Philadelphia: Osteria
Great Italian food in Philadelphia! Great Italian wine too! Ring the bells! Get your bellies ready!
I don’t want to sound snobby right now, but I have had a hard time finding a good Italian restaurant in Philadelphia that even comes close to matching the great restaurants we have in Providence. Yes, Philadelphia has a great foodie scene, but where are the Italians???
I found them.
My fabulous husband and I went to Osteria in Philadelphia with two of our friends for a weeknight dinner. Osteria isn’t in the most glamorous neighborhood, but it quickly draws you in. Upon entering the restaurant I knew we were in for a good night. The lights were dim, and the glow of the light against the walls gave the whole room a gorgeous amber light. I felt as though I had stepped into Florence, Italy. PB and I sat at the bar for a drink before our friends came, and I may have squealed when I saw the wine list.
Dinner was really great. The portions were a little on the small side, but that was my only complaint of the evening. We sat in the outside courtyard (it is glassed in) and had a great evening of food, wine, and laughs.
While we perused the menu we all had some bread with olive oil. I can taste when olive oil is fresh and when it has been sitting around- this olive oil was FRESH. It was so delicious and thick, for lack of a better word. I was in heaven. Also, my glass of wine was spectacular. It was pricey at $13 for a 3 oz pour, but it was one of the best glasses of wine I have had this year. Unfortunately, their extensive wine list is not online, and I did not take a photo of which wine I had, but I will be sure to write it down the next time I am there.
Good bread:
And Good olive oil:
The four of us shared an appetizer… A pizza of course! We ordered the parma pizza with mozzarella, fontina, arugula and prosciutto di parma (description from the menu). The crust was excellent- chewy and crunchy at the same time, and the peppery arugula was a great combination with the creamy cheese. Oh, it really brought me back to Florence! I miss Italy so much (did I ever share that I spent 8 months there?).
Look at that crust. Yum!
For my dinner I ordered the “Ribollita Ravioli”, with borlotti beans and tuscan kale (decription from the menu). For those that do not know, ribollita is a classic Tuscan soup. Also, borlotti beans are my absolute favorite type of bean, but they are not so easy to find! The last time I saw them I was in San Francisco! I was so curious about how these ravioli would taste that I had to order them.
My dining companions also had delicious meals. Nadine had the squash tortelli with amaretti and sage (description from the menu). This was even better than my ravioli. It is hard to find ravioli that are made fresh fresh fresh these days, but these tasted as though they were made in the kitchen just moments before we ate them. What I really lovedi was that they weren’t too sweet. Sometimes dishes with squash are on the sweet side, but this was savory, and completely lovely… Melt in your mouth good. (Yes, she shared a few bites!)
The boys ordered one of the specials of the day which was made from a whole roast pig. It was various parts of the animal and served with a few roasted potatoes. I did not try it but both of the husbands finished their dishes, so it must have been tasty.
You can’t visit a new restaurant without ordering at least one dessert. I never say no to dessert in a new place, because you never know what lovely treat awaits you. We ordered three different desserts:
Chocolate Flan with pistacchio gelato for Dave:
Fresh fig strudel with raisins and mascarpone gelato for Nadine and I to share:
Cannoli with Torrone gelato and candied fruits (I don’t have the exact description) for PB:
I had a bite of PB’s cannoli, and I had to go for another few tastes. These cannoli were amazing. Have you ever had Torrone? Imagine a creamier, smoother version of it. Perfection.
For fun… Dave & Nadine (who we credit for introducing us- we met at their wedding!)
I wore my new earrings that I bought on a shopping trip at an antique store with Leslie. I love them!
PhillyBoy and I:
Dinner at Osteria was so encouraging for the new girl in town (aka me), especially since it is close to where we live. I don’t consider myself “PhillyGirl” yet, but I love living in Philadelphia. Now that I have a restaurant I love and can’t wait to go back to again, Philadelphia really feels like home.
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If you have anything to ask me, ask it! Cooking advice, questions on my life, living in Philadelphia, etc. Click Here! I will be answering them periodically.
those desserts look incredible!
jenna
so glad you found a bit of RI in PA!
mmm this place looks great! i’m going to be in philly in a few weeks; will have to check it out!
What a fantastic dinner! Everything you had looked fabulous, especially those desserts!
And those earrings are very pretty! Great find!
I follow you on twitter and have been reading your blog for awhile now. Anyways just wanted to come out of the woodwork and say hi. The food looked great tonight and so did you!
Love the earrings! Antique stores are the best.
Fig streudel?? I love figs!
That prosciutto di parma looks amazing
Beautiful earrings!
The restaurant sounds fabulous! Your ravioli looks great.
In case you are ever in NJ and looking for a place to eat- There is an Italian place on Haddon Avenue in Collingswood called Il Fiore, (BYO)…it’s amazing, inexpensive..heaven….Be prepared to wait, but it’s totally worth it.
yay for pretty earrings!
What a sumptuous meal! And don’t you look pretty ๐
That bread looks delish!!! I love the new earrings too!
Hey! How are you? Looks like a wonderful restaurant! Next time we’re up in the area, I will have to remember to pay Osteria a visit. The squash ravioli looks DELICIOUS and of course the desserts (insert tummy rumble here). Are you getting excited for the holidays?
Thanks for the restaurant review!! I am from the ‘burbs of Philly but work in the city and get dinner here sometimes .. I’ll have to put Osteria on my “to eat” list ๐ Have you been to WaterWorks? It is definitely a special occasion restaurant, but it is amazing and so pretty with awesome views!
Looks tasty! And antique jewelry is my FAVOURITE ๐
wow that dessert looks aweeesome girlfriend!
Yum. Looks great!
You must, must must try Hosteria Da Elio in Queen Village (3rd street just below South). It’s a tiny hole-in-the-wall BYO that is easy to walk right past, but one of my favorite Italian Restaurants of all time. Their gnocchi are air pillows- so light and fluffy! In the summertime, they have outdoor seating on the patio in the back.
that’s the one thing we’re missing here, too – a good Italian place! An authentic one, not Olive Garden ๐
looks like a great meal!
It’s so true – you have to find GOOD places to eat to really enjoy a new area. Yeah for good italian food ~ your pics look amazing!
You all look super happy too ๐ Love the new earrings.
Another good one that i ate at recently…La Viola on 16th..between walnut and locust…really good…and it is a byob..so the prices aren’t bad at all!! Never been to Osteria…but i heard it was good…will have to check it out ๐
LOVE that place ๐ i went as my last hurrah in philly! that pistachio gelato was pretty amazing, if i remember correctly!!
I know a restaurant is good when I think about the food a lot- I find myself randomly thinking about the ravioli!! It was a great place and would love to go back!!
osteria is my favorite restaurant in philly! found your blog through food buzz…love it!
@Christina and Mary, Thank you!
I’m dying to go here. The pics look awesome!