Crumbs in my 'Stache: Welcome to the changing Teton Village, now mangia (eat)!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-On a recent evening at Il Villagio Osteria, the dining room was full, the modern interior softened with clean rustic touches, and the LEED-certified lighting appropriately low.  Osteria (meaning “tavern” in Italian) had a soft opening only last week but is already seeing a brisk lunch and dinner trade.

The restaurant is the latest endeavor for proprietors and local culinary provocateurs Gavin Fine and Roger Freedman. The pair first shook up the notion of dining in Jackson Hole seven years ago when they opened Rendezvous Bistro, one of the first truly contemporary dining options in the then-conservative valley restaurant culture. In late 2006, they opened Q Roadhouse, an upscale Southern cuisine and barbeque joint, and the two also share a catering company.

For Osteria, Fine and Freedman landed the space in the newly opened Hotel Terra, a ground-level spot with views of the newly renovated Walk Festival Hall and a base village that will look dramatically different in a few years. They also picked up executive chef Paul O’Connor, who was at the Old Yellowstone Garage.

The menu features a handful of Tuscan dishes. The Vitello Tonnato ($12), roasted veal shaved paper-thin and served chilled with tuna and a caper aioli, was a pleasant starter, as were the boards of cheeses ($14) and shaved cured meats ($13). Paired with a recommended wine (Osteria has perhaps the deepest cellar of Italian wines in the valley), the meats and cheeses alone make for a pleasant tasting experience.
If you’re inclined to romantic conveyances of food, bites of pecorino tartufo (a cheese infused with truffles), or even the simple parmigiano, can momentarily transport you to that old country.

Osteria prepares what could well be the best pizza in the valley, all in a tiled, wood-burning stove. The pizza del Fungo con Lardo ($15), is a delicious pie with mushrooms and strips of flavored lard, while the guanciale and egg pizza ($12), covered in radish, escarole and bagna couda, is topped with an egg sunny - the irregularly cut slices intended to be dipped in the runny yolk.

The Bucanti alla Amartriciana ($19), a spaghetti dish with hot peppers and roasted tomatoes, features meatballs made from kobe beef. The fusiilli col buco & wild boar ragu ($20), made from a corked pasta, is spiced with fennel and cinnamon.
The braciola ($18), pork shoulder braised for five hours and served in a red sauce with white beans and escarole, was fork tender.

For vegetarians, the doughy gnocchi ($17), made in-house and served in browned butter with sundried tomatoes, is a viable option.
It may take a bit of time for Osteria to fully dial into food consistency and service, but it seems poised to become a favorite.

Photo by Derek diluzio
One of the many dishes offered at Osteria.

PERMALINK:
Crumbs in my 'Stache: Welcome to the changing Teton Village, now mangia (eat)! | Planet JH News Article: Restaurants And Dining

Leave a Comment