Taste
F O O D, D R I N K A N D O T H E R P L E A S U R E S
Mom and Pop Meet Pizzazz
Osteria in Nichols Hills blends homestyle Italian cuisine with locally sourced ingredients and a celebrity chef.
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THE COCCOLI PLATTER OFFERS PUFFED CRISPY DOUGH WITH PROSCIUTTO, STRACCHINO CHEESE, TRUFFLED HONEY AND HERB OIL. PHOTOS BY BRENT FUCHS
hen one of Oklahoma City’s most talented chefs and restaurateurs – Jonathon Stranger of En Croute, St. Mark’s Chop Room and Ok-Yaki – teams with celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, the result is … oh, just a little ol’ Italian joint with the auspicious name Osteria. The restaurant in Nichols Hills
Plaza grew from a casual conversation the once-acquaintances had while Viviani was in Oklahoma for a speaking engagement. The catch-up led to the question that inevitably comes up between all chefs: “What’s next?” “Fabio and I actually reconnected at the school of entrepreneurship” at the University of Oklahoma, Stranger says. “We met up after a talk with students in hospitality and, after a
while of conversation, decided it would be fun to do a restaurant together … which has now blossomed into a great partnership.” The Italian word osteria refers to a casual, mom-and-pop type of establishment. The Stranger-Viviani restaurant doesn’t appear to be of that variety; however, if you consider the basic elements of Viviani’s homey Italian cuisine and Stranger’s inclusion of local growers and producers, MARCH 2019 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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