Hungry like the wolf? Osteria Lupo, New Orleans (photo by Sarah Peters Photography)
Osteria Lupo
review by Paul Oswell
How’s your Italian? Good enough to know the difference between ristorante, trattoria and osteria? Mine certainly wasn’t, and never having seen ‘osteria’ before, I did have to look it up. A ristorante is your full service restaurant, of course, whereas your trattoria, that’s more of a rustic, family-owned casual spot…and your osteria? Well, strictly that’s a wine bar that has a few simple meals. I can now say all of that with ill-advised confidence. I guess I knew that ‘Lupo’ was ‘wolf’, and the dashing cartoon character on the restaurant’s paperwork confirms that guess.
Wine will definitely make an appearance, but for now we’re settling into the swing of things with cocktails. I finally get to try the internet sensation of nine months ago (I’m nothing if not a late adopter), the Negroni Sbagliato, and my dining companion has cheeky strawberry and basil mixture called a Pink Flag while we take a gander at the menu.
It’s a Tuesday night, but this corner of Magazine Street is buzzing, and it’s a very healthy midweek crowd. Tables are full, bottles are being popped, and what with the Mediterranean summer temperatures, the industrial-romantic interior of Osteria Lupo is a very passable facsimile of its overseas Italian cousins. It’s a former yoga studio, now a bustling, welcoming restaurant. Or osteria.
I’m a big fan of their sister (Spanish) restaurant Costera, and if the food and service (from Chef Brian Burns and business partner Reno De Ranieri) are even close to as consistent, we’re going to be in safe hands. Osteria Lupo focuses on the cuisine of Northern Italy, with staples of house-made pastas, roasted meats and fish, and pizza. Their love of casually-social dining definitely comes through given how lively the room is tonight.
We’re only two people, but we go family style and share some of the menu highlights. The note-perfect creaminess of the burrata complements the crusty grilled focaccia with aplomb, while the Pesce Crudo is a red snapper in a tomato-walnut pesto and I could have eaten two of those plates without blinking. Some delightful Louisiana Blue Crab arrives dusted with parmesan on a pasta called radiatori - small, squat and radiator-shaped and now my new favorite pasta shape.
The Yellowfin Tuna comes out as meaty cuts, which stand up to the chillies and olives and cipollini (small onions). There’s a rustic element to the menu, but at the same time it feels urbane. It’s accessible, but sneakily sophisticated.
The wine list is all Italian, and though I was too engrossed in the food to note which glasses we had, you can’t go too far wrong and the prices (glasses start at $8) are helpful if you want to explore. I also love restaurants that list wines from light to full-bodied, it’s very helpful for amateurs like me. Dessert is a confidently decadent flourless chocolate cake, but fans of panna cotta, pavlova and semifreddo can rest easy, I saw plenty of folk diving into those, too.
The quality of Costera’s Spanish menu has translated well into the Italian of Osteria Lupo. In Italy, they say "In bocca al lupo!” or “In the mouth of the wolf!” to mean “Good luck!”. You usually respond with “Crepi il lupo!” or “The wolf shall die!”. Whatever works for you, Italy, though I don’t think this wolf will need much luck in staying very much alive.
Osteria Lupo website
review by Paul Oswell
How’s your Italian? Good enough to know the difference between ristorante, trattoria and osteria? Mine certainly wasn’t, and never having seen ‘osteria’ before, I did have to look it up. A ristorante is your full service restaurant, of course, whereas your trattoria, that’s more of a rustic, family-owned casual spot…and your osteria? Well, strictly that’s a wine bar that has a few simple meals. I can now say all of that with ill-advised confidence. I guess I knew that ‘Lupo’ was ‘wolf’, and the dashing cartoon character on the restaurant’s paperwork confirms that guess.
Wine will definitely make an appearance, but for now we’re settling into the swing of things with cocktails. I finally get to try the internet sensation of nine months ago (I’m nothing if not a late adopter), the Negroni Sbagliato, and my dining companion has cheeky strawberry and basil mixture called a Pink Flag while we take a gander at the menu.
It’s a Tuesday night, but this corner of Magazine Street is buzzing, and it’s a very healthy midweek crowd. Tables are full, bottles are being popped, and what with the Mediterranean summer temperatures, the industrial-romantic interior of Osteria Lupo is a very passable facsimile of its overseas Italian cousins. It’s a former yoga studio, now a bustling, welcoming restaurant. Or osteria.
I’m a big fan of their sister (Spanish) restaurant Costera, and if the food and service (from Chef Brian Burns and business partner Reno De Ranieri) are even close to as consistent, we’re going to be in safe hands. Osteria Lupo focuses on the cuisine of Northern Italy, with staples of house-made pastas, roasted meats and fish, and pizza. Their love of casually-social dining definitely comes through given how lively the room is tonight.
We’re only two people, but we go family style and share some of the menu highlights. The note-perfect creaminess of the burrata complements the crusty grilled focaccia with aplomb, while the Pesce Crudo is a red snapper in a tomato-walnut pesto and I could have eaten two of those plates without blinking. Some delightful Louisiana Blue Crab arrives dusted with parmesan on a pasta called radiatori - small, squat and radiator-shaped and now my new favorite pasta shape.
The Yellowfin Tuna comes out as meaty cuts, which stand up to the chillies and olives and cipollini (small onions). There’s a rustic element to the menu, but at the same time it feels urbane. It’s accessible, but sneakily sophisticated.
The wine list is all Italian, and though I was too engrossed in the food to note which glasses we had, you can’t go too far wrong and the prices (glasses start at $8) are helpful if you want to explore. I also love restaurants that list wines from light to full-bodied, it’s very helpful for amateurs like me. Dessert is a confidently decadent flourless chocolate cake, but fans of panna cotta, pavlova and semifreddo can rest easy, I saw plenty of folk diving into those, too.
The quality of Costera’s Spanish menu has translated well into the Italian of Osteria Lupo. In Italy, they say "In bocca al lupo!” or “In the mouth of the wolf!” to mean “Good luck!”. You usually respond with “Crepi il lupo!” or “The wolf shall die!”. Whatever works for you, Italy, though I don’t think this wolf will need much luck in staying very much alive.
Osteria Lupo website