Tiny littleneck clams in the shell and spicy Portuguese linguiça sausage meet and mingle in this hearty spaghetti con vongole.
Napa River Grill enjoyed a very good run before it renovated and rebranded as Osteria Italian Seafood last month.
Its name recently foreshortened to just-plain Napa, the upscale Northern California-style eatery had endured for 24 years, a long life for a restaurant.
After succeeding the fondly remembered Mamma Grisanti in Dupont Square in 1999, Napa River Grill moved to the then-new Westport Village in 2008. Several owners took its helm over the years. Even its familiar vineyard-shaded patio survived the move, and it remains in the new incarnation.
So while Osteria went through a quick renovation that converted its colors to nautical blues and whites during its brief closing in September, there’s still a distinct sense of the old Napa just beneath the surface.
Several of Napa’s most familiar menu items remain, and Napa’s Chef Seth Butkus is still at the helm in the kitchen. For all the emphasis on seafood and fish, there’s still an ample selection of chicken, pork, beef and cheese dishes to offer variety.
I think this is a smart move by Osteria owner Jared Fox Matthews, who brings his experience taking over and revitalizing Lou Lou Food & Drink and opening its second location; converting Equus and Jack’s into Black Rabbit, and remaking Diamond Pub & Billiards (where he had long been bar manager and later managing partner) to The Fox Den.
Osteria, whose Italian name means “tavern” with a strong sense of “roadhouse,” continues in that pattern: It builds on the vibe of its predecessor, expands it, and makes it new, but in comfortable ways that don’t banish its existing audience. ...
Read my full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
https://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/napa-to-osteria
You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section this week:
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/
Osteria Italian Seafood
1211 Herr Lane
423-5822
https://osterialouisville.com
https://facebook.com/Osterialouisville
https://instagram.com/osterialouisville
Noise Level: With perhaps half the tables filled, sound levels averaged a buzzy but livable 68.4dB.
Accessibility: The dining room and restrooms appear fully accessible to wheelchair users.