Had very high hopes for this place and wanted to LOVE it, as Main St Middletown can use more exciting additions to its restaurant scene. In a nutshell, the food is ok, but nothing stood out as memorable in a good way. Osa is very expensive for what you get, compared to the average CT gastropub, dinner spot, or small plates restaurant. As a party of two, we burned $100 on drinks and small plates and did not leave satiated, which was a disappointment.
I'd say that I liked it, not loved. I love the decor, the huge community table, and the atmosphere. I like the bar much more than the Krust bar, because of the improved layout, materials and the unique little pass-through, window-into-the-kitchen that is part of the backdrop of the bar.
Cocktails: fun and tasty with trendy hipster flare and ingredients. Lots of amari and slightly smaller servings, compared to your typical franchised restaurant cocktail.
Main Entrees: Upon my visit, there were only about three entrees to choose from, one being vegetarian. These were priced in the $20-$30 and none of them intrigued me enough to compel me to want to order one. I'm guessing the restaurant's strategy here is "quality, not quantity" to an extreme extent.
Small Plates/Tapas: Emphasis on SMALL for the money. A serving is only enough for one person, not even enough for one person. Lots of choices in this category. None of these items have a short name to identify them by. Each item is listed on the menu simply by its ingredients, which is unique, though I wouldn't say enjoyable! Basically all of these costed more than $10 and were very small. When each dish arrived, there was that feeling of being a little surprised in a bad way, amused and wanting to laugh a little at the itty-bitty, diminutive size of the food.
Furthermore, none were so delicious that I'd desire to order it again. We had a deconstructed salad type thing that was actually *not good*, the flavors were off. Another plate literally came with about 5 or 6 clams on it. Tiny clams! In their shells! I could inhale this entire thing in one bite - and it was again, over $10, and was not tasty, it was sort of bland. Everything else we had, including the pork agnolotti were fine, good enough, I'd eat them anytime if someone gave them to me for free, but I wouldn't pay the price tag for those portion sizes again. Had all these dishes costed $3-6, it wouldn't have been nearly as frustrating or disappointing.
If money is no thing and you can spend whatever, then you can leave here with a full belly after ordering one of each small plate on the menu. OR, order an entree to make sure you leave satisfied. Otherwise, you might leave this place $100 poorer and still hungry! read more