The holiday season--with all the attendant socializing and partying--can be a strain for introverts (and I would be one of them). Looking for a break from the frenzy, we decided to meet a couple of friends in Pt. Reyes for a hike and a meal at Osteria Stellina, which opened November 22 in the spot that had been Rosie's Cowboy Cookhouse. Unfortunately, we chose a day that turned out to be cold and rainy, so we passed on the hike, but not the dinner.We weren't sure what to expect. Although an Italian osteria is a comfortable, informal eatery with good food and wine, in the U.S., restaurants using the name osteria may be anything from unassuming to upscale. Osteria Stellina is true to the Italian concept--casual and unpretentious. Strings of Christmas lights in the windows add a touch of whimsy. Two small rooms are divided by a half wall; in addition to a few tables, the smaller room has a bar with several seats to accommodate diners or wine drinkers. The small, modern track lights contrast with the country-style cabinets, which, along with the half wall, contain large baskets with fruit, large metal watering cans, huge cheese graters and various interesting-looking winter squash. One counter of the open kitchen held a tub with a large crab surrounded by oysters atop a bed of ice. Natural-hued linen tablecloths, leatherette chairs with metal legs--a sort of mid-20th century look--and a terra cotta tile floor contribute to the cozy ambiance. But it's the appetizing aromas that hit as soon as you open the door that make the biggest impression.
Chef/owner Christian Caiazzo (and West Marin resident) is well known to those who frequent the coffee bar at Toby's Feed Barn. Hardly new to the food scene, Caiazzo essentially grew up in the kitchen and has been in restaurant and professional kitchens since he was 14--though he has a college degree in a more practical, but less creative field. His résumé is impressive: He honed his skills at Union Square Cafe in Manhattan and Postrio in San Francisco, among others.
But nothing about Osteria Stellina is flashy or fancy; it does have plenty of finesse, though. Caiazzo, whose family is from Naples, calls his food Pt. Reyes Italian. He says that if he stuck strictly to southern Italian he wouldn't be able to use the Tuscan-style McEvoy olive oil or a number of other local ingredients. And he is staunchly committed to using local, organic and sustainably produced foods.
The carefully considered wine list includes a mix of California and Italian wines, offered by the glass, carafe and bottle; glasses range from $5 for the house white to $12 for Thackrey Pleiades wild blend from Bolinas; bottles are moderately priced--$20 to $56 for the 2006 Mendelson Pinot Noir, "Sleepy Hollow" Santa Lucia Highlands. Lagunitas pale ale is on tap, along with a couple of Italian and smaller brewery beers by the bottle.
We couldn't decide between a couple of wines, so our server offered us tastes, which is generally preferable to a server's recommendation (unless he or she really knows the wine). We chose the 2007 Box Car Pinot Noir--a warm red for a cold night.
The menu is small--though big on antipasti. Caiazzo, who is bursting with ideas and plans, says he doesn't want to burn out--he's taking it slow so that he and his staff have time to relax and be with their families. While waiting for our friends we sampled the warm sourdough bread with taleggio cheese and a mushroom-lucque olive tapenade ($9). The first bite of the three small slices of sourdough covered with the creamy, rich, melted cheese and earthy tapenade had us hooked. If we could have, we would have ordered all 11 antipasti--each one sounded delicious. We managed to winnow it down to four more.
Portions are not large, but each dish was enough for the four of us to share. We went for the "Beans & Greens" ($7), simmered rosemary cannellini beans with Bolinas rainbow chard; Tomales Bay Cove mussels with onions, Lunny's grass-fed hot links and Italian peppers ($10); roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and walnuts ($7); and the hot mushroom and bread soup ($7), which was a generous serving. I would have been happy with a large bowl of just the beans and greens--perfectly cooked beans and strips of chard accented with just the right amount of garlic and chile flakes to enhance but not overpower. The mussels and hot links dish was an interesting combination that worked, and each component was excellent. The mussels were fresh and flavorful and not at all tough or rubbery--which is often the case. We liked the Brussels sprouts dish--the chestnuts and walnuts were a terrific addition--but thought the sprouts a bit over-roasted; some were too blackened for our taste. The soup--which was fine, but lacked the earthy flavor one expects from mushrooms--was the only disappointment. Had our taste buds not been so perked up by the other dishes, we might have enjoyed the soup more--but compared to the rest, it didn't stand up.
From the Primi section we chose the pizza with roasted late season tomatoes, fontina, mozzarella and basil with crushed chiles ($13) and the garganelli pasta with garlic, braised chard, cannellini beans and parmigiano reggiano ($13). The only other offering was a pizza with just-made mozzarella and sea salt tomato sauce ($14; $16 with sweet Italian sausage). Of the two dishes under Secondi, we went for the braised BN goat shoulder with fresh herb polenta and garlic swiss chard ($18). The other choice was braised Fulton Valley chicken thighs with sage, organic celery root and lacinato kale ($16), which sounded tempting. Having never seen goat on a local menu, we had to go for it. And we had the one Speciale, fresh line-caught local yellowtail jack tuna with roasted cauliflower smashed potatoes, lemon and napa slaw ($18).
If the pizza had been the only thing we ate, we would have pronounced it pretty good--because it was. The crust was considered a bit too chewy by the person who ordered it, but two of us liked the crust very much. But it just didn't hold a candle to the other entrees. The fish, cooked "just right," was delicious, although we weren't sure the cauliflower smashed potatoes were the right complement. The more accomplished cook among us thought the slaw could have been improved with a bit of fennel. The garganelli pasta--similar to a ridged penne--again combined cannellini beans with chard (roasted), garlic and chile flakes was excellent. The light touch with the cheese really allowed the flavors of the pasta and other ingredients to shine through. But the goat was fabulous--tender, flavorful, not at all gamey and perfect with the polenta and greens. We ordered it out of curiosity, and it turned out to be our favorite dish.
Luckily, we weren't stuffed, because pastry chef Laura Matis has put together some appealing offerings for the winter season. Amazingly enough, of the four desserts we chose, the flourless chocolate fudge cake with caramel cr¸me fra”che whipped cream and cacao nibs ($8) was our least favorite. Not that it wasn't good--rich and dense dark choclate--but it wasn't nearly as good as the warm pear and sour cherry crisp with roasted cinnamon stick ice cream and toasted almonds ($8)--their description says it all; the gingersnap Meyer lemon ice cream sandwich ($6)--smooth, lemony ice cream in between two huge very gingery gingersnaps; and the warm cranberry and persimmon compote served atop clove buttermilk ice cream and cornmeal poundcake ($7)--a delicious blend of tastes and textures. And what a difference the artisanal ice cream makes--not a lot of it, but so much taste in every bite.
Service is what one would want--and expect--at a small restaurant like this: casual, friendly and attentive.
The stars have aligned for Caiazzo and his rustic, Pt. Reyes Italian-style cuisine. In just over a month Osteria Stellina is doing a brisk business, with good reason. We walked out into the rain sated and satisfied--and thinking about when we'll go back.
