THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Osteria La Spiga

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Osteria La Spiga Restaurant Review:

Brick arches, distressed wood trim and delicate wrought iron details set a charmingly rustic mood at this family-owned osteria, which serves Italian specialties from the northeast region of Emilia-Romagna. Pietro Borghesi, his wife, Sabrina Tinsley, and her sister, Sachia, have created a slice of the old country in a corner of the Harvard Market. Sabrina is the one you see behind the ceramic tile-and-marble counter rolling thin sheets of spinach pasta, or baking piadina, a traditional flatbread. Filled with ingredients like prosciutto, salami, Fontina cheese, tomatoes, greens, or even pumpkin and potato purée, these thin rounds of cracker-like bread make unique cold sandwiches, or the fillings might be sealed inside a pocket of dough which is then grilled to make crescione. We always order one of the exceptional soups with our sandwich. Passatelli, short strands of breadcrumb pasta seasoned with Parmesan and nutmeg, float in a clear, bracing meat broth. Thick, verdant spinach soup is treated to a drizzle of fruity olive oil. Homemade pastas include gnocchi, tagliatelle, squash-filled ravioli glistening with butter and sage, and lasagna, made with spinach pasta layered with a rich, creamy and tender Bolognese sauce. Even diners weary of the ubiquitous tiramisu smile with pleasure at this light, flavorful version. Dining with another couple? Request the four-top tucked into the back alcove. If you go on Thursday nights, be prepared for a festa. Italians pack the place, playing cards, often bursting into song and, of course, drinking wine from an all-Italian list that includes a number of fine boutique producers.