By Irene Merenda

Osteria Rustica, 4750 E. Moody Blvd #108, Bunnell, FL  32110. Tel: 877-585-1085 Open Tue-Sat 5:00-10:00

Our friends, Roger and Nina, knew of this little Italian Restaurant in Bunnell, and asked us to join them for dinner one recent evening. Although I knew nothing about Bunnell, it sounded far away, so I was pleasantly surprised that it took only about 35 minutes to get there from Marsh Creek.  Even so, I doubted that a ½ hour drive for Italian food was worth the effort.  I was wrong!

The tiny restaurant is in a nondescript strip mall and could be mistaken for a place to get a slice of pizza and a coke, until you walk in the door and are hit by the wonderful smell of roasting garlic and other spices.  We had a reservation which was made only the day before, and were greeted by Floriano, the owner, chef, and all-around gracious host!

Wines

We ordered 4 glasses of house wines. For our friends who know (and care) more about wine than I do, the selection of wine by the glass was uninspired.  There were many pricey choices of bottled wine, but since we all prefer different types of wine, we went with glasses. 

The wine by the glass selection was the only negative comment I can make about this restaurant.

Appetizers

One of our shared appetizers was gnocchi with 3 sauces:  Tomato, pesto, and alfredo.  Each was wonderful and the gnocchi was delicate and tasty.  The other appetizer was caprese:  fresh mozzarella with tomato, pomodoro sauce and basil.  But it wasn’t the typical caprese, as it came with nuts, cheeses, beets and peppers on the side making it an interesting and delicious offering.

Entrees

Nina’s shrimp ravioli was a tender pasta with a savory and smooth filling with tomato sauce. 

My filet of sole was tender, flaky, and served with a lemon-caper sauce that was light and did not over-power the delicate fish.  I had fettuccine on the side that was covered in the same delicious sauce. The squash medley on the side was fresh and crunchy, not over-sauteed.

Roger had the Ossobuco which he described as tender with a fabulous flavor. 

Frank’s Cioppino was a large portion with clams, mussels, and shrimp.  He ordered it “diabolical” which means there was almost enough hot pepper to make him happy.

Desserts

Our shared desserts were the Tiramisu and Limoncello cake.  The tiramisu was dusted in an almond powder instead of coffee, and gave it an unexpected and very different flavor, but I thought it was excellent.  I actually prefer it to traditional tiramisu.  The Limoncello cake was light and fluffy and very fresh.

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Price

I neglected to record (or remember) the prices for each item, but I think appetizers were between $15-$20, and entrees were around $25-$40.

I felt the need to take off ½ of a spoonbill because of the limited wine selection by the glass. However, you get 10% off the check if you pay by cash, so I’m returning that ½ spoonbill as a bonus!

5 Spoonbills for this cute restaurant with authentic northern Italian food!