Westport Magazine
SEPTEMBER 2007

Mediterranean Pleasures
Osianna Taverna
By Christopher Brooks

Want in on a well-kept secret?

In little more than a year, Fairfield has quietly joined Greenwich, Stamford and New Canaan as one of the Gold Coast’s more vibrant destinations for dining out. And of the handful of restaurants to open there recently, the most ambitious — also one of the most difficult in which to grab a table — is Osianna Taverna, sandwiched between the Firehouse Deli and the police station, just off the Post Road.

Osianna is owned by Biaggio Riccio, but it bears little resemblance to his Quattro Pazzi establishments, in either looks or in the contents of its menu. Where the Quattro Pazzis of Fairfield, Norwalk and Stamford offer straightforward Italian fare, Osianna’s is more a Mediterranean fusion, borrowing pinches of inspiration from Spanish, Greek, French, even Moroccan cuisines, as well as such ingredients as chorizo, feta cheese, tzatziki and foie gras. That Italy remains the underlying influence behind most dishes is understandable, given that Chef Piergiorgio Nanni was born in Rome, But his culinary education in France, and understudy work in New York, Germany and numerous places in between, has helped liberate him from the strictures of any one country’s style of cooking.

In warm weather the front patio, set off from the sidewalk by a white railing, is as nice a place to sit as any. But the understated decor inside the red shingle—sided two-story building is no less inviting, with a miniature amphora planted in a small niche next to a nautilus shell—like ornament and a finely glazed vase.

The linen-draped tables were brightened by pink lilies in small white vases one night, blue roses on another, and with walls in a marbled tan and washed blue that bring to mind sand and surf, one might easily conclude that the restaurant’s name is meant to evoke the ocean. It isn’t; Osianna is the name of owner Riccio’s daughter. Yet Osianna shows its devotion to things aquatic in other ways, most notably through the many seafood items listed on its menu, which changes regularly, contingent on what Chef Nanni finds in the market, Some days it might feature wild Tasmanian salmon, Hawaiian red snapper and octopus; on others perhaps branzino, skate or turbot,

Whatever the fish, Chef Nanni’s flair for inventive preparation remains a constant, one that sees a grape tomato and scallion relish accompanying salmon, and an eggplant caponata paired with turbot. Even a modest salad of cannelloni beans and asparagus seems to bring a fresh look and taste to grilled day-boat sea scallops.

The waitstaff — professional, genial and quite attentive — is attired in blue-and-white-striped Marseilles sailors’ shirts, nicely dovetailing with the restaurant’s understated emphasis on the ocean. Within a few minutes of handing you the menu, a busboy will likely drop off a basket of sesame-crusted bread and some light, lemony hummus.

That’s a pleasing snack on which to nibble while perusing the list of eighteen or so appetizers, categorized as small plates, a trio of salads and some sixteen entrées. Of the small plates, the grilled octopus makes a fine choice. Marinated in red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, the crosscut pieces were so soft we hardly needed a knife to cut them. A handful of rocket leaves, dressed in an acidic vinaigrette, lent some balance to the oval platter with a welcome splash of green, but the tangy, tender octopus, agreeably
charbroiled, was the real star.

Another headliner is mussels “Basquestyle.” A dozen mussels graced the diminutive bowl, and these plump bivalves had been cooked not a minute too long, resulting in a soft, succulent texture. Plentiful chunks of chorizo and three caper berries ( marble-sized capers on long stems) contributed the Basque component to this appetizer, endowing the buttery, wine-infused, garlic-struck broth with just
enough of a spicy edge to keep us dipping our bread till the last drop was gone.

Seafood is not the only area in which Osianna sparkles, as is evident in the petite ossobucco, one among many land-based starters, This small plate came with nine house-made gnocchi, soft and pleasing little dumplings that made swabbing the excellent, fresh-tasting sauce an additional pleasure. As for the veal shank, it’s a small one, as the name suggests, with not much marrow in the pipe, but the meat itself — nine or ten bites’ worth was simmered to the point of melt-in-the-mouth juiciness.

Then there’s the baby eggplant stuffed with caramelized onions, a vegetariandish. Only by virtue of its purple skin did this thoroughly roasted eggplant retain itsshape, like a T-shirt hugging the contours
of an overweight belly. While the onions and diced tomatoes that filled it were underseasoned, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as their purity of flavor served to complement the medium-sharp Kasseri
cheese, a sheep’s milk variety from Greece, that had been melted over the top. That spirit of things Greek was further evident in the soupçon of ouzo added to this appetizer’s delectable sauce, a smooth blend of puréed tomato, onion, garlic and olive oil.

One of the better entrées, fresh tomato malfatti, also happens to be devoid of meat and fish, but it’s so darn flavorful, brimming with a mélange of zucchini flowers, a quartered artichoke heart, fresh fava beans, garbanzos and a surfeit of oven-dried tomatoes, you’re unlikely to miss those viands. Binding all of these ingredients together, along with a garlicky sauce of olive oil, white wine and a pinch of lemon zest, was the homemade malfatti pasta. Loosely translated, malfatti means “poorly made,” but don’t let that throw you: This tomato-impregnated product, cut from sheets into parallelograms and rendered al dente, could hardly be improved upon.
The same might also be said of the bouillabaisse. A veritable potpourri of seafood, including two dozen Manila clams, ten mussels, four large shrimp, a couple of langoustines and a sizable filet of turbot, contributed a harmonious flavor of the sea to a broth richly composed of red and yellow grape tomatoes, garlic, shallots, scallions, white wine, extra virgin olive oil and a hint of hot pepper. Far less complex was the skate meunière, inwhich butter, out of balance with the lemon and wine, dominated the sauce.

