Daniel B.
Yelp
We like Osteria Georgi in Chapel Hill. Simply put, this is one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the Triangle, perhaps *the* favorite. We like it more than Cucciolo Osteria in Durham, but both are good.
My wife has been here several times with her coworkers for dinner. The repeat visits should be telling enough.
I visited with my wife for a Saturday dinner and we had a great experience. This is a perfect date spot, and it works well with groups too. The food, drink, and service were good to great. This place is popular. It was busy the night of our visit. Reservations are recommended.
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Osteria Georgi opened on April 30, 2021. It's part of the successful Giorgios restaurant group. That group includes some of our favorite restaurants in Chapel Hill -- Bin 54 Steak & Cellar and Kipos Greek Taverna. Osteria Georgi is located in the apartment building next to Whole Foods. Free parking is available on the street, in the adjacent lots, and in the attached deck.
This is a modern Italian restaurant. It's beautifully and stylishly decorated. High ceilings, lots of natural light, plants, and artwork, and chic (and comfortable) soft velvet chairs. They serve both lunch and dinner. At night, the tables are candle-lit. Nice ambiance. The restaurant is fairly spacious with both indoor and outdoor seating. Outside, the patio wraps around with umbrella-covered tables.
During our visit, the menus offered a good variety of food and Italian/Italian-inspired drinks. The wine list was deep. Below is a list of what we got, which will also give you an idea of what the prices were like.
Cocktails
* Spritz Lampone Vacanza ($14) - raspberry, myrtle berry, Chinato, aromatics, rose prosecco
* Negroni Bianco ($16) - quinquina, Conniption Navy (gin), Contratto Bianco (vermouth), bitters, wine reduction
Antipasti - Appetizer
* Ostriche del Giorno (6 for $18) x2 - raw oysters on the half shell; local selection, daily mignonette
Insalata - Salad
* Burrata ($19) - seasonal caprese
Primi - Pasta
* Bucatini ($24) - modified from the original version; see my description below
Special - Not on Menu
* Pork Osso Bucco ($40)
Dolce - Dessert
* Chocolate Budino ($10) - caramel, candied walnuts, olive oil
* Fruit Crostata ($10) - vanilla gelato, aged balsamic
Dessert Cocktail
* Latte Vivace ($13) - vodka, Cappelletti Aperitivo (Italian red bitter), coffee, cream
In general, all of the food and drink were delicious. We didn't have a single bad item. My favorites were the Ostriche del Giorno, Bucatini, Pork Osso Bucco, and Fruit Crostata. They were all outstanding. My wife agrees with my picks except for the Fruit Crostata. She'd replace it with the Burrata. I thought the Burrata was excellent too. Really, you can't go wrong with anything here.
There were a lot of changes to the menus we were given, so many that it might have been worth it to print new ones. I'm sure the servers had a lot of fun explaining all of the changes to every table. One example is the Bucatini we got. Bucatini all'Amatriciana was printed on the menu. However, our version had no tomato, Calabrian chile, or basil. Instead, it was like a hybrid of carbonara and cacio e pepe. It still had pancetta. I don't know what Georgi's original all'Amatriciana version tastes like, but this olive-oil alternative was fantastic.
The Pork Osso Bucco was phenomenal. It was one of the best I've had. Most of the ossobucos I've eaten up to this point have been made with veal, not pork. This version was super tender and fall-off-the-bone. The portion size was filling and overall, the dish was quite succulent, from the pork and polenta to the tomatoes and wild mushrooms. Superb.
The oysters (Ostriche del Giorno) were fresh with medium brine. We were told they would be brinier, but it was fine. The oysters came from Morehead City, NC. They were some of the best oysters I've had in Chapel Hill-Durham. My only gripe is that there were too many shell bits in the batch. I think it was a shucking issue.
The Burrata was above average. Fresh, creamy, and satisfying. Along with that, I think what set Georgi's Burrata apart was the accompanying caprese made with a vodka sauce, grilled squash, and local cherry tomatoes with balsamic drizzled on top. Yum.
The drinks and desserts were tasty. The Spritz Lampone Vacanza was very refreshing. The Negroni Bianco was nice and strong. They offered three kinds of negroni. The Chocolate Budino was rich and had an intense dark chocolate flavor. The Fruit Crostata was made with apple, not peach as we were told, but still tasted wonderful. It paired well with the gelato.
Service was terrific. Our server Mo was thorough and we could tell he was experienced. Props to all of the other friendly and attentive staff as well. From my perspective, this appeared to be a well-run ship.