Barbuzzo

Just getting a reservation at Barbuzzo can be a chore. Tables are booked up weeks in advance. Once you're in, you have to then deftly navigate thru the narrow room - a series of four-tops on one side, the open kitchen on the other - to get to your designated table. Your efforts will be rewarded though. And even if you forgot to make the reservation a month ago, you can always try snagging a couple seats at the bar like we did late on a Tuesday night. You get access to the whole menu, plus your bartender is always at your beckon call! 

There is good reason landing a table at Barbuzzo is harder than getting into Dorsia. Marcie Turner is doing things with Italian food that will make your mouth water and your stomach rumble. This is not the refined pastas and fine dining of Vetri. Nor is it the veal parm and chicken saltambucca of hole in the wall South Philly joints. This is something else entirely. Forward looking dishes that are exciting and unique, yet at the same time comforting and accessible. Grilled shrimp, smoked in-house, alongside a crispy mushroom polenta. Fava bean arancini. Roasted corn agnolotti. The Fico pizza with fresh figs, gorgonzola dolce, walnuts, prosciutto, arugula and pomegranate molasses. This is so much more than spaghetti & meatballs. 

sheeps milk ricotta

You'll likely not find a better appetizer for $10 anywhere in the city. Quickly grilled slices of crusty bread.  A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. A delectably rich and salty scoop of fresh sheep's milk ricotta, kissed with vin cotta vinegar. You spread the cheese over the bread, watching it seep into every nook and cranny. At first bite, you are transported to a Tuscan village overlooking a deep valley, lush with olive trees. It slowly dawns on you that you are sitting on a bar stool on 13th Street. You then plot ways to fend off any would be takers on your ricotta like Katniss defending the Cornucopia. It's totally worth fighting the Careers for.

bruschetta

A 'simple' bruschetta of grilled foccaccia, melted mozzarella and an heirloom tomato salad with basil and balsamic vineger. Simple is a misnomer. So many brilliant flavors mixing into a harmonious Italian opera of taste. 

stuffed meatballs

Meatballs have been a trend for a while now in this city (see: Marabella Meatball Co on 12th & Walnut - dedicated solely to the subject). And any good red sauce joint south of Bainbridge should have a reputable ball. Barbuzzo has taken the humble little meat orb to a different place; stuffing them with caciocavallo (an Italian cheese similar to mozzarella) that oozes out when you cut into them. The meat is a grind of beef shortrib and pork, blended with oregano & some spicy chilies, then topped with an other-worldly red sauce and some shredded pecorino. Quite simply the best meatballs I've ever had. There is nothing elegant about these. It's is all about substance, passion for authenticity and devotion to the craft. These things have more heart than Rudy Ruettiger. 

grilled sardines

I've become a sucker for sardines. The mere mention of them makes my mouth begin to water and my wife's eyes start to roll. Smokey. Salty. Tasting of the sea. The quintessential dish of any coastal Mediterranean village worth it's gills. If you can get over the whole 'scales & tail' thing, you discover an intensely flavorful little fish. Served over a mix of immense fava beans, shreds of crispy bacon and drizzled with olive oil, the strong flavors play off each other and elevate each other. Each bite is more interesting that the last. 

salted caramel budino 

The best dessert in the city. Seriously. A layer of chocolate cookie crumbles on the bottom, reminiscent of Oreo's. A hearty layer of budino (basically Italian pudding). Vanilla bean caramel. Sea salt sprinkled ever so lovingly. Some whipped cream. A dusting of dark chocolate powder. It's everything a dessert should be. Sweet. Salty. Intense. Airy. Satisfying on so many levels. If you get nothing else, come here just for this. 

The constant crowds are a sign of the success here. Yes, it's annoying that you have to wait weeks for a table if you'd like to eat after 4pm. But the food here is incredible. Drinks are strong. Service is swift. Show up after 10:30 on a school night and check the late night menu. Beers for $3, sangria for $4 and a changing lineup of $10 plates. All these people can't be wrong. In fact, they are very, very right.