The fish filets, dipped in flour and pan-fried, were limp but generous in quantity. And the chicken breast encrusted with kalamata olives, yet another entrée, was, like the skate, coated in flour and pan-fried, with a relatively small amount of finely chopped olives grafted onto its oily surface. Still, the feta risotto, upon which this thin cut of poultry rested, had an ameliorating effect, being of a savory cream in with a few leaves of baby spinach ing the tangy presence of feta.

Most desserts are handmade by "Cousin Maria ” said to be related to the owner. Her offerings reflect a distinctly French heritage, including, most obviously, yogurt with sour cherries. Ekmet, reminiscent of Greek desserts we’ve previously encountered, with twin layers of
custardy cream — one vanilla, the other lemon — crowning a base of almond studded shredded wheat. A honey-flavored syrup suffused that lower level, much as it did the moist fiber of karidopita, a cinnamon-struck walnut cake. This latter was sliced and served in the shape of a pie wedge, with the result that we did a double-take when it arrived at tableside, unsure initially what we’d been given.

We also gave a long look at Cousin Marie's fig tart, but that was due to our admiration of its artistic appearance. Nearly every bit of the four-inch-diameter surface of this masterpiece was covered with
black mission figs, like spokes curving outward from a crosscut hub of a fig at the center. A veneer of cheesecake lay underneath, with the crust, again moistened with honey syrup, holding it all together.

There were also smidgeons of fig sauce, a couple of dabs of whipped cream and a dollop of raspberry gelato on the platter, unnecessary frills beside the beauty of such a wonderful tart.

Osianna Taverna is located at 70 Reef Road, Fairfield, 254-2070. Its complete wine list features about fifteen whites, starting at
$30 a bottle, and more than a dozen reds, starting at $32.

Appetizers range from $6 to $16; salads are $10; entrées list for
between $21 and $39; and desserts are priced from $6 to $12.

Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m.—3 p.m. for lunch, with dinner served Monday through Thursday, 5—10 pm, and Friday and Saturday until 10:30. Reservations are not accepted.

From our Customers

"I went to Osianna on Wednesday night. The food was delicious. A lot of seafood options. For appetizers we shared the panseared Humilee (I totally just butchered that) it's a type of cheese, with capers, lemon oil and rocket greens - very good. A petite osso bucco with gnocchi - delicious. And, spicy shrimp casserole with feta and tomatoes - also delicious.

For entrees, I had the chicken encrusted with kalamata olives over a spinach and feta risotto - very delicious. My friends had the scallops and the linguine with seafood..."
Cheerio on Chowhound

"When I called Osianna, they do not accept reservations at all. You went on a Wednesday. I'd love to go for my birthday dinner, but it is a Saturday, and I figure I'd have to get there by 4PM to get in. I stopped by during the day to check it out. The staff there are so nice and menu was simply mouth-watering. They told me they don't take reservations but you stop in, put your name and they call you on your cellphone when they are ready for you."
Anne Marie on Chowhound.com

Great food, great service; nice atmosphere....you can't lose! Lunch and dinner are both good bets. Ordering a bunch of the smaller plates (tapas style) is as much fun as getting your own dish.
Cooking Karen on Topix.com

Osianna is located where Voila used to be, next door to the Fairfield Police Department on Reef Road. Mediterranean. They don't have a website and are unable to fax their large-sized menus.

I must tell you though Osianna was fabulous for lunch on Saturday! The unpretentious and very friendly nature of their staff aids in the wonderful experience of dining here. Loved it as expected.

We had a great table outside and there was tons of traffic to watch because of the fair nearby on the green--we almost witnessed about six car accidents and several road-rage incidents while sitting in their outdoor corner patio! I had mussels with caper berries (my favorite--I LOVE LOVE LOVE the large caper berries and you don't get them a lot!) and their lunchtime fish entree (Branzino--a type of bass filet I believe)--very good.

My mom had their onion soup special and my sister I think got their calamari. My sister was wishing she ordered the eggplant chip and tatziki app because that looked incredible, as did their fresh tuna nicois salad. My sister had their beet and goat cheese salad.

My mom had their croque monsieur sandwich that looked incredible. We did not have dessert, although they all were interestingly different than the norm. They also said they while they DO accept lunchtime reservations, they do not at dinnertime but if you go at dinner and there is a wait, they will take your cellphone number and call you when the table is ready.

Their dinner menu looks even better. A friend of mine dined there on a Tuesday night and had diver scallops with asparagas and white beans she said was "Outrageous." And she also said their martinis were excellent - had a concoction with citron, chambord, and apple pucker. Enjoy!

Cheerio on Chowhound