Osteria Papavero

I ate at Osteria Papavero yesterday. It's that new Italian restaurant on Wilson Street near Restaurant Magnus. The restaurant, which is tiny, has a bar and outdoor seating (only three small tables for two). It's owned by Brian Haltinner, who also owns Maduro and CocoLiquot.

For hours and menus, check out http://www.osteriapapavero.com/.

I had the special, stuffed pizza with three meats, and my companion had another special, rolled up pasta with prosciutto. The pizza was quite dry; it seemed like a dry calzone that needed marinara sauce. Still, it was good, but not overly filling. I also had a side green salad, which had yellow peppers (cooked) and black olives.

The rolled up pasta (imagine a flat piece of pasta that is rolled up) was pretty good, though it could have used more prosciutto. It also wasn't filling. For the price we paid ($9 for the pizza, $7 for the pasta), we could have at least gotten some bread or something.

Though the lunch and dinners menus aren't lengthy, there are several items I would like to try later down the road. And I would like to try some of their wine; they have a good-looking list.

Our service was less than stellar. After our waitress took our order and delivered our food (only 10 min.), we never saw her again. Eventually, I went inside and asked the bartender for our bill. The restaurant was only moderately busy at this time--I think she simply forgot us.