Ottava Via

A few months ago a restaurant featuring Italian fare opened its doors in Corktown. Although Ottava Via is new to Michigan Avenue, it looks like it has been there forever. I had the chance to finally check this restaurant out after hearing friends rave about it since it opened up at the end of the summer. My first thoughts when pulling up was that it was one of the coolest looking new restaurants in Detroit. I'm already a sucker for corner buildings, but the decor and ambiance of this restaurant are really classy yet inviting, and you feel like your family has been going to this place for generations.

Let me start by saying, this is the third time that I have tried to go to Ottava Via, but the waits were too long for me and my hungry friends before. So I suggest that if you want to check this place out, you either call ahead to see how long the wait is or plan on waiting a while. On this particular night, it was busy, but we were lucky enough to be seated right away. And it's a good thing, because we were ready to eat!

We started things off with an appetizer, and we decided to go with the cheese platter. We were able to choose three cheeses from a list of about a dozen, which was served with some vegetables and bread. The portions were a little small, but the cheese was delicious! There were also options like calamari or an array of olives to start out with.

Then we decided to try a couple different salads, one featuring the beats and the other was a chop salad. For our main courses we each went our own way. I opted for pasta and went with the Penne Alla Arrabbiata. This was a vegetarian dish with great flavor. My friends went with a couple of pizzas, which seemed backwards because I'm usually the pizza girl. They went with the Funghi and another with an egg on it. They looked delicious, and although my friends enjoyed them, they said that Supino and Jolly Pumpkin were a little better. The menu features about ten different pizzas to choose from and you can also build your own.

Overall the food was good here, wasn't as spectacular as I had hoped, but I think it had been hyped up a bit by other friends. The setting alone is reason enough to check the place out. Plus it's a new restaurant in Detroit, so why wouldn't you want to try it for yourself? I hear the drinks are great, which I will definitely have to try next time, and it sounds like they have a pretty great outdoor area with Bocce. So I will definitely be going back, but sadly this is not my new favorite place for pizza or pasta.

Ottava Via is located at 1400 Michigan Ave. in Corktown in Detroit. Fore more info and to check out their menu, head over to their Facebook page here.

~C