Food Baby Rating: Triplets! 

Barbuzzo

110 South 13th Street

Philadelphia, PA

(215) 546-9300

http://barbuzzo.com/barbuzzo/#

Nina's Trattoria

This is what I was hoping for at Ralph's. Nothing fancy, just honestly prepared Italian dishes, served with some TLC. The marinara tasted like it was simmering on your grandmother's stove for hours. Light and fluffy gnocchi. Rich gorgonzola cream sauce smothering every piece of penne. Tender hanger steak. Flaky tilapia. Gelato that tastes like it just stepped off the boat from Naples.  


Using a $35 groupon, we got a 3 course tasting menu plus free dessert. Our server was super friendly and, like the gelato, right off the boat - Milan to be specific. He even started giving us vacation tips on how to get a cheap villa in Tuscany. It was a warm, breezy summer night and we were treated to an outdoor table, right on 9th street with all the people watching the Italian Market affords. 

carciofi

We never saw a menu. A few questions about food allergies and Oliver started bringing out the dishes. First off was an appetizer of Carciofi - stemmed artichoke hearts served with a mix of sauteed roasted peppers, onions and plenty of garlic. A dish so simple with such evocative flavors. It tastes like Italy in the summer. 

polpette

Next up were meatballs. Not on top of spaghetti, but certainly covered with cheese. Meaty and rich, they could have come out of Carmela Corleone's kitchen. Made with dry aged ground beef and floating on a bed of that luscious marinara. Sprinkle some pecorino romano and fresh parsley on top. Delizioso. You will need bread for the sauce - don't let that go to waste.  

ricotta gnocchi

The ricotta gnocchi was probably my favorite of the night. Light and airy, while at the same time vivid and satisfying. Some more of that marinara, fresh shaved pecorino and some basil for sweetness. There's gnocchi on about half the menus in Philly, and for good reason - everyone loves it. When it's done wrong it's heavy and sits like a rock in your stomach. When it's right, it's near on otherworldly. This isn't the best version I've ever had (Marc Vetri still holds that crown), but certainly a very good contender that might taste better just from the benefit of being in South Philly. 

penne w/ gorgonzola 

Along with the gnocchi, they sent out a plate of penne in their gorgonzola dolce sauce, minus the walnuts that are on the menu version. Intensely rich, you taste all of the cheese and cream. This is not alfredo sauce. You will not be getting free salad and bread sticks, and you will not need it. This was only the second course and my belly was already happy. You might want to think about wearing your eatin' pants. 

tilapia

Perfectly cooked tilapia was a bit of a surprise from the pasta-centric kitchen. A citrus risotto pattie was even more interesting. Kind of like arancini, but flattened out, it was crispy and delicious, with hints of citrus mixing in with the rice and breading.  

grilled hanger steak 

Last up was a marinated hanger steak, grilled nicely medium. A curiously good roasted cippoline aoili, veggies and some au gratin potatoes will put you to bed. This is a serious entree that can stand on it's own. 

gelato pistachio

The nutella chocolate budino was good but not particularly memorable. The creme fraiche was bright and airy, but overwhelmed by the rich chocolate and hazlenut. The gelato on the other hand, was a revelation. Our server told us they get it from a place across the street. It tasted like it came from Rome. This was better than anything Capogiro is putting out. 


Nina's is not pushing the culinary horizon. They are not doing modern twists on classic dishes. They are making the classic dishes. And making them very well. Buon appetito!


Food Baby Rating: Twins!

