Despite the hustle and bustle at the corner of Main and Conduit streets in downtown Annapolis, it was once a dead zone for restaurants. There was a fast food eatery there, a steak house, and a Chinese restaurant, but nothing lasted long at this seemingly ideal location.
Then along came Italy native Arturo Ottaviano and his Osteria 177.
Ottaviano was aware of the location’s troubled history, but he went forward anyway. “When I decided to take over this place, everyone was like, ‘I don’t know if it’s going to work there,’” says the Italian-born Ottaviano. “But I loved the location. I thought it was going to work because it was Main Street in a beautiful city. I think maybe it didn’t work before because of the product. Maybe there wasn’t quality and consistency.”
Ottaviano found the formula to foster long-term success with the fine dining Italian restaurant he opened in 2006. Osteria focuses on Italian coastal cuisine made with the freshest ingredients in an elegant setting.
We recently talked to Ottaviano about why Osteria has thrived, his customer’s favorite dishes, his restaurant background, and co-owning two other places: Arturo’s Trattoria in Glen Burnie and La Posta Pizzeria in Severna Park.
What are your best-selling dishes?
The grilled calamari appetizer. We get fresh calamari from Rhode Island and marinate them. They are tender. The most popular entrées I would say are sea bass and veal chops. The way we prepare the sea bass is very light. It’s not a fish you find in many restaurants. It’s grilled and prepared with different sauces. The veal chops are beautifully French cut. The way we prepare it is to stuff it with fresh mozzarella cheese and bruschetta. It’s grilled with a variety of white mushrooms, including Bruschini, and white wine reduction sauce.
Can you talk about your well-curated wine list?
The majority of the wines are Italian. We keep some French Champagne and good California wines. I don’t like to have a book with a lot of pages. I am not that kind of restaurant. But we cover all the major wine production in Italy. They have to own their own vineyards. That is very important to me. I come from a wine land, Valpolicella, Italy. It’s like Napa Valley.
What trends are you seeing among customers?
People go for pasta. It’s Italian and what we do. But when they come in, they discover we have fish and meats. So, they switch the second time around.
What separates your place from other Italian restaurants in town?
Each one has its own style, personality, and menu. It’s not an easy question to answer, but what makes my place different is I am consistent and I use high-quality products. I don’t cut corners.
How do you keep things fresh for your customers?
Every two days I like to change my specials. Weekends are when I have the most interesting ones. There’s more volume. I can feature more variety.
Talk about your conference room in the basement.
We opened it about four years ago. It’s a private room. It holds 30 people. It’s a very comfortable place. It’s dedicated to (Maryland) Senator John Astle and it’s called the Astle room. We get a lot of corporate events. That’s what it is mostly used for. We even use it for wedding rehearsals and birthdays.
Tell me about your restaurant background
I have been in the restaurant business since I was 17. I went to culinary school at Bardolino in Italy and worked for a lot of fine-dining restaurants to learn. I came to America in the early 90s and went to work for Alberto’s in Glen Burnie for eight years. It was a fine Italian restaurant. I worked in the kitchen as a line cook and developed new recipes. I also developed my skills on the floor as a waiter and manager. I bought the place four years ago. Now, it’s Arturo’s Trattoria.
What do you like about owning three restaurants?
Before, I was really happy about it. Now, I am not as happy. You get no time for yourself. I work a minimum of 12 hours a day for six days a week. I have one day for my family.
How does it make you feel that you are able to survive at such a tough spot?
It makes me very proud of myself. I knew a lot of places were not staying. Even my own lawyer, said, “This place is cursed. Nothing ever works.” There was a huge recession after we opened. It wasn’t easy, but we had consistency and quality in service and everything. It took a lot of work and effort. It’s something no one can take away from me. I’ve had a positive run.
Astice Al Vino Bianco Con Scialatielli
(Serves Two)
- 2 fresh lobster tails
- 4 shrimp
- 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot
- Touch of hot crushed pepper
- Tarragon
- Cup of white wine
- Cup of lobster or fish stock
- Italian parsley
- Fresh made scialatielli pasta(or any pasta you prefer)
- Sea salt
Cut the lobster tails lengthwise, through the shell only. Prepare a hot sauté pan with the olive oil and the shallots finely chopped. Sauté five minutes, then add the lobster tails, cut side down. Add the tarragon and the crushed hot pepper. Add the jumbo shrimps (diced if preferred). Add the white wine and, when evaporated, add the stock and cover it with a lid. Depending on the size and quality of the lobster it may take 10 minutes to cook. Check the meat to make sure it doesn’t over cook and add more stock if needed. Sauté the pasta (previously boiled) for a couple of minutes by removing the lobsters (it will make it easier). Add the chopped Italian parsley and an additional touch of extra virgin olive oil. Display the pasta in a nice bowl and top with the lobster and the shrimp.
Osteria 177
177 Main Street, Annapolis
410-267-7700 | osteria177.com
