Fall is Officially Here

Little Nonna’s

My mom, sister and I recently went to one of our favorite places to dine, Little Nonna’s to celebrate my sister, Catherine’s opening night of the opera, The Barber of Seville at The Academy of Music!

This restaurant is owned by the famous Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran who also own the restaurants and shops on 13th street, such as: Barbuzzo, Lolita, Open House and many more!

Little Nonna’s offers traditional, Italian-American cuisine located in Midtown Village. This restaurant seats 40 inside the restaurant and 40 in the outdoor garden, so reservations are hard to come by! I love the atmosphere of Little Nonna’s because it has an old charm to it that reminds me of being in my Italian grandmother’s home having one of her well-known Italian meals.

To start, we all shared the Antipasta which included: seasonal vegetables, Italian meats, fennel and chickpea salad, Italian olives and grilled bread. There was so much offered and it was only $17! It was definitely worth it.

For my entrée, I ordered the Rigatoni con Zucca which had fennel sausage and roasted butternut squash in a pumpkin-puree sauce. It was the perfect fall dish due to its comfort and seasonal flavors!

My mom got the Pan Seared Potato Gnocchi which included: wild & cultivated mushrooms, English peas, tarragon, leeks and baby tomatoes. My mom especially loved how the gnocchi were cooked, nice and browned. Catherine got the Eggplant Parmesan which was served with Japanese eggplant, mixed basil pesto, marinara and burrata cheese. She loved the presentation of the meal and loved the pesto!

If you’re looking for authentic, comforting Italian food, Little Nonna’s is the place to be! My family will definitely be back : )

Pho

Sang Kee Noodle House

My sister, Catherine and I recently went to SangKee Noodle House in University City because we have been dying to go and because I had purchased a Groupon.

SangKee Noodle House is an Asian Bistro a part of the SangKee Restaurant Group. It offers a modern menu with the traditional Asian Cuisine. I already knew what I wanted to order prior to arriving to then restaurant: Pho!

Pho is a Vietnamese soup made of beef stock, spices, thinly slice noodles and meat such as beef or chicken. 

I got the Well Done Beef Brisket Noodle Soup which included: well done brisket, bean sprout, jalapeno, red onion and thinly sliced noodles served in beef broth. It was very comforting having being served in a big bowl and having it on the first day of Autumn.

Catherine ordered the Shanghai Noodle Dish which included: udon noodle, shredded pork shitake mushroom, bean sprout, napa, scallion and carrot. Catherine loved the combination of the noodles and different type of vegetables.

I will definitely return to SangKee Noodle House again. The food was delicious and the service was up to standards between the friendly staff and quick time deliverance of the food.

Amada - Restaurant Week Style

Amada

Restaurant Week is probably one of the best weeks for a Philadelphia foodie, such as myself! My friend, Caitlin and I recently went to Amada to celebrate both our birthdays and Restaurant Week. Neither of us has been to Amada, so we excited to explore this restaurant!

Amada is owned by the well-known restaurateur, Jose Garces. Amada offers authentic Spanish dishes in which are small plates. Typically for Restaurant Week, it includes 3 courses for $35. But here the first and second course is each pick 2 items. Amada is a great place for sharing and trying new menu items! So you get a lot of food for the asking price!

Caitlin and I both had the Temporada which was the Watermelon Basil Sangria and it was very refreshing! To start, I got the Aged Manchego Cheese and Olives. This was probably the perfect cheese plate because the cheese was served with truffle lavender honey and sliced granny smith apples. The olives were tasteful being marinated in fresh olive oil. Caitlin got the Garrotxa Cheese and the Pimentos de Padron. The cheese was served with a garlic, caramel sauce and sliced granny smith apples which was nice and sweet! The peppers were fried with sea salt and we both loved the unique taste to them.

For our second course, we both got the Madre e Hijo which is chicken breast served with truffles with a fried egg on top. The truffles and fried egg made the dish! For my side, I got the Queso de Cabra which featured baked goat cheese, tomato, basil and almonds. This dish was very comforting with the baked goat cheese drenched in the tomato basil sauce. It was served with bread to soup up. For Caitlin’s side, h she got the Coca de Costillas de Ternera which is flatbread with beef short ribs, horseradish, parmesan and bacon. With all these ingredients combined, it was a great side dish!

By the time dessert came, we were so full but we had to at least have a try! The two dessert menu items Amada offers for Restaurant Week is the Crema Catalana which is traditional Spanish custard and the Pastel de Chocolate which is a chocolate cake served with caramel sauce. Both were light and refreshing!

Other than the amazing food, I love the atmosphere of this place. Between the spacious bar, dining room and open kitchen with a counter seating around, would definitely feel like you’re in a home enjoying home-style cooking. It’s a very enjoyable and relaxed environment.

Now I am sure it hard to make a reservation for Amada for restaurant week, but if you can, I highly suggest coming here! As you can tell, you get a lot of food and it’s a beautiful atmosphere to have company with.

Birthday Tradition at Mercato

Mercato

My sister, Catherine and I have made it tradition now that on our birthdays, we treat each other and indulge at one of our favorite restaurants, Mercato! Out of the entire city of Philadelphia, Mercato is my favorite Italian restaurant. It offers traditional Italian cuisine with a New Italian American Cuisine twist to it. I love the local market fresh ingredients that make the menu change daily.

For our appetizer, we got the Grilled Whole Artichoke, because it is a staple of Mercato. The leaves of the artichoke were cooked and crisp just right. A citrus aioli was served to pair with it.

One of the main reasons why I love Mercato is because they take the time to recognize their Guests and go above and beyond to make their dining experience memorable. Since it was my birthday, the pasta special of the night was sent to my sister and I compliments of the chef! The pasta special included: Cacio e Pepe which is pasta with breadcrumbs, cheese and pepper! The breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese made the dish unique and tasteful!

For Catherine’s entrée she got the Short Rib Ragu. It’s one of her favorites on the menu because she loves the homemade gnocchi and how that the meat is so tender, that you can cut it with only using your fork.

For my entrée, I got the Summer Corn Risotto which included: roasted Jersey corn, maitake mushrooms, corn veloute, pecorino romano, truffle and micro arugula. This was probably the best risotto I have ever had with the combination of the corn and truffle.

We were getting full, but there’s always room for dessert! Catherine had the blueberry sorbet, which was light and refreshing. Yet, I had the Chocolate Molten Cake served with vanilla ice-cream! It was moist with the warm chocolate and the perfect size. And to make it special, it was served with a candle on top!

So this is why Mercato is my favorite restaurant. The service and staff is exceptional. I don’t think I’ve been to a restaurant who pays close attention to detail and sincerely cares for their Guests like Mercato does. Also, the food is phenomenal! I suggest coming here on any special occasion!