Nina's Trattoria

910 South 9th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19147

215.574.0990

http://www.ninastrattoria.com

Popolino

Incredibly good meal last night at the new Popolino from Peter McAndrews of Modo Mio/Paesano's/Monsu fame. How an Irish guy makes Italian food this good I'll never know. The space was formerly Lafayette Bistro. They've replaced the ugly chairs and painted the walls, but not much else. The food, however, could not be more strikingly different. Gone are bland takes on boring "mediterranean" dishes. In are flavorful plates of strong tasting ingredients done in a Roman style, executed to perfection. One of the best meals I've had this year. 

complimentary bruschetta - fresh ricotta & roasted tomato

The menu is set up in a similar fashion to Modo Mio with a menu turista for $40 where you'll get an appetizer, pasta, main and a dessert. This is definitely the best way to go to get a large sampling of the menu. When everyone at your table has four dishes, you get to taste all kinds of good things. 

the Tavola Calda 

A fairly unique feature of Popolino is the enormous table occupying about half the dining room floor, covered in all sorts of gorgeous looking bits of antipasti. You can have this as your appetizer, but sadly, it's not a serve yourself situation. Our waiter brought back a good sampling though.  Beets, broccolini, roasted eggplant, sun dried tomatoes, chickpeas, orzo salad and some lovely dark beans seasoned with cinnamon. An exotic mix of flavors and an excellent starting point. 

selections from the Tavola Calda

There's a whole pig's leg sitting on the aforementioned table just waiting to give up it's tender prosciutto. Sliced by hand by the servers, I got goose bumps thinking back to our trip in Spain and the jamon that seems to be a form of currency there. This prosciutto is close to being useful as bartering chips. 

mozzarella in carozza

Pretty sure I've seen this on the menu at Modo Mio, but I'm definitely not complaining. The mozzarella stuffed Italian bread, egg dipped, pan fried, and drizzled with anchovy caper butter is one of the best appetizers in the city. It's melting cheese, salty, buttery, rich and indulgent. But just the right size portion so you can actually eat the rest of your meal. Stellar. 

lingua

The rosemary grilled calves’ tongue on Roman gnocchi, orange horseradish and beet gremolata is one of the chef's odes to offal that litter the menu and offer something interesting to adventurous eaters. This delicately cooked tongue tastes like the best roast beef you ever had, but better. The Roman style gnocchi was fantastic. Basically one huge gnocchi, it's baked to a near golden crust on the outside, with the middle still tender with near melting cheese. Wow. 

rigatoni alla gamberi

The pastas, as expected, are near perfection. Not quite the deft touch that you would see at a Marc Vetri restaurant, but a more rustic, simple version that seems meant to be shared. The rigatoni with shrimp, smoked paprika, almonds & garlic was my favorite (and also my pick). The little slivers of shrimp, perfectly tender, and the whole thing dripping of the paprika tinged oil. It's like Spain and Italy made a baby. A very delicious baby. 

bucatini all’amatriciana

Bucatini, my favorite kind of pasta. With the little hole in the middle, it just soaks up sauce so amazingly. This sauce is a red one, with guanciale (similar to pancetta but made from the pig cheek), pecorino, & spicy tomato. Just enough heat to keep it interesting, and a lovely undertone from the pork. Mmmm. 

rigatoni squazzetto

Squazzetto is another offal dish - dubbed as an "ancient butcher’s sauce" of liver, kidney & heart, & spicy tomato. It's not dainty. It's very rich and impressively meaty. I loved the tiny sprinkling of pecorino cheese on top. Almost a tease. 

grilled mackerel, with sun dried tomatoes

One of the fish specials, along with a whole bronzino (why is that on every menu in the city?) was a terrific piece of grilled mackerel. A strong tasting fish that holds up well to the flame and pungent ingredients like the sun dried tomatoes and pesto on top. Light and tender, it's the perfect thing for a warm summer night.  

coda

On the opposite side of light and tender is the butcher’s style oxtail, braised with celery, white wine, tomato, pine nuts, and cocoa.This should be shared with the entire table, since your're going to need help finishing after all the pasta, appetizers and house baked bread. Super tender, falling off the bone, meaty and rich. It is the kind of dish to resuscitate a famished Deadliest Catch fisherman. Or give a normal human being a proper food baby. 

mascarpone cheesecake

The desserts were good, but we hardly had room. Mascarpone cheesecake was my favorite, the chocolate hazlenut tart with fresh cream got the call from the wifey. Probably the most eye catching was a panna cotta with a neon green basil sauce. One bite was good. Two bites was one too many. That one might need some rethinking. 

chocolate hazlenut tart

Having yet another Italian restaurant from McAndrews is a burden we will happily bear in Northern Liberties. Don't forget the free shots of limoncello or sambuca after the dessert - a tradition that I'm happy to see carried over from his other restaurants. Modo Mio will always be our favorite, but I'm foreseeing quite a few nights at Popolino too. Decisions, decisions.  

