Otto Pizzeria

Eater’s lodged two complaints about Otto of late, both having to do with being rushed out. I’m spending Mother’s Day evening with 8 mothers and daughters there [I will be testing out the Gluten-Free pasta sitch]. We have an 8pm ressie. Let’s see if we get the push. More soon.

Comments

Catherine said…
How was the gluten free pasta?
Allergic Girl® said…
hey ms guide!

in short ok i guess. i dont think they have all the kinks out yet. here's a rundown:

1. the waitress was clueless, didn't know the kitchen would make GF pasta. not a good sign.

2. once i told her the manager had given me the info, she went to the kitchen, without letting me even finish my sentence [she was a bad waitress]. she came back with the bag which was indeed GF and organic. but also used "soy flour". i decided to risk it.

3. i ordered the special pasta with ramps and chille flakes only to be told by the manager, after about 15 min, that the chef wouldn't make the daily special with GF pasta. sigh.

4. all the other pasta dishes save one had fish or nuts or both. so i had to order "cacio e pepe", which for any of you italians or foodies who know, and those that don't, is pasta with ground pepper, grated cheese and oil or butter. easy to make at home and thus not really a desireable resto dish. homey but nothing special.

5. the dish was fine, but the pasta was not cooked in adequately salted water and here's the kicker my tummy's been rumbling ever since.

now that could be from the wine i was drinking [which was excellent from montefalco region in italy], or from the soy flour, or the cheese or the butter.

needless to say im not the happiest of GF campers.
Allergic Girl® said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amanda said…
I ate at Otto recently and had a really great server who said they would happily make the pasta dishes with GF pasta, but that the chef does not reccomend it and thinks it turns out really baldy. Instead, I opted for the prosciutto and a few of the antipasti. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience-- sounds like not everyone there is educated about the GF options!
Allergic Girl® said…
hi amanda
glad you had a positive exp. i've been to otto many many many times over the last 3-4 years with mostly very positive experiences and last night nothing was working, from surly bartenders, a mean host, to our sourpuss waitress, and mediocre food. the company [a table of mothers and daughters] was wonderful, but everything else, a hot mess.
Heather said…
This is really too bad. I had gotten my hopes up!
Allergic Girl® said…
clearly they need some education about gluten-free-ness. from what the mgr told me, mario said put GF pasta in the kitchen but didnt actually do any training or explanation about why and what type of patron [ie an allergic or celiac one] would be requesting it. i could be wrong, but that is the sense i got from a very quick convo about it with the mgr.

serving GF pasta at this point feels a lip service gesture and not an integrated effort.

but maybe that was just the sunday staff.

ps: another diner from last night who is gluten free and corn free who had the GF pasta was up all night with tummy distress.
Heather said…
Really?? I wonder if they drop that gf pasta in the Mario's infamous pasta water, which sits there all night collecting gluten. What do you think?
Allergic Girl® said…
i just have no clue, i shudder to think.

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