Praise to Santo Stefano

Osteria Santo Stefano opened last December in Piacenza, an area which doesn’t shine because of its many great novelties in the restaurant scene, and received lots of praise right from the start. Behind this place there’s a group of young under-forties who, mindless of the economic crisis and of all the excuses behind which lazy people hide, have decided to start this entrepreneurial adventure, seasoned with desire and competence.

Camillo and Giacomo Pavesi, chef and maître of the restaurant named after the road in which it is located, come from two excellent schools in this sector, namely Alma and Pollenzo. In order to started this project they also needed the money – damn it – which in part they already had, and in part they found thanks to some forward-looking partners who co-financed the project believing in their potential. So everything was set and now the results are proving they were right. The restaurant is cosy and luminous. At the entrance, a nice counter with a blackboard illustrating the dishes of the day stands out, while behind the restaurant there’s a flowered garden in which it is possible to quietly dine in the summer. The friendly atmosphere and service, with no tablecloths, complete the picture.

The food mostly follows local tradition, with cured meats and home-made fresh egg pasta to begin with. For instance, we tasted a fantastic prosciutto from S. Ilario aged 36 months, paired with a magnificent salad of pickled vegetables and the typical Pisarei e fasò. We then continued with a succulent Pig cheek with polenta. Everything was very good. The chef, however, doesn’t turn his nose up at some more daring dishes, such as Maccheroni with salted codfish sauce, taggiasche olives and capers, or Salmon with sake, for instance, to offer beside the former dishes, which are always available.

These two tracks move on parallel ways, giving the guest the chance to chose and vary, jumping from one side of the menu to the other. For instance, one of the dishes that are always available in the menu has ancient roots in the local gastronomic history but it is not very easily found: namely the Head of pig baked in the oven for 12 hours with white wine, vegetables and mustard. Among the desserts, the Zabaglione cream with fruits of the forest and torta sbrisolona is one of the highlights. The wine list favours local wineries but moves further, and always with very sensible mark-ups.

Among their secrets, there’s the fact they’ve wisely managed the food cost: you can easily eat for 30 euros per person – not including wines. This policy, though with different shades, is proving to be successful a bit everywhere (with the extreme case of Parisian bistronomy). These are successful strategies that attract a rather large public, mostly young – guests who want quality food but are less keen on emptying their wallet. Do remember to book in advance, however, as Santo Stefano is often sold-out.

Osteria Santo Stefano
Via Santo Stefano, 22
Piacenza
+39.0523.327802
Closed on Sunday nights and on Mondays