Take a bite out of authentic Italian dishes at Forno Osteria & Bar

You don’t have to travel far for an elevated dining experience. At Forno Osteria & Bar, you can get an authentic Italian dish in a friendly, welcoming restaurant without leaving the Queen City. 

“Forno is our casual, friendly restaurant,” says Caitlin Massey , marketing manager for Cristian Pietoso Italian Restaurants (which also includes Via Vite downtown and Nicola’s in Over-the-Rhine). “The ‘Oste’ (Italian for innkeeper) is there to care for their guests with no pretentiousness.” 

The dishes at Forno are rustic and authentic Italian, and the menu includes salads, wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta and a number of other entrees in addition to desserts.  

When Cristian Pietoso, the chef and owner of Forno, decided to open the restaurant, he wanted to create a space that reminded him of his native Italy. “He wanted a place where guests would gather and eat like they were in Italy, without taking the plane, which has become the motto here at Forno,” says Massey.  

Born and raised in Florence, Tuscany, Pietoso brings all of the traditional dishes of the Italy that you would expect and more to Forno. Some of the dishes you’ll find include tagliatelle Bolognese, handcrafted gnocchi, pappardelle with wild boar ragout, handmade pastas, pork chop Milanese, braised short ribs and Pietoso’s grandmother’s peperonata, which is a braise of red and yellow bell peppers in agrodolce with Atlantic cod and arugula pesto. Other dishes at the eatery include handcrafted pizzas with real Italian flour and crafty desserts like Pope’s Chocolate Salame, tiramisu and basil panna cotta.  

And while the dinner menu is something to marvel at so, too, is the wine list. According to Massey, the restaurant features almost exclusively Italian wines from Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily and Veneto.  

The team behind the restaurant strives to keep customers wanting more. To do so, they change the menu seasonally. “As the seasons are changing, so are we,” she says.  

Forno Osteria & Bar Hyde Park, 3514 Erie Ave. 513-818-8720. Su-M closed, Tu-Th 5-10 p.m., F-Sa 4-10 p.m. fornoosteriabar.com

Forno Osteria & Bar Montgomery, 9415 Montgomery Road. 513-231-5555. Su-M closed. Tu-Sa 4-10 p.m. fornoosteriabar.com