Food Baby rating: Triplets! 

Popolino

501 Fairmount Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19123

T: 215 928-0106

http://modomiorestaurant.com/popolino_live/index.html

Cash Only
BYOB

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday & Sunday
Lunch - 11.00am - 2.30pm
Dinner - 5.00pm - 10.00pm

Ralphs Italian

The Godfather. Rocky. Red sauce. Sinatra. All thoughts that bubble up the moment you set foot in this 100 year old institution of a restaurant. Ralph's Italian is still owned by the Dispigno family, or so says the story on the back of the menu. They reassure you that you'll be receiving the same food that they have been serving for four generations here. And while the old school tile floors and kitschy charm of the place makes it feel instantly familiar, the 100 year old recipes could use some updating. 

We used our $29 Groupon for a prix fixe meal consisting of a bruschetta appetizer, shared pasta and two entrees. We also splurged a bit and got abottle of wine, dessert and some grappa to sip on after dinner. Nothing that came out of the kitchen was bad, but nothing was very remarkable either. The bruschetta was sliced italian bread ladled with marinara sauce, sprinkled with parsley and some parmesean that probably came out of a green plastic bottle. The fettucini alfredo was decent, lots of butter and cream in the rich sauce helps, with noodles that were cooked just al dente. But unless you're carbo-loading for a marathon the next day, there's no good reason you should go solo on this belly buster. 

the bruschetta

fettucini alfredo 

The flounder francaise was a nicely cooked piece of fish, slathered in a sauce that lacked any real depth of flavor. Instead of a light garlicky lemon dish, the kitchen went way overboard on the butter - I swear they melted an entire stick just for this plate. Veal parmigiana, buried under a quart of marinara sauce was tender, but forgettable. A shame really, since the breading was perfectly seasoned, but submerged in the cheese and sauce, it lost all it's texture. We finished dinner with full stomachs, to be sure, but an empty feeling inside like we missed out on great meal.   

flounder francais

veal parm - I swear it's under there

A bit of grappa picked up my mood, followed by an excellent cannoli. Not sure if they are doing their desserts onsite, but I wouldn't be surprised if it came from one of the amazing Italian bakeries in the neighborhood. It's hard to make up for an entire meal with one cannoli though, good as it was.   

cannoli

I think I had a notion in my head that this was going to be somehow more authentic Italian - superior ingredients, cooked with love. An old school place that's been doing things the right way all these years. Instead we got a boring meal that we could have made at home. Maybe we're jaded from the luxury of such amazing Italian food in this city. 

Ralph's certainly has it's loyal clientele - we saw families sitting down that clearly have been celebrating life events here for decades. The portions are definitely big, so if you're feeding a group of hungry kids, I can see the appeal. For two normal sized adults looking for good Italian in Philadelphia though, there are literally dozens of better places. Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.  

-T. Kaso

Food Baby Rating: OnlyChild

Ralph's Italian

760 South 9th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19147

215-627-6011

www.ralphsrestaurant.com

Spinach & Eggplant Lasagna

As I mentioned in my DIY Cheese post, I ended up using most of the ricotta we made in a new lasagna recipe I got out of Marc Vetri's cookbook Rustic Italian Food. It's a beautiful cookbook, with excellent photos, dozens of recipes and lessons on techniques, methods, and ingredients. I adapted one the recipes to make the lasagna below - Vetri's version is for mini 'lasagnettes', but I opted to use his eggplant puree as a layer in a more traditional style.

Don't let yourself get overwhelmed with the amount of preparation for this. I made the pasta dough ahead of time, refrigerated it for a couple days, then rolled it out when I was ready to assemble. You could probably even make the fillings ahead of time too, but I would not recommend letting them sit too long. You want the flavors to be as fresh as possible.

