Italian

Le Virtu Officially Christens Its Patio This Sunday

Posted by Foobooz on May 14th, 2013

le-virtu-outdoor-dining

Le Virtu’s recently redesigned outdoor dining area is officially reopening (they’ve been serving outdoors for about a month now) this Sunday, May 19th with a festive event and new dishes from chef Joe Cicala. The outdoor area has been paved with stones and bordered with shrubery that should soon be blossoming. In the rear of the space is a wooden canopy with clingin vines and attractive lighting. The canopy will eventually offer a small counter for guests to sit around to enjoy drinks and host special chef’s table dinners.paved with ivory-hued stone and bordered with smaller landscaping stones and lush shrubbery which will soon blossom.

This Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Le Virtu will be hosting a gathering on the patio. Cicala will be serving Le Virtu soup, the restaurant’s namesake spring soup of 49-ingredients. Grilled Arrosticini (lamb skewers), grilled sausage and vegetables plus wine from the new tap wine system. Tickets cost $45 per person and include food and beverges.

Inside, Cicala’s latest menu additions will be served.

What’s new at Le Virtu for spring »

BYO Apertivo at Bufad This Sunday

Posted by Foobooz on May 10th, 2013

Bufad_CP_Apertivo_v1

Apertivo is an Italian tradition where bars and restaurants offer small free buffets while they sell drinks at full price. Apertivo at Bufad is how a Philadelphia BYOB makes the event work for them.

This sunday night, the 13th and Spring Garden pizzeria is offering a $10, all-you-can-eat buffet that includes antipasti (beets, carrots, pickled fennel, boiled eggs, roasted olives), chicken liver pate, Roman slices of pizza and roast pork. You bring the apertif of your choice and Bufad will provide the non-alcoholic mixers. The mixers will include grapefruit and mint, strawberry and basil, and lemon and tarragon.

Apertivo runs from 8 p.m. to close on Sunday, May 12th. Salute!

Bufad [Official Site]

Bufad Rolls Out Spring Menu

Posted by Foobooz on May 2nd, 2013

Merguez1

Yesterday Bufad Pizzeria rolled out their spring menu. The pizzeria at 13th and Spring Garden has tweaked some menu items to coincide with what is seasonal for spring.For instance, the burrata is still on the menu but the winter brussels sprouts have been replaced with spring asparagus.

On the pizza side of the menu there are several new pizzas to consider. A southern Italian style Merguez (made down the street at Prohibition Taproom) with English peas and mint is now on the menu. And if you really want to go out there, Bufad is now offering a sweet and savory Mortadella pie, made with a bechamel and a rhubarb mostarda, finished with pistachios and arugula.

Bufad has been enjoying working with Greensgrow Farms in Fishtown to source local ingredients in order to make the menu Italian, seasonal and local.

More photos and the full menu »

La Spinetta Wine Dinner at Il Pittore

Posted by Alex Tewfik on April 30th, 2013

Surrender yourself to a night of opulence.

You’ll feel good about it, I promise, and you’ll feel it the moment you walk in. It might, at first, feel like it’s too much; the hostesses are too pretty, the lighting is too perfect, it smells too good. But then you’ll stop and remember the days you dreamt of being where you were at this exact moment, in one of the best restaurants in the city, drinking some of the best wines in the world. That’s when the word “too” goes up for interpretation.

On Tuesday, May 7th, Giorgio Rivetti, of world-renown La Spinetta winery, will be joining chef Chris Painter for a night of Italian splendor. The wines are rare—some you won’t find anywhere in Pennsylvania, and others you won’t find anywhere in the country. And just as rare are occasions such as these, and while each seat is $225, there are only 40 seats left. Call to reserve.

The Menu»

A Springtime in Venice at C19

Posted by Taylor Bush on April 10th, 2013

images Warm weather means all sorts of new menus and dining features all around Philadelphia.

C19 Cichetteria Venezia, Rittenhouse Square’s Venetian restaurant is introducing a new menu to correspond with the spring sunshine.

C19’s chefs Adam Brod and Andrea Luca Rossi looked back to their Venetian roots when it came to creating the new menu, opting to put fresh twists on classical dishes. The menu features fresh items provided by Grateful Acres Farm, Green Meadow Farms, Lancaster Coop, Z Farm and DiGiacomo Brothers. With C19’s seasonal menu, the pair of chefs strive to bring each vegetable, fruit, herb and meat that comes to the table is at its peak of flavor.

More on the new menu and sidewalk cooking demonstrations »

Annotated Menu: Bufad Pizza

Posted by Foobooz on April 4th, 2013

Michael and Jeniphur Pasquarello already ran two outposts in Poplar—Cafe Lift and Prohibition Taproom. But when crowds at Prohibition became so thick that they were turning people away, it occurred to Michael that the vacant space on the corner of 13th and Spring Garden might be the perfect place to send them—with growlers in hand, of course. Here’s how the menu at his new Bufad Pizza came together.

Read the rest of this entry »

Kris Restaurant Has Closed, Paper Up in the Windows at Village Belle

Posted by Foobooz on April 2nd, 2013

village-belle-papered-windows

Kris Restaurant has closed, hand is now becoming part of the Munish Narula empire. The restaurant’s Facebook page says that all gift certificates will be honored at owner Kristian Leuzzi’s, Stogie Joe’s on East Passyunk.

Also in South Philadelphia, paper is up in the windows at Queen Village’s Village Belle and no online reservations are available before Friday, April 5th.

Lou Campanaro, chef/owner of the Village Belle tells us it’s some spring cleaning that will include a new look for the bar and prep work for the outdoor cafe.

Campanaro also tells us the menu is being reformatted to focus on small plates with small prices. The wine and cocktail lists are also being revamped and four new taps are being added.

Village Belle is aiming to reopen this Thursday or Friday and will have Allagash White, Victory Swing Sesion Saison, Goose Island IPA and Flying Fish Farmhouse Ale on tap.

Village Belle [Official Site]

Where We’re Eating: Jake’s and Cooper’s Wine Bar

Posted by Victor Fiorillo on March 8th, 2013

jake-and-coopers

First there was stuffy Jake’s, where I once dropped more than $100 on a mediocre brunch for two. Then owner Bruce Cooper opened adjacent (and more casual) wine-and-pizza spot Cooper’s, in 2008. Just recently he repainted, redesigned, and combined the two into one restaurant with one menu and one chill vibe, which is the best thing he could possibly have done. You’ll enjoy the high-value wine list, the polenta gnocchi, and the brick-oven-roasted branzino at what is now one of Manayunk’s best bets.

Jake’s and Cooper’s Wine Bar
4365 Main Street
215-483-0444
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Woolsey’s Kitchen Equipment Going to Avenue Delicatessen

Posted by Foobooz on February 11th, 2013

Remember back in December when Peter Woolsey was looking to give away some of his old kitchen equipment? Well it’s been claimed. The Avenue Delicatessen is picking up the equipment this morning. Laura Frangiosa, who used to work for Woolsey is excited to be putting the equipment to use in her new Lansdowne Jewish/Italian delicatessen. As you might imagine, Frangiosa can’t say enough good things about the Bistrot La Minette owner and chef.

As for Avenue Delicatessen’s Kickstarter campaign for a sign, they hit that goal late Friday.

Vote for Best of Philly: Italian BYOB

Posted by Foobooz on February 8th, 2013

2013 marks the 40th anniversary of Philadelphiamagazine’s Best of Philly issue. And all year we’ll be running polls for various categories. This month, readers may vote for the Best Italian BYOB.

So get to voting.

The Great Best of Philly Poll [Philadelphia Magazine]

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