Cafe Astoria’s dinner service is like nonna’s kitchen, in the best way
I’ve long been a fan of Cafe Astoria’s delicious coffees and breakfast food, and after that, co-owner Leah Raymundo’s delicious Filipino food at (sadly, now closed) Kalsada.
Now, it’s her partner and co-owner John Occhiato’s turn to wow my taste buds.
Occhiato is now serving Italian dinners in the evenings at Cafe Astoria, and some friends and I stopped by to check it out on a recent weeknight.
This was before Dry January began, and we were hoping to accompany our meal with a glass of wine, but Occhiato explained that his liquor license hadn’t yet been issued — not a surprise given how long it generally takes St. Paul to get around to such things.
We opted instead for some tasty mocktails. Let’s hope the liquor license comes soon, mostly because restaurants tend to make more money on alcohol than food, but also because it’s nice to have a glass of wine with pasta.
Anyway, bygones, especially because dinner was great!
We started with the Antipasti Misti, a combo of five of the appetizers available on the menu, and the resulting charcuterie board was a great little assortment of snacky bits: crispy, garlic roasted marcona almonds, bright green Castelvertrano olives, mortadella, speck, spongy focaccia and a lively radicchio salad. It could easily be a lovely, light dinner for two people.
As for entrees, I think the orecchiette was our favorite. The “little ears” are accompanied by a harmonious mixture of lamb sausage, creamy chickpeas, bright, blistered cherry tomatoes, olives and mint.
The goat cheese ravioli were also delicious — we loved the accompanying smoked prosciutto, pistachios and mint, but were wishing the sauce, which was sort of a brodo (broth), had a little more heft to it.
The Campanlle Carbonara, on the other hand, featured a perfect, silky sauce, lots of pepper (almost an aggressive amount, but we dug it) and little bits of smoky bacon — comfort food at its finest.
And last but not least, the simple, tasty porchetta — pork belly rolled and roasted until the skin was deep brown and crackling. Though it was delicious, I’d order a salad with it next time to help cut through the fat. We did order the melt-in-your-mouth, crispy, deeply flavored JW Potatoes to accompany it, a decision I can’t say anyone at the table regretted.
Don’t be tempted to skip dessert. A fluffy, not-too-sweet tiramisu and crepes filled with almondy frangipane and dates were the perfect ending.
Occhiato has said he’s trying to emulate Jonathan Waxman, the New York Chef who is known for his rustic Italian food, and I am sure that’s right, but all I kept thinking, in the best way, was that eating at Astoria was like sitting in the kitchen of an Italian grandmother. And I think that is the best compliment I could offer.
Cafe Astoria
Where: 325 W. Seventh St., St. Paul
Contact: 651-340-9471; cafeastoria-stpaul.com
Prices: Small plates run from $6-$16; entrees from $15-$22; desserts, $10
Good to know: Dinner is served Thursday-Saturday; parking on West Seventh can be tough, rideshare or public transportation is a good bet.
Small Bites are first glances — not intended as definitive reviews — of new or changed restaurants.
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