Pizza + Gelato = Italian Lover's Dream

Capofitto Forno

Everyone and anyone in Philly knows the famous artisan gelato, Capogiro. The Capogiro Family has come up with their best combination yet- pizza and gelato. This new Italian restaurant called Capofitto Forno is located in Old City. Their focus is the two Italian favorites:  Neapolitan pizza which has a light, crisp and airy crust made in their wood-burning pizza oven and sweet gelato for an after dinner treat.

My mom, sister, Catherine and I recently went here to eat for dinner to check it out and we are glad that we did! Capofitto is a great place to go to when you’re with your family and want to dine "family-style" or to share. To start off, we shared  two appetizers. First was the Arancini Gialle which is fried risotto, pecorino, fontina, saffron “balls”.  They were served warm on a bed of parmesan cheese and were absolutely delicious.

Second, we got the cheese plate. It’s great, you get to choose 5 different cheeses and it comes with a lot! To accompany your selection of cheeses, you get a selection of candied fruit and nuts came with it. We've never got a cheese plate with candied fruit before, so it was a nice spin on it!

For our entrée, we had to get pizza! Wood-burning pizza is the best because it so fresh and cooked right in front of your eyes. The pizza we shared included gorgonzola cheese, mushrooms, red onion and truffle oil. The crisp flaky crust and cheese really made the flavors stand out. The size of the pizza was perfect because we each had two slices each. We were very satisfied.

For dessert, Capofitto has a variety of desserts, gelato and sorberto since it is a gelataria. What made me love the atmosphere of this restaurant is when you first walk in, it is like a little gelato cafe with small tables and a counter to sit at. It reminds me of a place I went to get gelato when I was visiting Italy in Sienna. My mom got the tangerine sorbet, Catherine got the pistachio gelato and I got the Irish coffee gelato. It was the perfect end to the meal!

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.