News & Politics

January 2006 100 Very Best Restaurants: Osteria del Galileo

The dining room is for highrollers, but the front room, at lunchtime and dinner, attracts local office workers with its bargain-priced menus featuring homestyle dishes from chef Roberto Donna's native Piedmont.

THE SCENE. The dining room is for highrollers, but the front room, at lunchtime and dinner, attracts local office workers with its bargain-priced menus featuring homestyle dishes from chef Roberto Donna's native Piedmont.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE. Generous portions of filling food at remarkably low prices, accompanied by a short list of inexpensive, hearty wines. In short, one of the city's great bargains.

WHAT YOU WON'T. What's not to like about good food at good prices? Still, a tendency among the waitstaff to treat denizens of the bar and osteria as coach class can temper one's enthusiasm over finding such lusty cooking at such appealing prices.

BEST DISHES. A wonderful tuna sandwich on focaccia; a superb dish of pappardelle with venison ragoût; rabbit with soft polenta; braised short ribs of beef; a comforting bolito misto of beef, tongue, veal cheeks, and capon in a rich, flavorful broth.