Osteria Carabas is named after a character in "Puss and Boots" and the whimsey theme is carried out in the decor while the food is very serious but light and light hearted at the same time. The meals and services we had there, judged against other osteria/trattoria, clearly deserve a 5 star rating. These are veteran, enthusiastic, foodies with a surgeon's touch.
This restaurant is average to large size for an osteria in the central district with 5 tables for 2 and 2 tables for 4 inside in a 25 foot by 35 foot space [8 by 11 m.] and another 2 tables for 4 outside. It is on a narrow carruggio or vico off of Barbi 100 meters from Piazza Aquaverde. They open earlier than most at 1900 but served neighborhood families as well as tourists the nights we were there and were full by 2000 - 2030.
We were greeted warmly with a laughing explanation of the derivation of the name Carabas on our first night and clearly remembered on our second visit, which is always heart warming. Wait service was prompt, informed, friendly and willing to discuss recipes and meal choices. A pair of blackboards list the special 3 entree's and 3 desserts. On the menu there were 4 antipasti, 5 primi, and 5 secondi. They were glad to turn an entree' into an appetizer as we discussed our plan for the meal. The second night there, one entry had changed on each board. A one page, front and back, wine list has 2-3 choices from the major wine areas in Italy that were too numerous for me to count.
The first night, we started with 10 lightly breaded, butterflied, anchovy fillets that were flash fried to slightly crispy. The fish was fresh and lightly seasoned and cost 12 Euro. We also tried trenette (a pasta slightly thicker than spaghetti but much thinner than trofie) with a pesto of fresh fave beans and sardo cheese accented with crunchy blanched whole beans. That was about 1 cup [250ml.] for 12 Euro and we finished it off with scarpetta from the bread bowl we were given. The pesto is the same color as basil pesto but a completely different nutty-sharp flavor that elevated the perfectly cooked pasta. We divided a mixed grill that had 2 oz [60 mg.] each of perfectly, individually, grilled seafood including yellow fin tuna that had a light, 1/8 inch [ 3 mm] sear, bream that was completely cooked, two 7 inch long [19 cm.] shrimp, completely cooked swordfish, with a 6 inch ( 15cm. ) whole grilled octopus. That was accompanied by the best bottle of Valpolicella Superior at 25 Euro that I can remember.
We finished with raspberry sorbetto that was as close to frozen crushed raspberries as any I have had and a tiramisu with a definite coffee back-taste that has become watered down for too many others.
We changed our plans so that we could return the next night and started with a lasagna that was slightly less than a cup [200ml.] of very thin, broad, flat noodles lightly baked in loosely organized layers with 1/4 inch [6mm.] thick slices of grilled potato and asparagus shoots. This was evenly dressed with pesto Genovese which was handmade. We saw them harvesting the basil from plants outside the osteria. We also had a plate of 12 ravioli of eggplant, garlic, tomato and ricotta with fresh tomatoes dressing. I will definitely copy the lasagna as soon as we get home.
We divided a plate of 4 lightly breaded, grilled swordfish dumplings that coupled a fillet with dried tomato, caper and local olives. We had a glass of the house white, a pleasant vermentino and the red, a Colline di Levanto that was very drinkable.
We finished with the same sorbet and a torte bavarese with strawberries and lemon. We would come back again if we didn't have to catch a train in the morning. read more
