Osteria 57, an unassuming subterranean restaurant on West 10th Street, is a picturesque Italian spot that at first glance, encourages only nursing bottles of wine and twirling spaghetti over long, intimate dinners.
Tweaking the business model of a traditional osteria, the owners have recently launched “a liquor program with a higher purpose,” which ties into the values and goals of the restaurant. The food program is hyper focused on sustainability, so it’s no surprise that those elements of direct sourcing have bled into the first iteration of their liquor program, as well.
Osteria has chosen to partner with liquor producers that prioritize their ethical global impact.
Each brand is hand-selected to align with their values, and the quality of those choices is apparent in the final product. The goal is to become a zero imprint business.
Examples of this initiative are found in brands like Snow Leopard Vodka, which donates 15% of proceeds to endangered species, specifically for future generations of snow leopards.
Nobel Oak is an award-winning bourbon brand that ages its whiskey in charred American oak for a minimum of one year, and then ages it further in Spanish Sherry Oak barrels. Nobel Oak partners with One Tree Planted, an organization that reforests areas across the globe, by replanting one tree for every bottle sold.
The cocktail menu itself is a reflection of a partnership with Miguel Aranda, who has previously developed cocktail programs at Danielle, Masa, and Wallse. Utilizing the healing qualities of Dropping Seeds, a brand of herbal elixirs, Aranda has created a unique blend of cocktails that are as appealing as they are on trend.
Some of our favorites were:
Saffron Old Fashioned
A simple cocktail is sometimes the best cocktail. Here, rye is infused with saffron and swirled with orange and angostura bitters and a touch of cane sugar for a straightforward, boozy cocktail.The Snow Leopard is crisp and fruity — but not too much of either — making for a well balanced, approachable cocktail. Contents include vodka, black currant liqueur, lemon, bergamot essence, and a splash of the Dropping seeds RELAX elixir.
Delicious as they are, none of these cocktails should eclipse the artistry of the menu at Osteria 57.
Crispy Cauliflower
Lightly battered and smothered in a paprika aoili, this was an approachable, delightful take on the cauliflower appetizer that graces every trendy menu in town.
Smoked Burrata
This appetizer made me question how at this point in life I’ve never had a smoked ball of creamy mozzarella, but alas, here we are. Walnut pesto and roasted honeycrisp apples complete the dish
Cacio e Pepe
I’m always hesitant to order cacio e pepe because it seems so basic. Black pepper and Parmesean? Again? This was a spectacular version of this dish, and I was once again humbled by the glorious power of black pepper, spaghetti and Parmesean.
Paccheri pomodoro
Paccheri, or as I like to call it, rigatoni on steroids, is not a pasta you see on many menus, mostly because cooking the noodles to a perfect al dente is often a challenge in a fast-paced kitchen. That was not the case at Osteria 57, where every noodle was perfectly firm, the burrata was rich, and the tomato sauce punched you in the face with flavor.
Osteria57 was an incredible dining experience from top to bottom, and I will definitely be back.
