Detroit: Corktown’s Ottava Via
In 2013, David Steinke (who also co-owns the Mercury Burger Bar on Michigan Ave) and Tim Springstead (who co-owns Nemo’s Bar also on Michigan Ave), had the thought of opening a new and exciting restaurant in Corktown.
The area was bouncing back and the building right across from Nemos, at the corner of 8th St. and Michigan Ave, was available . . . and it turned out to be the perfect location for them to open up an Italian restaurant.
Ottava Via
The name is pronounced O-Tava Via, which translates to Eighth Way or 8th Street. This was the perfect and most obvious name . . . and it sound really cool! The building, which was built in 1914, is the former home of Dime Saving Bank way back in the day and most recently a pawn shop before being transformed into what it is today.
Let’s start with talking a little about Corktown. Corktown is located a couple miles west of the Downtown Detroit area and is the oldest existing neighborhood in the city. It was founded by Irish immigrants (and named Corktown after County Cork in Ireland) in the 1840s who fled Ireland during The Great Irish Potato Famine. It was home to Briggs Stadium, later renamed Tiger Stadium which put Michigan and Trumbull on the map.
While Tiger Stadium is nothing more than a memory, Corktown is home to the newly renovated Michigan Central Station as well as dozens of restaurants and bars that have opened up in the past 20 years. It is truly a rags to riches story on the communities turn around, and the best part is, we have watched it happen every step of the way. And it’s not just Corktown. The entire city has made a huge comeback and we are proud to call ourselves Detroiters, even though we live in the suburbs, because we support, and have always supported, everything that is going on there.
Ottava Via is one of many restaurants that make Corktown a popular dining destination. While it seems that there have been an endless amount of Italian restaurants opening in the city (SheWolf, Mad Nice, San Morello, Alpino and Adelina just to name a few), Ottava Via seems to be the most down to earth. Don’t get me wrong, the other places are all good, but Ottava Via, while it looks fancy outside, is super casual and feels less pretentious, warm and inviting.
The prices are similar to the average Italian chain restaurant, but the food and overall experience is far superior. The space is wide open and almost rustic with exposed original brick walls, original hardwood floors and wooden tables and chairs. There is a long bar to the left when you walk in and an open kitchen, which adds to the ambiance.
They have a back patio with a fire pit and 2 bocce ball courts, which is a game you can play with a beer in your hand according to owner David Steinke, and the food is delicious food and the staff is super friendly.
Let’s talk about the food. The menu is pretty simple, but has lots of options.
First is their “Hot Plates” or full size entrees which consists of a steak, chicken, fish and short ribs. The steak is a steak frites, a NY strip steak with rosemary fries and Italian Chimichurri. Chicken is ½ a Farmhouse Chicken served with squash and zucchini noodles blistered tomatoes and red onion. The Short ribs are Tuscan-braised short ribs and served with onion fries and mascarpone polenta. And the fish is a grilled Branzino served with a salsa Verde and Tuscan potatoes. These items may change but at the time we were there this was the menu. There is also a Chef Feature which changes daily.
Next is the soups and salads. They offer a chopped salad, Ceasar salad and Burrata Caprese salad all of which you can add a protein of chicken, shrimp, Italian sausage or a meatball to for a small additional charge. Soups are a daily chefs selection.
Next are the Small Plates or starters which are great for sharing amongst the table if you have a group. Here you will find items you might expect to like calamari, broccolini and bruschetta. But you will also see some Italian favorites like Sausage and Peppers, Chef Polpette aka Chefs meatballs, Arancini which are fried rice balls stuffed with prosciutto and cheese and served with a pomodoro sauce and out favorite thing to see on a menu a Charcuterie board or cheese plate with Pecorino cheese served with Italian bread, pears and spiced Truffle Honey.
Next are their pasta dishes, which same as the salads, you can add a protein for a minimal cost. Here you will find the traditional Italian dishes like their Bolognese meat sauce, Alfredo, Pesto and Arrabbiata sauced dishes. But they also have a Truffle Butter Pasta, Bucatini pasta with mushrooms tossed in a truffle butter sauce and Cacio E Pepe which is Bucatini pasta with a pecorino cheese and black paper sauce. We have tried many of their pasta dishes and they have all been delicious and perfectly cooked pasta.
Lastly are their Pizzas and Panini’s. We can’t speak much of the Panini’s since we have not tried one but we can talk all day about their pizzas, perfectly cooked pies in their wood fired oven. They offer both Red sauce (Rosso) and white sauce (Bianca) pizzas.
For the reds there is of course a traditional pepperoni, a Margherita, A Salsiccia which is pepperoni, Itl sausage, provolone, red onion and peppers and the Rucolina with provolone, speck ham, arugula, an egg, pecorino and peppers.
On the Bianca side you have our favorite the Funghi a 3 mushroom pizza with cipollini onions and provolone cheese which is absolutely delicious. The Artichoke with roasted garlic, spinach pesto pecorino and lemon zest, The Italian which is loaded with Italian meats and cheeses, The Short Rib with braised short rib, provolone, onions, pepperoni and pepperonata, a sweet summer pepper sauce, and lastly the Burrata Classico with burrata, oven-roasted tomatoes, pecorino, basil pesto and vincotto drizzle which is similar to a balsamic but made with a reduced red wine or grapes.
There is not one item that is our favorite since they are all so good, however the Funghi pizza is fantastic, so rich and flavorful.
Any of the pasta dishes or small plates are also highly recommended, you really can’t go wrong with anything you order. Ottava Via is open daily at 11 and closes at 10PM Sunday through Thursday and 11PM on Friday and Saturday.
Until next time . . . live well, eat well and enjoy life!
-Keith & Teresa Becker