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Mexican Lifestyles Food & Dining Dining Out: Eating Up Mediterranean Charm: Oster'a No. 10
Mexican Lifestyles Food & Dining Dining Out: Eating Up Mediterranean Charm: Oster'a No. 10 | Dining Out: Eating Up Mediterranean Charm: Oster'a No. 10 |
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| Written by Michael Shapiro | |
| Saturday, 31 December 2005 | |
 'The comida-corrida-type space at Oster'a No. 10 has been skillfully transformed into Mediterranean coziness Ñ without the pretensions of some other hip joints on that block. ' - Photo By S Godfrey Kudos to Italian co-owner and pizza chef Rafael Matrone and his wife and co-owner, Angie, for creating an aesthetically pleasing space and comfortably cool atmosphere. That vibe is one thing that separates Oster'a No. 10 from some of its competition. And why not name names? Funicula (L-pez Cotilla 1906, closer to Centro Magno) also makes traditional thin-crust, wood-burning-oven pizza. And it's marvelous Ñ in fact, I'd say Oster'a No. 10 and Funicula make the best such pizzas in town. But while I give a slight edge in pizza taste (the sauce, specifically) to Funicula, I far prefer to eat at Oster'a No. 10 Ñ where the service is friendlier, the vibe more relaxed and stylish, and the pasta far superior. And the pizza is still damn good in its own right. I particularly enjoy the Machiavelli pizza (78 pesos), with its tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, spinach, olives, and fresh tomatoes. None of the toppings overwhelms the other ingredients, and it goes down oh-so-easy, light and flavorful. The homemade pasta is another appealing choice: gnocchi, ravioli, lasagna, and trenette (long pasta) are all freshly made. The gnocchi is fantastic, and is served with an extraordinarily creamy gorgonzola pecan sauce (84 pesos) Ñ delicious, but admittedly too rich for some palates. Ravioli is served with a variety of innovative sauces, many of them also creamy. I was very pleasantly surprised by the ravioli del bosco (88 pesos) Ñ filled with a variety of mushrooms and bathed in a delectable porcini sauce. I had feared the mushroominess of the whole enterprise would be too much, but the flavors combined wonderfully, and were more complex than I expected. I have yet to progress past the pizzas and pastas and sample the "main" courses, and I'm not sure I will. But for those who are interested, the menu also includes rib-eye steak, chicken breast in shitake sauce, fish in a lemon-pepper-caper sauce, and grilled shrimp and squid (78 to 129 pesos for each dish), as well as a nightly special. Prices are competitive, though depending on your frame of reference some do seem on the high side. Most of the salads, for example, are 64 pesos. While the Greek salad does include imported olives, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and pine nuts, I still think it's a little overpriced. Oster'a No. 10 doesn't have a wine list, per se, but it does stock close to 50 varieties of vino, ranging in price from 150 to 1,200 pesos per bottle. Be forewarned that word has gotten out about this place, and if you're eating a later dinner it's best to call ahead. Finding a seat for comida or early dinner is generally not a problem. Oster'a No. 10, L-pez Cotilla 1498-A, Tel. 3616-5358. Mon-Fri 2 pm.-1 a.m., Sat 8 p.m.-2 a.m. |
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