Osteria di Mercato - Cozy, A Little Spendy, and Just Okay
I'm forever wishing and hoping and praying that a truly outstanding Italian restaurant will open in Houston. And I thought Osteria di Mercato in West U could be that spot. The scale of the place (small) seems right, as does the focus on seasonal ingredients and handmade pasta.
The dining room is cozy and well appointed, the service is attentive, and the food was fine. But nothing was memorable. Arancini seem so obvious at this point that it's hard to understand how it could end up on a menu this tight. A stracciatella starter was okay, but the cheese was overwhelmed by the seasonal veg. Sea bass stood in for branzino due to a sourcing issue, but the preparation seemed more French than Italian. (Not to hate on a well done Buerre Monté - it just seemed out of place.)
And then there was the pasta. A modest portion done up in a totally Bludorn way - foam and all. I'm not a person who believes pasta must be prepared entirely according to tradition, but I don't think any Italian would recognize the dish we had as even an update on something classic. Again, it wasn't bad - it just wasn't what I was hoping for and it wasn't particularly great either.
We skipped dessert, and left a little bummed that this spot won't be taking a spot in the regular rotation.