2900 S. Quincy Street (Shirlington area)
Tel: 703-820-1128
There鈥檚 a lot new at Shirlington鈥檚 Osteria da Nino聽since we with owner Nino Pino.
The chef who鈥檚 hard at work in the kitchen started last summer, bringing some new flair to the menu, which changes with the seasons to incorporate聽the freshest ingredients.
The crowds have grown since this time last year, in particular those booking the private event space, which now sports a brand new 65-inch TV.
On our 聽you might have seen one thing that started last year and is bringing in new customers, also known as future regulars: wine seminars featuring some of Italy鈥檚 best and most interesting wines.
What else drives Osteria da Nino鈥檚 increasing popularity and ? There鈥檚 the food, of course. It鈥檚 delicious. There鈥檚 the service, which is attentive. And then, naturally, there鈥檚 Nino.
The owner and seven-day-a-week public face/greeter/manager/avuncular converser of Osteria da Nino knows your name and possibly your birthday and anniversary and pet鈥檚 name if you鈥檝e been to his restaurant twice. Maybe just once.
He is, as of this sentence being typed, sitting at the bar, grabbing a quick bite (it鈥檚 9 p.m., guests come first) and conversing in Italian with a fellow聽who鈥檚 visiting from Italy.聽Nino鈥檚聽practice of chatting with every guest is remarkable for its dichotomy: when he鈥檚 talking with you, he鈥檚 focused on you and how you鈥檙e doing today and how the dog/kid/business is doing, to the extent that it鈥檚 almost like no one else in the restaurant matters. But they do, and then with a 鈥済razie鈥� he鈥檚 off to seat a couple that just walked in or to chat with another table. Most of them, by the way, are regulars.
Before you finish your meal, he has talked and seated聽everyone. And then he鈥檚 back to you, with little聽sense of being rushed even if the place is packed, checking on just how great, exactly, your dinner聽(or lunch) was. It鈥檚 amazing.
There鈥檚 just one thing that bugs the most patient, Old World restaurateur in town, and that鈥檚 the relatively new habit of diners going home and giving so-so reviews online. (Nino has been running restaurants聽since well before the internet was a thing.)
Granted, Osteria da Nino doesn鈥檛 get a lot of bad reviews, but when he does it鈥檚 personally disappointing. Because he has checked once, twice, thrice to make sure everything is up to everybody鈥檚 expectations. And if not, he鈥檚 gracious and quick to offer to fix whatever鈥檚 wrong.
But Nino insists聽the聽customer is always right and will try to make his guests happy聽even after the fact, after the review 鈥� and yes, he reads every聽single one 鈥斅爄s out there. Everybody has an occasional off day, a day that hasn鈥檛 gone well, that then leads you in your frustration to being particularly persnickety on Yelp because your ravioli wasn鈥檛 at your preferred temperature. And that鈥檚 okay.
Mi scusi, Nino will say the next time you鈥檙e in, above the din of conversation as Dean Martin plays over the sound system, and bentornato mio amico.
Be sure to check out mouth-watering food videos from the kitchen of Osteria da Nino, courtesy of Nino鈥檚 daughter, on the restaurant鈥檚 . And if parking is an issue, phone ahead and see if any of聽ODN鈥檚 reserved parking spaces are available across the street.
The preceding was a sponsored聽profile of Osteria da Nino written by ARLnow.com.
