Otto

I work with restaurant snobs. We love restaurants, dissecting them, pulling them apart. We all have our own approaches, our own criteria what we look for. We know how we like to be treated and how we should feel when we walk out of the restaurant. As I searched for a place to host K's birthday dinner she hinted at two weeks prior I remembered Otto, which a co-worker recommended. I know his criteria and trusted it, except when he sent me and S to Morimoto (this will matter).
The weeks passed and on Wednesday I was sitting with another co-worker and mentioned where I was headed.
"That's Mario Batali's place right?"
"WHAT"

And my worst fear was confirmed. It . was . a . celebrity . restaurant . In despair and angst I ran out of his office and returned to mine only to see that yes it was true. I had made a reservation at a celebrity restaurant. Don't get me wrong I like Mario, he seems like a great guy. Heck, he even posed with my parents at the Aspen Food and Wine Festival a few years back. But I avoid celebrity restaurants at all costs. Specifically celebrities who have been spotted on the dreaded Food Network where 'chefs' go to sell-out and host shows where they get to yell at other people then proceed to sell a new line of non-stick pans that we need to have in our kitchens.

I want to support the chef who is in the kitchen working his ass off. He is there planning the menu, scouting out what is in season, experimenting, testing, sweating over the thought of getting in the weeds at rush and yelling out orders hearing the response "yes chef!". THAT is who I'm supporting. This chef doesn't have a fancy line of cookware. This chef has cuts, burns, and stories to share. This chef goes out with his staff after work and gets drunk. Then he wakes up the next day and does it all again because it's in his soul to produce the best dish that you have ever tasted.

When I walked into Otto I tried to leave this prejudice on 5th ave on the other side of the huge rotating door. I was met with a large bar area populated by bar tables where you could lean and wait your allotted 15 minutes before your table was given away for your group to arrive. And will the person who confirms your reservation make an exception to the 15 minute rule when you ask and explain that 3 of the 4 of you will be there on time and surprising the last person? No she won't. You will have to call back and ask to speak to the manager to get a special note made on your reso.

We all sat down and surprised our birthday girl. J exclaimed that it felt like we were at a kitchen table which speaks to the cozy feeling induced by the wooden furniture, red walls, and warm temperature. We all decided to split 4 pizzas...after I finally had to ask for a 4th menu. Sorry I'm not a teeny bopper sharing with my friends. Give me a freakin menu when I sit down.

Here is what we ordered:

Otto Chopped Salad (which, without prompting, was promised to arrive before the pizza. False.)
Asparagus and Goat Cheese
Quattro Stagioni (Tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, cotto)
Margherita D.O.P. (Tomato, Bufala Mozzarella, Basil)

I ask you. What would be the main attraction for the Margherita? The sauce? The Basil? NO. The Mozzarella. This pizza was so sparse in the mozzarella category that I think we were all left a little disappointed. Then the quattro stagioni. When I'm with my family I may be more prone to pick things off the main dish and dive onto their plates for a little nibble of food. When I am in a public place with friends? Not so much. You should only order this pizza if you want one quadrant of one topping and not all of the toppings. On the asparagus and goat, asparagus is on everything right now and it was all over this intense pizza. The goat cheese just got too over whelming. It needed a protein like prosciutto to break up that monotonous attack of goat cheese which is so intense. I usually like to pair goat with a sweet to counter then bitter more acidic taste. The asparagus didn't help. I will say that the crust was great. Nice and charred, thinly formed, it was a delight to eat.

Dessert was as if we had left and gone to a lovely Italian town to fetch little metal dished delicately holding beautiful, creamy gelato. And you have to like gelato to get dessert here because it's the only item offered. 
I got the Black & White - Milk chocolate chip gelato, hazelnut croccante, creme fraiche gelato, chocolate sauce, caramel crema 
Here are the other desserts that were ordered:
Coconut Meringa - coconut fantasia gelato, warm toasted meringue, cocao nib, candied kumquats
and...
oh wait, I won't let you finish because here is your check. Yes, the check arrived while we were still eating dessert. I'm sorry but the sales isn't over until you are 100% sure everyone is done. What if we had wanted more wine? Or coffee and tea? Perhaps a cheese plate? A good waiter knows that this show isn't over until the check is asked for.

(I know you want to know, the last desserts was Otto Banana Tartufo - Banana gelato, chocolate brownie, caramelized white chocolate, spiced peanuts and then the last was an order of three flavors of gelato packed together in a dish.)

When I relayed my experience to two other co-workers the next day they were amazed. One said he always recommends this place to people who are looking for a well-priced, Italian, celebrity chef restaurant. S exclaimed that she loves it there. With three endorsements from my restaurant snob co-workers I promise to return one day and try other dishes in the hopes that it will trump my order this time.


Otto out of Cento


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