"Much like the cursive inspirational art hanging in your mom’s kitchen, Osteria Vera is stuck in 2007, and we say that with love. Balsamic vinegar is prominent on the menu, families pass around arugula salads, and cacio e pepe is tossed tableside inside a giant cheese wheel (a holdover from the space’s former tenant, Pecorino). An evening here offers the same homey feel you’d find at most of Brentwood’s many Italian restaurants, except here you’re in veteran hands when it comes to the food. Osteria Vera is a sequel to the now-closed Vincenti (a.k.a. the best Italian restaurant to ever grace Brentwood) and many of the classic dishes have reemerged, like spinach pappardelle in meaty wild boar ragu and paccheri with sweet cherry tomato sauce studded with shrimp and lobster. Vincenti’s off-menu rotisserie duck is still available, so ask even if your server doesn’t mention it. As with most of Brentwood's pasta palaces, Osteria Vera can get pricey: Expect to pay $100+ per person if you tack on a glass or two of wine with dinner. And, granted, the ambiance can be a little sleepy. You may hear the table across the room chewing, but you’re ultimately coming to Osteria Vera to have one of the best Italian meals in this pasta-dense neighborhood. Food Rundown photo credit: Sylvio Martins Radicchio You probably saw this pleasant radicchio-endive-balsamic-apple salad a million times on the Food Network in the early 2000s and that’s perfectly OK. It’s nostalgic, tastes good, and just feels right. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Polipo Soft warm octopus is the best type of octopus. The roasted artichoke and fava beans at the bottom are crunchy and give the dish a smoky touch. video credit: Sylvio Martins Cacio e Pepe Is it rude to say this cacio e pepe could be cheesier, even if it’s tossed in a literal wheel of cheese? It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen this act in a restaurant, you’ll want to get a video of your deadpan waiter twirling your bucatini tableside. (That’s the whole point, right?) The generous amounts of black pepper and al dente pasta are big pluses, too. Paccheri Paccheri is put to good use here. The large tubes help scoop up the sweet, tomato-y, slightly fishy sauce and all of the minced shrimp in your bowl. The lobster tail on top is a nice treat. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Branzino This individual portion of fish is simple, light, and delicious. The branzino flakes apart effortlessly, the capers and olives add tasty pops of brininess, and it’s plated on a potato tortino that helps soak up the tart tomato sauce. Rotisserie Duck The now-closed Vincenti made this dish famous around the same time the Backstreet Boys were blowing up (they're unrelated, we think) but thankfully it lives on as an off-menu special at Vera: A ridiculously juicy, slow-roasted half duck laid over fork-tender potatoes and spinach. Ask about it even if your waiter forgets to mention it." - Sylvio Martins
