Review of Osteria D'Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Osteria has a lovely ambiance, soothing and charming. The initial entrance that leads past cases laden with food gave us the feeling of being in Italy. An expansive upstairs addition boasts 100 seats, a smoke-free bar and two fireplaces. We asked to be seated by the warmth of a romantic fireplace, but unfortunately for the ambiance and for us, there was a party in the same room intent on getting inebriated. Soon we knew all about their lives and their children.

Osteria prides itself on top-notch service, an Italian chef, and carefully chosen ingredients - all of which should make things superb at every meal. When the Pertusinis sold The Palace, local foodies speculated that the food at Osteria would improve with Linos full attention. Sadly, we always expect the food to be better at Osteria, and we are always disappointed. We were pleased with the excellent, attentive service. Osteria's kitchen graciously split our orders so we were able to share each dish elegantly plated. That service is a real plus. There is a broad selection of wines by the bottle in all price ranges, with a big list from Italy. With modern nitrogen wine-saving systems, it would be easy enough to offer a few more choices by the glass; that list is currently meager. The glass of Orvieto we drank both nights was perfect with the Italian dishes. A light balance of crisp and soft, sweet and dry, it was eminently drinkable. A fruity sauvignon blanc was a good pairing with our seafood pasta, and the rich and sturdy red Banfi Brunello di Montalcino was delicious with the beef.

On the plus side, a linguine del pescatore, filled with clams, mussels, and shrimp, was perfectly cooked and nicely sauced, the pasta showing well in a light tomato sauce. Osteria specializes in free-range veal. The tender scaloppine and the red potatoes were sprinkled with herbs, but the portion was scanty considering the S24.50 price. Filetti aljunghi, medallions of beef tenderloin, aged in-house, were soft as a baby's bottom. A dark, woodsy sauce of morel mushrooms and onions complemented the meat. On the other hand, a duck special was listed as "seared" with mixed vegetables and smashed red potatoes. The sending was half a duck, according to our waiter. Knowing that "seared" is a standard preparation for duck breast, we were surprised to get a tiny drumstick, a leg, and a thigh first braised and then crisped - a traditional preparation for duck legs. Whether the duck was halved down the backbone or across the hindquarters, though, the serving still didn't add up to half a duck. Perhaps it was our fault we felt let down - maybe we should have questioned the server more closely.

The mixed vegetables turned out to be wilted greens - a good change, except that they came plain, unseasoned, lacking even a little salt, olive oil, or garlic. And why not change the menu board, or at least tell the diner? When I spotted the Caprese di bufala salad on the menu, I commented to our sender that tomatoes were out of season - this is a height-of summer dish, Capri-style, simply and traditionally made with vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh aromatic basil, virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and fresh buffalo mozzarella. Our server said they had a great source for hothouse tomatoes from Belen, so curiosity trumped doubt and we bit. I should have known better. The tomatoes were so-so; the dish focused on a gourmet green salad mix served with a classic emulsified balsamic vinaigrette on top of the tomatoes and a few meager pieces of mozzarella. There was not a smidgen of basil on the plate. Another salad with apples and walnuts had the right idea, but someone should have tasted the ingredients before sending them out. The apples were mealy, and the walnuts tasted old to us. The Caesar salad forced us to recall that despite the Roman name, it is actually a creation of a Tijuana restaurateur, Caesar Cardini. While numerous variations on the classic recipe abound, the original recipe with its strong flavors of lemon, garlic, a little Worcestershire sauce, and Parmesan is my favorite. I have never had a version like the mild one at Osteria, which tasted like a mayonnaise and-mustard dressing to me.

We thought a sure bet would be the ravioli dizucca, house-made pasta stuffed with butternut squash. After all, they have an in-house pasta maker, and this is a well-known and much loved Italian dish. But once again, the dish fell far short of the ideal, and the laundry list of what went wrong covers all possibilities. The chewy pasta might have just been old. The insignificant line of orange pumpkin filling was tasteless. The pasta tasted as though it were dressed with flavorless oil rather than the butter often used to make the dish more luscious. Pertusini makes sure the house-made bread is authentic Lake Como-style, and everyone in the kitchen knows how to make it. It came reheated one night, which was fine, except that it stayed in the oven too long, with a considerable amount of black crust and both cut ends toasted. Another night the bread was insufficiently cooked in the center, with a gummy interior and a pasty white exterior, judging from our recent experience, it would be a good idea for the restaurant to have a designated baker and pasta maker who can always do it right. A large serving of tiramisu was rich and tender but the refrigerator-chilled chocolate cake was far better at room temperature. When we finished it at home, it had a lovely, rich texture and flavor, lost when it was served straight out of the cooler. The lemon meringue pie, with its Italian meringue topping and sharp filling, paled next to the delicious coconut pie with raspberry and papaya drizzles. Our coffee was served tepid.

I came away from my dinners at Osteria d'Assisi thinking that someone is not paying enough attention in the kitchen. But everything that was wrong with our meals can be easily remedied - Osteria has all the components it needs to become a star in the culinary heavens and make Papa proud. Osteria d'Assisi is located at 58 South Federal Place in Santa Fe, 986-5858. They are opened for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; and dinner 5 to 10 p.m. daily.