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Tale of the Tape: Serafina

Posted by Foobooz on June 22nd, 2011

Italian restaurateurs Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato open Serafina to the public tonight on 18th Street. The New York based mini-chain will bring its brand of pizza and Northern Italian pasta to Rittenhouse Square.

The Space

  • Situated in 10 Rittenhouse condo tower at the 18th and Sansom corner
  • Two Floors
  • Seating for 160
  • Bar seats 14
  • Signature bright yellow umbrellas shade 28 al fresco seats
  • Floor-to-ceiling windows can open along 18th Street
  • Frescos dot the columns inside
  • Wood burning pizza oven
    • Woven pattern adorns the oven

Cafe Bakery

  • Cafe Bakery serves Take-out daily from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Menu highlights include:
    • Coffee
    • Take-out pastries
    • Rotisserie chicken
    • Healthy drinks
    • Sandwiches
The Food
  • Northern Italian cuisine
  • Appetizers range from $7 to $19, entrees from $17 to $29 and desserts for $8
  • Bambini menu available for children
  • Famous for thin-crust pizzas
  • Wood burning grill for entrees
  • Among the pizzas offered are to $29 pizzas:
    • AL CAVIALE: boiled sliced potatoes, crème fraiche and caviar
    • TARTUFO NER: robiola cheese, fontina, truffle cheese, truffle oil and sliced black truffle
  • A traditional Margarita pizza is $12.50
  • The Bianca (pictured above) includes baby arugola, shaved Parmigiano,fontina and fresh mozzarella

Serafina
130 S 18th St (Corner of 18th and Sansom)
(215) 977-7718
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Restaurant open daily from 11:30 to Midnight
Cafe Bakery open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Serafina
130 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA

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    This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 at 11:54 am and is filed under Opening Soon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

    • Dan

      Overpriced generic Italian food. Exactly what this city needs…

    • h

      this place looks so tacky on the inside…i guess it is fitting for rittenhouse though…

    • Michael G

      Snobby people who judge things before they even try them. Exactly what this city needs.

    • Willie

      Serafina is not exactly a culinary destination in NYC, it’s the type of place you go to out of convenience alone. Pretty far down the ladder in terms of food. I don’t think it’s unfair that we’re not breaking out the red carpet for them.

    • Dan

      Hey Michael, been treated to one highly mediocre business lunch at a Serafina in Midtown. Bill was the only thing impressive about the place. Though there certainly were enough snobs there.

    • Joe

      yep, agreed, one step up from Olive garden

    • mike the speller

      Among the pizzas offered are TWO 29 pizzas:

      just helping out.
      im an unemployed copy editor. let me know if you need someone.

    • Willie

      If I was an unemployed copy editor correcting someone else’s blog post, I’d use capitalization and correct punctuation in doing so. Just sayin’ :)

    • Dani

      Hmm, I am from NY originally and actually enjoy Serafina. Some locations in NYC are better than others, but it’s a good, consistent spot for lunch, with especially nice and creative salads. Also, it is a hot nightspot for a more sophisticated crowd that is in-between the Noche and Rouge demographic. (At least used to be; I’ve been gone nearly five years so who knows?) Might not be a bad thing in RitHo, as I have found few spots that cater to that demographic (somewhere in between frat boy and middle-aged, loud-mouthed meglomaniac) in that neighborhood.

    • Dan

      The food wasn’t bad, the appetizers of shrimp & avocado and raw fish tartar was above average. The black truffle oil pizza was fair. The service has a LONG way to go. We experienced waitstaff with vacant looks wandering around with water and bread. Twice we we were offer plates destined for other tables. My favorite was the ice tea that was almost placed on our table before the waiter disappeared back to the bar , only to reappear moments later with the tea AND a little box of sweeteners. Oops

    • Sam Biddle

      It’s honestly great, look at Applebees or Bucca Di Beppo or any of that mid-level chain crap. They build nice restaurant bones that an independent can come in and use for an eighth of the cost when they close shop!

    • Snake

      I still miss Lombardis. I don’t think that Serafina is on my list of places to visit any time soon.

    • http://Foobooz PPA BootSquad

      OK, I waited and did not pre-judge. looks like Craig LaBan’s review said it all, so I ain’t gonna risk spending my money where knuckleheads get to threaten you for accidently bumping his chair.

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