Greenwich Village is a place that always makes me happy when it comes to the little “hole in the wall” places that tend to have some of the best food in the city. Osteria 57, however, was a bold move for me to take given that I am a carnivore at heart and prefer to have some meat in the food that I am eating. This location serves no meat, advertises itself as “vegetarian”, but highlights a bunch of amazing seafood in its Italian cuisine inspired location. Make sense? Keep reading.
Osteria 57 is a brand new location in the heart of Greenwich Village at 57 W. 10th Street, easily accessible from the red and green subway lines in Manhattan. When I usually have Italian cuisine, a big factor in it happens to be the meat that comes with it, whether it’s meatballs, chicken or more, it’s there. This time, it’s nowhere to be found, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing honestly.
The location is downstairs from the street level, and provides a level of intimacy that only Greenwich Village could. Even the sliding doors to enter the bathroom were quite charming, as was the hostess and manager who explained more about their diverse menu.
Essentially, it’s seafood meets vegetarian meets Italian and it all works together. We were treated to a tasting of some of their best menu options, all of which highlighted either a vegetable or seafood, and they swam incredibly well together. Here is what I recommend you trying the next time you are there.
The Salamella di Salmone was an excellent starter in that it highlighted the raw wild Alaskan salmon salami that came with it perfectly and made for a great one-two bite starter.
For their pastas, I would recommend going with something hearty that highlights both vegetable and seafood to the best of their abilities. Their Pici Cacio e Pepe with fresh noodle pasta with sheep milk cheese and black pepper or Pappardelle ai Ceci e Salmone with Pappardelle w/ chickpeas, pumpkin, thyme, and crispy salmon is another fantastic option. The pastas are very authentic tasting as they should be.
Of course, if you are looking for a fish heavy option, their Scaloppine di Halibut should do the trick as well, as the Atlantic Hailbut filet pairs incredibly well with the prosecco sauce and fresh black truffle. Simply delicious. Definitely a place to check out in the near future!
For more information on Osteria 57, please check out their official website.