Osteria

Date: April 30, 2006

Restaurant: Osteria, 247 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Price: $$

Review: Our first restaurant choice after employing a lottery system for where we’re going to eat! I think it was fate that Jenny pulled Osteria, since we had been craving the Italian food after passing it twice on the way to Hukilau and seeing lots of people standing outside and people inside munching on delectable dishes. We got there at 8:15, and were actually seated even though our reservation was for 8:30. That already seemed to make the night better. We sat on a small table against the window and somewhat secluded from the hustle and bustle of all the other tables, which were packed tightly together. After much consideration of all the dishes, we settle on a veal dish and a chicken dish, along with Merlot to complement the meal. I must say that getting the Merlot was quite a task since Jenny was not too interested on drinking wine at that point, but I was successful with my peer pressure. Bread was a nice complement for the dinner and eventually our dishes came, which were excellent! Jenny’s veal was probably the best choice, my chicken was somewhat plain, but there were delicious glazed carrots and green beans, which really made the dish even better. The Merlot paired very well with the dishes, so I think our first order of wine with a meal was a success! The waiter didn’t even card us. Jenny got tiramisu for dessert, which was not the best thing ever but nonetheless it added to the time we got to spend at the restaurant, which had a nice atmosphere to make it romantic yet casual at the same time.