Restaurant review: Osteria DOP in Eugene

By GEORGE CUSTER/Editor/The Herald  —  It’s not often that I use the word “WOW” when describing a meal. However, my visit to Osteria DOP was a wow experience.

I was lured into the idea of visiting Osteria DOP by my wife, who had heard about it from a friend. The reviews were excellent, the menu sounded good from the looks of it online, though with so many of these third-party menu sites, you’re not always guaranteed that the menu hasn’t changed.

I was told that it was important to arrive about 15 minutes before opening time if you want to be assured of getting a table. Upon arrival, sure enough, there were already a half-dozen people milling about waiting for the doors to open.

It’s not a very big place. There are few tables toward the front and a couple of tables along the sidewalk for when the weather treats us nice. Also inside, there is a long counter against the north wall for seating as well.

Ordering is done from the QR code located on the table. We went with the kids. The kids (I still call them ‘The kids’ -though they’re retirement age”) had their order placed and got their drinks with appetizers on the way while I struggled to put together my wife and my   order. Once I saw that people who had come in and gotten seated well after me were already getting their orders, I knew I had screwed up the whole QR code ordering thing. Luckily, and a plus to the staff, the hostess got everything straightened out without me feeling like the techy-less boomer I am.

The food, of course!

There were four of us, so we each ordered something different so that we could share. We started out with specialty drinks from the menu that were suggested to us. All very nice. After a very nice charcutier board that had plenty of small bites for all of us to sample, two salads arrived. The melon and tomato salad had a dressing that had a subtle hint of mint – delicious! Also, the basic house Salad DOP was refreshing, light, and tasty. Nothing to disappoint so far.

Our meals came extra hot. Nice. I had the cannelloni. I didn’t want to share; it was so good. The pasta was perfectly done. The lamb stuffing was delicious and plentiful. And the sauce! Mama Mia!

My wife had the ravioli. I’ve had ravioli. This ravioli has set a new taste standard for me, bursting with flavor that seemingly melted in your mouth. Twenty-some odd years ago we had great ravioli in this little Italian restaurant in Carlsbad, California. Nothing has come close to it since – until now.

The daughter had their spaghetti. Fried vegetables, garlic, and grana Padano cheese. A light olive oil-concocted dressing produced a symphony of total flavors. Magnifique! Her husband had the rigatoni. Again, equal in every way to the other flavorful dishes.

The portions were not overwhelming – just enough to satisfy without feeling stuffed. The staff, though very busy, were easy to flag down as needed, and were very attentive to any request.

Dolce

We shared two desserts between the four of us and that was perfect. Don’t let the DOP Coffee name confuse you. It’s coffee in name only. So, don’t ignore this espresso, vanilla gelato, with a chocolate-amaro sauce treat. The other decadent sweet was the Budino Cioccolato, a dark chocolate pudding, with marsala whipped cream, sea salt, and olive oil.

The place is very modestly furnished for casual dining. The food is the real experience. The small tables with steel chairs put me off slightly. However, once you get the food, you think you’re in heaven anyway and forget about the chairs. At least I did.

The place is not large, as I mentioned – more intimate and spaced so that you are always within eyeshot of the wandering staff. Again, I’ll remind you that if you want to get seated quickly, be there early. There were about a half dozen tables, not counting the seating along the wall (not a good choice if there is more than two of you). On nice evenings, they serve to a small handful of tables outside along the sidewalk. Very Italian? Si!

Oh, and by the way, I didn’t see an entree over $20. The restaurant is ‘Open’ evenings for dinner only. Hours are 5-10, closed Sunday and Monday.  It is important to note that all members of your party must be present before you can be seated. No reservations are allowed; strictly a first come, first seated.

I now have my go-to Italian restaurant in Eugene. Ciao! If you have a great restaurant that you’d like to share with our readers, please drop us a line at The Herald – we’d love to hear about it.

 What does DOP mean?

DOP stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta (literally “Protected Designation of Origin”). As the name suggests, this certification ensures that products are locally grown and packaged. And it makes a promise to the consumer – it’s a guarantee that the food was made by local farmers and artisans, using traditional methods. In fact, by law, only DOP products like balsamic vinegar can carry the word “traditional” on their labels, because they adhere to local traditions. *

* Elena Ciprietti  www.walksofitaly.com