By David Nelson | SDUN Food Critic
A sweet little counter curves around the tiled pizza oven at Origano, the recently opened hipster haven that will be remembered as one of the juiciest specimens of the 2010 restaurant crop.
Hillcrest is no stranger to either pizza or showmanship, and both are on the menu at Origano, which is co-owned by Sicilian chefs Vincenzo LoVerso of Gaslamp’s Osteria Panevino, Osetra Watergrill and Greystone, and Francesco Basile of La Mesa’s cozy, highly-respected Antica Trattoria. Plenty curvaceous itself, the oven holds center stage at the extremely well-designed eatery on the ground floor of the Atlas condominiums. Occupying one of the six counter seats to watch the pizza production process is almost like having a house seat at the Old Globe.
The showman in charge of the oven is Angelo Storniolo, a master at twirling and stretching balls of pizza dough into elegant discs, which he deftly sauces and decorates with judicious amounts of cheese and whatever other toppings requested. Wielding a baker’s paddle, he lifts the pies from his semolina-strewn work counter, slides them into the oven, and instinctively seems to know just the right moment to retrieve them from the intense heat. Bubbling furiously, each pie is given a quick drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fragrant oregano by Storniolo’s sure hand, and then dispatched to guests who have been imagining this blessed moment ever since they planned a pilgrimage to Origano.
Crisped to a glamorous finish, these elegant pies are a taste of heaven—eight slices of heaven, some might say—that can be purchased for only $9.50, which buys a demure Margherita pizza dressed with tomato sauce, mozzarella, olive oil, oregano and basil. Each bite fills the mouth with the pleasures of thin, tender-crisp crust and the essential flavors of the Italian south. There are elegant options, like a pie with portobello mushrooms, truffle oil and speck, which is essentially a smoked prosciutto, and a plush four-cheese pizza to which gorgonzola lends a musky, moody brilliance (both 12.95). For the pizza con salsiccia ($12.95), Storniolo uses homemade sausage along with onions and mushrooms, and the flavors are sharp, bold and thoroughly satisfying. The oven is the source of numerous other delights, including a calzone ($12.95) filled with spinach and four cheeses, and a thinly sliced focaccia stuffed with sauteed onions, radicchio, truffle oil and smoked mozzarella, otherwise known as scamorza ($13.95). Order an entrée and it will be accompanied by thick, tender slices of yellowish semolina loaves, which Storniolo confects from his flavorful pizza dough.
Given broad windows that give onto a sizeable sidewalk terrace, Origano is not exactly a hideaway, but inside, it features a greater variety of seating than would be expected of a smaller space. Just inside the entry, a cozy wine bar offers a few choice seats facing a wall whose decorations include five wine racks on which the names of the selections are chalked on narrow blackboards below each shelf. It’s a clever idea that promises there will be something new to sample quite soon. As mentioned, the pizza counter centers the room, which otherwise is occupied by tables and stools, rather than than chairs. Chandeliers of swirled cast iron wend their way in a tasteful procession under the arched ceiling. Simply put: The décor is charming. In the judgment of a terrifically impressed dinner partner, “They’re going to need more tables.”
Co-proprietor Basile, whose describes his home village of Santelia, Sicily as “a little fisherman’s town,” likes to create deliciously novel appetizers, such as one evening’s special, an astonishing construction that looked like a wild mushroom on steroids. To build it, Basile poised a broad portobello cap on a crisp column of hollowed bread stuffed with a lush crab filling. This sounds plenty good on its own, but wasn’t quite good enough for Basile, who finished the dish by painting it with a stunning reduction of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Large and stylish, the menu is priced to reflect the high quality of the ingredients. The list of cold appetizers begins with a “Napoleon” of sliced mozzarella and tomatoes layered with roasted peppers and grilled eggplant ($10.50). It’s an elegant starter, as is the carpaccio Cipriani, named for an elegant hotel in Venice, a plate paved with thinly sliced raw beef filet dressed with capers, parmesan shavings and olive oil ($12.95). Another option is the relatively light melanzane caprino ($11.95), which tops grilled eggplant with cherry tomatoes, basil and a balsamic glaze. “Caprino” (goat cheese) garnishes the crostini served alongside.
Plan on sharing hot appetizers like the panzerotti fritti, or fried pizza dough packages stuffed with Asiago cheese and wrapped in prosciutto ($11.95), and the elaborately stuffed mushrooms (funghi ripieni, $13.95). The fare turns seriously elegant with starters like the Piedmont-style sautéed boneless quail in a honeyed Nebiolo wine sauce, which is served over polenta ($13.95), and a “tortino” of pan-seared lump crabmeat with cantaloupe chutney and remoulade sauce ($12.95). Salads are light, refreshing and less costly, ranging from $6 to $7.50.
The pastas are lovely—just try finding the huge macaroni called paccheri with pistachio pesto, speck and cream sauce elsewhere in town ($13.95). Twisted casarecce are dressed with shrimp, clams and mussels sautéed with garlic in olive oil, and finished with a light tomato broth ($14.95), and fettuccine arrives in a ravishing ragu of Italian sausage and shiitake mushrooms ($13.95). Main courses include charmers like red-wine braised lamb shank with saffron risotto ($19.95); marinated, boneless Jidori chicken, grilled Tuscan-style and served with spinach and polenta ($15.95), and a “guazzeto” of fin and shellfish sautéed with garlic, olives and capers. The accompanying crostini soak up every drop of flavor ($19.95). Yes, the cannoli are homemade, studded with candied cherries and irresistible. Two guests shared one without excessive acrimony.
Origano
3650 Fifth Ave.
(619) 295-9590
Lunch and dinner daily
