Osteria Carla - Mamma Pizza’s first venture outside Oslo
Mamma mia, Stavanger has a new Italian restaurant. I'm talking, of course, about Osteria Carla, from the Oslo-based Mamma Pizza. The place is named after the mother of Luca and Davide, the two brothers who started the Mamma Pizza chain in Oslo. I dropped by on a Tuesday and it was great to see the room almost full.
Entrance Interior Osteria Carla
The space itself is charming and cosy, almost on the verge of being a parody of a typical Italian restaurant. There are checked tablecloths, an Italian flag, a Vespa in the window and, of course, a menu built around pasta and pizza. This is an osteria (an informal eatery), and the wine list on the menu is short, though there is an extended wine list if you ask for it. The beer selection is mostly local Lervig plus craft beers from Birra Baladin.
Vinegar Welcome to Osteria Carla Wine fridge
They also have a small acetaia, a small balsamic station with some lovely vinegars from Giusti. General manager Pere gave us a short tasting introduction before we sat down. If you ever find yourself in Modena or Bologna, we recommend a visit to the Giusti shops.
We started this evening with Tagliere Mamma. This is the Italian version of mixed charcuterie and cheese board. I'm more than averagely interested in cured meats, so I was a little disappointed that the different hams weren't introduced. Naturally mortadella was part of the selection, alongside Parmesan, prosciutto di Parma and mozzarella.
Pere also sent a Arancine Siciliane starter to our table. I love these fried risotto balla and these were delicious: one filled with ragù, the other with aubergine and scamorza. Personally, I'd have been happy to have them without the little salad and the mushroom sauce.
Tagliere Pizza bread Arancine
My friend had a classic carbonara and he nodded approvingly at the first few forkfuls. I decided to have the ’Nduja pizza and this was served rather rustically and topped with mozzarella, ’Nduja (the spreadable, spicy Calabrian salami), salsiccia and caramelised onion. It was perhaps a touch on the salty side, and I'd happily have had a bit more ’Nduja, but the combination of salty and spicy against the sweetness of the onion was seriously good.
We were sadly too full for dessert this evening, but the menu lists tiramisu, cannolo and gelato. Next time we will also like to work through more of the pasta dishes and a few other pizzas.
Carbonara Nduja pizza Pizza
I've also had the chance to meet Luca and Davide Zannini, the brothers behind the chain, and they come across as open, likeable and welcoming. It's nice to see them name their restaurant after their mother, and that they pop over to Stavanger to make sure the launch goes well.
All in all, this is a cosy restaurant that is going to be a proper crowd pleaser, because pizza and pasta are easy to like. I would certainly like to see more Bolognese specialties on the menu, such as crescentine / gnocco fritto, pickled onions and squacquerone with the tagliere, but that may be a bit too niche. Either way, we'll most likely be back to try some of the pasta dishes and other pizzas. Grazie mille.
Highlights - Menu focused on pasta and pizza - Cozy atmosphere - Outdoor seating for the summer
Watch out for - ask if you want to know more about the tagliere - ask if you want the extended wine list
Until next bite, Gard & Nikki
Disclosure: EatingOutInStavanger is independent and self-funded, and this review is not an advertisement. We were not paid for it. During this visit, the arancine starter was sent to our table by the manager, and we received a short balsamic tasting.
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