Chef went ahead and gave us each a tasting of three types, one of which wasn’t even on the menu. The raddiccio was my favorite as it was so different. The Gentleman preferred the duck and wild strawberry. Finally, the beef and Barolo certainly was quite nice as well.
Our lovely fishy feast.
For dessert we shared a semifreddo with an Amaro center, absolutely divine and reminded me of one of our many fun dinners in Calabria a few years prior.
Osteria Ai Do Pozzi doesn’t look like much but the flavors and service are both absolutely massive. The restaurant was mostly full of locals with a few tourist-types sprinkled in for good measure. I’m not sure where we fall in that mix, but I know that we’ll back!