Recently I had the opportunity to dine at Rosedale neighborhood's Gusto Italian Kitchen + Wine Bar in North-Central Austin. I went in expecting a standard Italian dining experience, but that quickly changed. There are some of the usual items you would expect like lasagna and spaghetti, but the menu truly reflects what I would expect if I had stepped into a restaurant in Italy.
The restaurant is so inviting as you walk in. There is an outdoor patio for dining or drinks and appetizers with friends and a dining room with rich colors and stenciled Italian “graffiti” by local artist Federico Archuleta. The vibe of this restaurant fits a date night spot, a place for a special occasion dinner, a casual meal with friends, or just cocktails. Their goal of being a local, neighborhood restaurant is very evident and feels welcoming to all that step inside.
Now on to the food. Zelinda Elliott, Co-Owner and Director of Marketing for Occhio Appello, joined for this 3-course meal. We started off with a variety of antipasti, primi, and insalata dishes. Everything was so fresh and delicious. It was hard to choose, but I will say that the piatto grande (meat and cheese tray) and the beefsteak tomato were favorites of mine. Another favorite was the arancini stuffed with mozzarella and grana padano and served with romesco. Between these starters and a glass of wine, I could have made an entire meal but why stop there.
Next, we moved on to pasta dishes and salads. The Nicoise salad was fantastic! The smoked salmon, egg and red wine/mustard vinaigrette set this apart from other salad options on the menu. The pasta was fantastic as well. We enjoyed the bolognese and carbonara pasta dishes. Both were amazing. The bolognese dish featured pappardelle, and the carbonara featured traditional spaghetti pasta. All pasta is made fresh in-house, and you can tell the difference. The carbonara was especially flavorful in my opinion but then again when a farm egg is on top it’s hard to go wrong. The guanciale was the perfect meat for this dish.
“A Taste of Italy in our Own Backyard”
By: Todd White