Last week I went out to dinner with some colleagues and we tried a new spot, called Ottava Via in Corktown. I was intrigued because I had never heard of it before and I pride myself on knowing about new restaurants in Detroit, especially Italian restaurants.

Ottava Via just opened on August 24th so we got to be some of the first people to check it out. I love everything Italian and Ottava Via translates to “Eighth Street” in Italian, so I knew there would be good wine and cheese.

Corktown has been improving its nightlife lately and I can say this is definitely a place I want to come back to. I could see John and I coming here to relax after a game or just hanging out with friends with a bottle of wine (wine starts at $24/bottle). The inside is rustic and quaint. It used to be the Dime Savings Bank and most recently a pawn shop. Now it is the perfect location for an Italian eatery.

The menu and wine list were pretty simple so we ordered some plates for everyone to share, including a Cheese plate, Margherita pizza, Italian pizza, Truffle Butter Pasta and the Carbonara. The pizza was delicious! I love Italian style pizza where the cheese just melts in your mouth.

My colleagues decided to go the extra mile and order a dessert pizza, which had Nutella, raspberries, mascarpone and powdered sugar. I think that may have been the highlight of the meal:

I can’t wait to come back here with my husband and friends and try everything on the menu! I really wanted to try the Caprese Salad and the Gelato (my favorites).

Ottava Via is located at 1400 Michigan Ave. in Detroit. You can contact them by calling (313) 962-5500.

If you’ve visited Ottava Via, I would love to know what your experience was like and what foods I should try on my next visit.

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