The pasta dough itself was not all that hard to make, and turned out great. We had left over sheets that I cut into fettuccine and froze for dinner another night. The fresh pasta sheets really make all the difference in the world. Once you make your own, you'll never go back to using store-bought dried lasagna noodles. I'm now forever spoiled.

Cheers!
-Brian



Spinach & Eggplant Lasagna:
Marinara sauce - jarred is fine, but use a good one like Bertoli
1lb fresh ricotta cheese - make your own with the DIY Cheese Kit!
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and rung out to remove liquid
1 egg
Fresh pasta sheets, cut into lasagna size strips - see instructions below
Eggplant filling - see instructions below
Salt & Pepper
1 pkg shredded mozzarella

1.) Preheat over to 375°. Mix the ricotta, drained spinach, and egg in a mixing bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2.) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Gently drop the cut pasta strips in and blanch for 30 seconds each. Remove and immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking.  Remove and lay out on a clean kitchen towel to dry.

3.) Spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9x11 glass baking dish. Lay out the first strips of pasta to form an even layer. Next, spread the ricotta mixture out into an even layer. Spoon some more sauce on top of the cheese. Cover with another layer of pasta strips. Spread the eggplant mixture across the second pasta layer. Spoon some more sauce over the eggplant. Add the last layer of pasta strips and cover with more marinara. If you have left over filling & pasta, you can add more layers if you like. Spread the entire package of mozzarella over the top.

4.) Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 25 mins. Remove the foil, then bake another 25 mins or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Remove from oven and let it cool for 15 mins before serving - otherwise it'll be a sloppy mess.  Enjoy!

babada booby!

Eggplant Filling: Recipe from Marc Vetri's Rustic Italian Food cookbook
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Eggplant peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup fresh ricotta
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
1 egg
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
Salt & Freshly ground pepper

1.) Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and saute until tender and the edges are golden brown, about 10 mins.
2.) Let the eggplant cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor or VitaMix (if you're lucky enough to have one - and I am).  Puree until smooth, then add the ricotta, parmesean, egg, and bread crumbs. Season with salt & pepper and pulse briefly until mixed. Set aside. Makes about 2-1/4 cups.



Basic Egg Pasta Dough: Recipe from Marc Vetri's Rustic Italian Food cookbook
Yields  1 pound of dough or 6 fully rolled pasta sheets, each 4-5 feet long. I substituted all purpose for the durum flour - and a few extra table spoons of water to the dough to get the right consistency. Because of all the egg yolks, the dough takes on a gorgeous deep yellow, almost amber color.

1-1/4 cups tipo 00 or all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon durum flour
9 egg yolks
3-4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1.) Put both flours in the bowl of a stand-up mixer. Using the paddle attachment, run the mixer on medium and add the egg yolks, water, and the oil. Mix just until the ingredients come together into a dough, 2-3 minutes.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about 5 minutes, or until silky and smooth, kneading in more flour if the dough is too sticky. The dough is ready if it gently pulls back into place when stretched with your hands.

2.) Shape the dough into a 6-inch-long log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 mins or up to 3 days. It could get too soft and difficult to roll if left at room temperature.

3.) Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and let them return to almost room temperature. They should still feel a little chilly when you touch them. Position your pasta roller (kitchen aid or hand-crank) at the widest setting and leave plenty of room for the outfeed - you'll need at least 4-5 feet of room by the time you're done. Roll one piece of dough through the rollers, lightly dusting the dough with flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Reset the rollers to the next narrowest setting, and again pass the dough through the rollers. Continue to pass the dough once through each progressively narrower setting.

4.) Between rollings continue to dust lightly with flour if needed, always brushing off the excess. You should end up with a sheet 4-5 feet long and thein enough to see your hand through with the pasta is held up to the light.

5.) Lay the pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface, and sprinkle lightly with more flour. Using a knife or the cutter attachment on the pasta machine to create the pasta shape specified in the recipe you are making.