Valter’s Osteria

He said:

Valter’s Osteria is a serious and popular restaurant. I made a reservation a month ahead of our visit and still didn’t get my preferred time slot. On the other hand, when we arrived a few minutes early, our table near the front window was already prepared, so we didn’t have to wait for it. A fresh rose arrangement graced our table when we arrived, but at some point during our dinner, we realized it had been discreetly cleared to make room for our dishes.

Kathy sat with her back to the window, and I sat opposite her. While that allowed me to watch the passing vehicle and pedestrian traffic, it didn’t provide me with a view of the restaurant interior. Throughout our dinner, I would occasionally try to glance around to view the space. Every time I did, however, a nearby waiter would immediately ask if I needed anything. Of course, I didn’t, but I worried that simply turning around might impugn our own waitress’s service. Although I simply wanted to see the restaurant around me, it seemed I violated the unwritten rule to always keep my eyes forward during dinner. Thus, I’ll leave it to Kathy to provide a description of the restaurant’s interior. The waitstaff’s attentiveness was impressive, though.

The menu ran four pages long. I admit that it intimidated me a bit. Kathy gave up and asked me to order for her. I didn’t know how to navigate the multi-course Italian presentation. How much should we order? Do we need a Primo course as well as well as a Secondo course? What about Antipasti? How much food would be too much?

Fortunately, the menu included a prix fixe option. It included Antipasto, Primo, Secondo, and Dolce courses. The Secondo course had two options. I took the pork option and ordered the combination chicken and salmon option for Kathy.

While we still reviewed the menu, we received a couple slices of bruschetta. They were rather simple. The baguette slices were toasted to crisps, which I don’t prefer. They broke apart when bitten, making it hard to eat gracefully. The traditional pomodoro toppings were fairly plain. I would have liked a balsamic drizzle with it.

For our first course, the waitress set a salad sampler in front of me. I wondered why she didn’t place it in the center of the table. I got my answer when she placed a second sampler plate in front of Kathy. That was a lot of salad! I’ve never seen a salad sampler before, but I think it’s a great idea. Our long rectangular plates held three salads. They were called “Agnelli Romana Cremosa”. Or maybe that was just the first one. I’m not sure why they were called that; I’m pretty sure that means something about lambs, but they were just salads.

The first was a chopped Romaine salad with a creamy Gorgonzola dressing. It had some tasty cheese cubes in it, but I found the dressing almost flavorless. Kathy didn’t seem to agree, though. The second salad consisted of just arugula drenched in a vinaigrette and framed with a thin slice of prosciutto and topped with Parmesan cheese shavings. The final salad was another chopped Romaine salad, this one with a Pomodoro dressing, topped with a few chilled shrimp. The dressing tasted like a tomato soup, a bit unexpected atop a salad, but I liked it.

Our Primo course consisted of two types of ravioli. One featured a butternut squash filling; the other had spinach. I first tasted the butternut squash ravioli. The squash possessed an amazing sweetness. I thought for sure it would be my favorite of the two, but the spinach ravioli managed to top it with its rich, but savory, filling. Both were smothered in a sage-butter pan sauce with grated Parmesan cheese. They were great, but the pasta could have been called al dente; I think it just needed another minute in the pot.

I took the Duroc Pork Medallions Served with a Pepper Sauce for my Secondo course. It came with sides of crispy potatoes and Brussels sprouts. The pork medallions swam in a dark sauce that included a generous helping of thinly sliced sausage. The sauce was flavorful but reduced the otherwise fine pork medallions to an afterthought. The pork was juicy, but unfortunately unable to highlight its own flavor. The sauce should have enhanced the pork, but instead it demanded the attention.

Finally, we enjoyed gelato for our Dolce course. Having seen other patrons sharing a chocolate dessert, we anticipated the same. Instead, we each got our own large, tall-stemmed martini glass with two flavors of gelato: chocolate and lemon. We also got two slices of almond biscotti with two mini teacups filled with a hot chocolate dipping sauce. Although Kathy adores chocolate, I figured she wouldn’t like this one. She really only likes milk chocolate, while this was dark and semi-sweet. It seemed fine, but was too thick to soften the biscotti.

She said:

There’s an air of sophistication about Valter’s. The dark wood crown molding, the beautifully carved bar counter, the rounded ceiling boasting dark steel beams and wooden slats, the weathered wood floors, and muted paintings lend old-world elegance to the dining room. The white linen tablecloths and napkins, along with the understated white dinnerware, all indicate that this is an elegant establishment. Adding to this elegance are the waitstaff’s uniforms: white shirts, black pants, white aprons, black ties, and black vests for the servers. Then, white shirts, black ties, and black pants for everyone else (the support staff). Paying attention to every minute detail, even the name tags were different: brass for the waiters and waitresses, white for members of the support staff. It's obvious that Valter's is serious about putting out the right vibes. Classy ones.

My first impression was that this is a great restaurant. The ambiance was spot-on. Our server was attentive. The atmosphere was lively and festive. However, there were some factors that somewhat marred my experience and dampened my enthusiasm.

First, although our table was set prettily, it was jammed in between two other tables that barely even allowed for elbow room or private and intimate conversation. The tables were wedged up too closely to the bar, which was cluttered with odds and ends. The waitstaff barely had any room to maneuver the service carts they employed to toss salad and pasta tableside. Being wedged so tightly between other tables and patrons left me feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable.

Then, when we declined the wine and cocktail menu, the waitress didn’t take a drink order, except to ask whether we wanted bottled sparkling or still water. (We said tap water was fine). Brian had to flag her down later to request diet Cokes for both of us.

Surprisingly for a fancier establishment, no one asked us if we were celebrating a special occasion. In fact, we were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. That’s certainly an occasion deserving of a trip to a fancy restaurant!

As for the food: I was underwhelmed. Most of the dishes were pretty bland, which is surprising for Italian cuisine. Where was the medley of spices and seasonings traditionally characteristic of Italian dishes? Where were the garlic, lemon zest, oregano, thyme, parsley, and balsamic vinegar? Instead of my meal making my taste buds jump and dance, it left me deeply unsatisfied and wanting more.

For my main course, I got the Pollo Peperonata, a combination of Scallopini of Chicken Served with a Fresh Bell Pepper Sauce and Fresh Salmon with Mustard Sauce. It would have been much better if there’d been one chicken breast instead of two and a larger piece of salmon. The chicken was a bit dry but could have been improved if it had been served with a generous tomato-based bell pepper sauce that was richer and creamier. The salmon was moist and flaky, as it should be, but the Dijon mustard sauce was overpowering. Personally, I would have preferred it if the salmon filet had been broiled with only lemon, salt, and parsley. I guess what I’d have preferred would have been more balance. The potatoes and Brussels sprouts were good, though.

My favorite part of the meal was the dessert. The gelato was delicious, and I appreciated the juxtaposition of the chocolate with a scoop of the lemon-flavored gelato.

For a popular restaurant with a stellar reputation, Valter’s Osteria unfortunately fell short of my expectations. I wanted some “oomph” and “magnifico” from my dinner, but what I got was mostly “meh.” Although great ambiance and service are important in enjoying oneself at fine dining establishments, it also has to be about the food. The cuisine should be exceptional.

Conclusion:

Plan ahead if you intend to dine a Valter’s Osteria. We recommend making a reservation a month in advance. If you intend to enjoy a multi-course meal, plan to stay a couple of hours. If street parking is full, a Valet service is available for $11.