Serving Italian-style comfort food has earned this warm and casual restaurant a Zagat's rating of "Excellent"!
We found this gem by accident. Needing both knees replaced, I was in a lot of pain and could hardly walk. My friend Marlene is the coordinator for our dinner group and was trying to find a place that had parking on site and no steps to make it easier for me to attend our Christmas dinner. That's how we ended up at "Spasso Italian Grill".
This restaurant is very pleasant and cozy inside. It has a rustic feel with its old world decor and an open viewable kitchen. The tables are spaced far enough apart to maintain privacy and elbow room. There are comfortable u-shaped booths down one side of the dining room that are great for a small party or a romantic setting for two. The food and desserts are made on the premises, and they make their own pasta.
As you're deciding what to have for dinner they bring you crispy and warm Italian bread with a plate of oil and mixed vegetables. There is some type of pepper in that mix that adds a bit of heat. I'm one of those people who could eat all of the bread and skip dinner! The menu is large with a ton of choices and they always offer chef's specials for the day. One of the best dishes I've had at Spasso's is the seafood risotto. The rice was done perfectly with a sauce that had wonderful flavor. There was a multitude of shellfish on top. This was one of those dishes that you tell everyone about because you want them to try it so they'll believe you when you tell them how wonderful it is! On another visit to Spasso's I wanted to try their pasta; everyone raves about how much better home made pasta is than processed boxed pasta. The fettuccine shrimp was fantastic! The wide pasta noodles were heavenly; there is definitely more flavor and consistency to home made pasta than the pasta I get at the market. The jumbo shrimp was cooked perfectly (I absolutely hate shrimp that is not done enough; undone shrimp is a gooey gelatinous mess). The sauce was a pesto cream sauce. There was enough sauce to add another layer of flavor to the dish, but not enough to drown the pasta or shrimp. The sauce was so good that I was using the bread to sop it up! The other ladies in my group have tried many of Spasso's entrees and haven't found anything that disappointed! As you can tell, we've been to Spasso's many times.
I usually don't get dessert when we're out; I never have enough room left! But, the first time we went to Spasso's the waitress convinced us to try their home made cannolis. Decadent is the word that comes to mind when I try to describe how good they were. The shell on the outside was very crisp and light, with a dusting of powdered sugar. The inside was creamy and very tasty (this was the first time I had a cannoli that I didn't think was too sweet). Yes, I ate the whole thing! I've had friends recommend the tiramisu; if you've never had this Italian pastry, it's lady fingers soaked in espresso with a mascarpone Italian cream filling. Did you know that if you have dessert on someone's birthday or a holiday, it's calorie free?
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| Cannolis - Fried Dough Filled With Italian Cream |
Spasso Italian Grill
34 S. Front Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-592-7661
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