Osteria Coppa | San Mateo, CA

Osteria Coppa. It’s always hard to find a spot here without reservation. Can’t be a sign of the good food though. Popularity is deceiving; take a look at Tpumps across the street, for example. As you venture more north, the Italian food seems to get better.

Here is the breakdown of the food:

Salumi misti: Served with olives and marcona almonds. Soppressata, coppa, pimento salami, sage white wine salami, san daniele prosciutto, porcini oregano salami. The amount was even less than Perbacco’s, but no surprise. Par for the course flavors.

Squash blossoms: Again, is this molecular gastronomy? There were four squash blossoms, but I could barely taste them.

Cod fusilli: Great infused flavor into pasta which was a good texture. No complaints here; rather, complete satisfaction.

Tajarin: Not sure what this was supposed to be. Uninspiring, lack of flavors. Pretty much like eating ramen with Italian flavors added.

Pappardelle: Great dish. Infusion of horseradish creme fraiche brought this dish a nice accent. Beef short rib flavor good, but not infused.