IT’s hardly a case of mass osteria. The last one I can recall in this region was the Osteria Mauro in Cheshire’s leafy, footballer-rich Mottram St Andrew. It was run until his 2012 retirement by Enzo Mauro, the chef behind Stock on Norfolk Street, currently being transformed into a boutique hotel by Gary Neville and Co.
Now we have another Osteria on our hands, this time in the very different territory of Norden in north Rochdale. Osteria translates from the Italian as a ‘restaurant serving simple, authentic food’, which certainly fits the profile of owner Maurizio Cecco.
The selling point of his trio of city centre Salvi’s has always been a casual dining experience based on the finest Italian products he imports direct. The mere thought of a ball of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, direct from his native Naples region, being scooped from its glass jar on the deli counter almost makes me weep like Ronaldo.
Still there must have been some trepidation in translating his successful Salvi’s formula to the ‘sticks’ in a week when 60 per cent of the Rochdale turn-out voted for Brexit.
There’s a big investment involved in transforming the former Norden Arms into the Osteria and it feels the part from the bright, pastel ‘salumeria’ dining area to the wood-fired pizza oven to the jolly servers.
And then toiling in the tiled open kitchen there’s chef Salvo, surname Caruso like the legendary tenor but eerily resembling a current Italian idol – Inspector Montalbano (above). And by some weird chance Salvo hails from the Ragusan village in Sicily where the telly ‘tec series is filmed. “My base there is five minutes from the Montalbano house,” he tells me as he plates up a gorgeous octopus salad that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Mediterranean beachfront (the Osteria’s terrace in downtown Norden is a bit blustery for al fresco this July evening – we stay inside, which is buzzing).
I can’t think of any determinedly ‘neighbourhood’ restaurant this side of town that has this quality of wine list. We ask for wines by the glass we wouldn’t have encountered at Salvi’s and are rewarded with a Erbavoglio white (£8 for 250cl) and Gattinara red (£10.65), both from northern Piemonte.
The former is pale straw in colour with a distinct aroma of lemon verbena and sturdier on the palate than you’d imagine. It copes well with the vigour of the insalata di polpo (£9.50), a genius pairing of octopus and aubergine with tomatoes, zucchini, olives and peppers in vigorous supporting cast. We shared, mopping up the juices and a slick of balsamic with bread that wasn’t quite as impressive.
The Grattinara came into its own with our next course, from the fritti list. Monatanara is deep-fried pizza with spicy tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil and lots of dough. It’s lighter on the palate than a calzone but essentially a stomach-filler.
Unlike Erbavoglio, I’d tasted Grattinara before. It’s one of those soft, oaky 100 per cent reds perceived as the poor relations of Barolo and Barbaresco. Wine production there dates back to the Romans but it only received its DOCG (superior classification) in 1990. This example was splendid, but topped by its successor, another first. Ruit Hora (£9.35, 250cl) from Tuscany was a joy just to sniff, the chocolate and coconut (?) continuing in the palate with a whack of cherry, too, that lingered and lingered. It went so delightfully with my main.
Maurizio, who lives five minutes away, had dropped in and joined Salvo at the stove to cook a dish for me that’s not on the menu. How Osteria like. Chicken Cacciatore, translated as hunter’s chicken, is an old Italian restaurant staple that can be safe and dull.
This one wasn’t, plump breast in a rich wine jus. Simple, authentic etc.
The same veg of the South, garlic, tomato, aubergine and courgette featured again in my companion’s £19.50 main of sea bass (along with sauteed spuds). Its full name Branzino alla Pancetta con Cipollo e Arance, naming the major aromatic constituents – pancetta lardons, onions and orange zest – that made this the best sea bass dish I’ve had in years (I demanded critic’s right to share).
No pudding, or grappa, just a couple of espressos, an arrivederci to Maurizio and Montalbano (sorry, Salvo) before quitting the Mezzogiorno for the moorland road home.
Osteria, 539 Edenfield Road, Norden Rochdale OL11 5XH. 01706 650946.
